How to make a difference to your finances in the next 12 months
photocredit: alancleaver_2000
Guest Post by Ben Lumley
We can all improve our finances. Some of us may want to have more disposible income and a nice big balance in the savings account. So far this month Matthew has given you some amazing tips on how to improve your finances as well as create long lasting financial sercurity. What I’d like to do with this article is let you see how you can apply some of the qualities that successful people have and some of the approaches they take when they try to achieve something, to your finances. Success leaves clues Successful people in the world know that success leaves clues. They understand that by studying their past successes as well as those of others, that they will find techniques and approaches that will help them. If you want make a difference to your finances you need to identify some times when your management of money has been really good. What did you do to bring that success about? What was different then to now? You also need look at other people. What works for them? Why can your friend save money yet make less a month than you? What do they do that creates the difference?
Success leaves clues. Find them and put them in to practice.
Choose a focus Your focus in life determines your reality and that’s no different when looking at money. If you focus on how little money you have, the fact that you’re (perceived) poor, or that you’re bad at managing your finances, then guess what? You’ll be all those things.
If you think you can or you think you can’t you’re right. Henry Ford.
Your mind will focus on what ever you tell it to focus on. You need to focus on the successes and positive side of your finances or even the amounts you wish to earn or have in the bank. By focusing on the positive, you can engage more with your money management and get better results.
Set some goals You can’t achieve something in life without knowing the specifics of what you want to achieve. By saying that you want to have “loads” of money is far too vague. To say that you’d like to be financial secure is too vague. You need to be specific.
Vague expectations creating vague results.
It’s really important if you want to make a positive difference to your finances in 2010 that you get specific with what you want to achieve. Set a goal, write it down and provide yourself with lots of details. How much money do you want to have in the bank or earn? When do you want to achieve it by? What will you do with the money when you have it? Be specific. Lots of people don’t write their goals down. By writing down what you want to achieve you make a strong commitment with yourself to achieve what you said. Successful people write down their goals and constantly refer back to them. You can to.
Take action How many times in life have you wanted to do something but not achieved it? How often have you said to someone that you’d like to do x, y and z but never gotten around to doing it? It’s because you didn’t take action. If you want to make a difference to your finance you can want all you like but it wont change a single penny in your account. Wanting something is one thing. Doing something about it is something else. Once you’ve decided that you want to save a specific amount or earn a particular sum, you need to go out and make it happen. You need to put in practice the tips and techniques that Matthew has provided and watch your results change. Wanting something doesn’t create results, taking action does. Start today. Don’t put it off, because success doesn’t come quickly to those who wait.
So…. Success in anything is about the approach you have and the actions you that take. Matthew has already given you everything you need to know to improve your finances. Hopefully what you see now is that you can go out their and achieve the difference that you want to create.
What are your financial goals?
My name is Matthew Needham and I'm a full time interim manager and consultant. I work with businesses large and small to help them grow their businesses, save money or improve their business processes.
I'm an entrepreneur, accountant and blogger. You can read more about me, or The Big Red Tomato Company on the 
Hi Ben,
Great advice here, especially the part about success leaving clues. I have the motto that if someone else can do it, then so can I. When you look around and really analyze what other successful people do, you notice that their actions can be duplicated by you. It’s not rocket science. There are so many steps that one can take to get a handle on their finances, and no matter how small that step is, it’s better than doing nothing and expecting your situation to improve. Reading what other successful people have done and then doing that, is a key differentiator, in my opinion.
Also, I think people get trapped in the scarcity mindset where they think that having a healthy bank balance is for other people and not them. Once you really believe that you are worth it, you will put in the time to do what you need to do in order to earn more and save more of your money so that you are in control, rather than your money being in control of you.
Karen
Ben Reply:
March 26th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
You’re right Karen. Success isn’t rocket science. It’s easy to take control of your finance you just need to decided on what you want to do and start taking action.
Thanks for stopping by.
Matthew Needham Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
I get lots of ideas. The problem is that unless I write them down I’ll forget them.
You’re right so many things can be reapplied and I love your atitude of “if others can do it, so can i”.
Great article Ben!
I also like what you said about success leaving clues. It really does but those clues are only good enough for those people who use them and make some of value with them. I often wonder if I’ll ever be good enough to do the things I want to do in my life and then I realize that there’s far too many plans and goals I’ve yet to write down, which brings me to my other thoughts about the people around me.
Most of the people I know aren’t doing too bad yet have no goals written down and are living paycheck to paycheck and doing what almost everyone around them does too. They have goals and that’s great but they really aren’t getting further ahead it seems like.
Then I look at the people who aren’t around me except I know online or from their books and websites and they have written goals and such and they’re actually getting further ahead than most.
Long story short: get a goal, write it down, take action, learn from mistakes, keep going with what you learned and watch success come your way. When to get specific? In the beginning and especially when you write these things down.
Does everyone feel I’ve addressed my liking in the post here pretty well?
.-= Eric´s last blog ..Erica JoLynn Is Born =-.
Matthew Needham Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I think you’ve done a fantastic job Eric!
You’re right having the goals written down and reviewing your progress often will make success more likely.
Ben Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Yup exactly right. Have it, write it down, act on it
.-= Ben´s last blog ..Friday’s Personal Development Homework =-.
Brother you can guess what I’m going to say I bet, TAKE ACTION I have a post coming out soon, in fact it’s like a workbook really for free but will help taking action.
Now top tips as always Ben and another great colabboration between the two of you.
For me my goals are huge but will be met by Christmas, pay mortgage off and buy two new cars, job done
.-= TheInfoPreneur´s last blog ..You Still Really Don’t Believe You Can Do It Do You? =-.
Ben Reply:
March 28th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Yup if you don’t take action you’re just wishful thinking.
Can’t wait to see the cars dude
.-= Ben´s last blog ..Friday’s Personal Development Homework =-.
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