Money Mission: Get Organised

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Each month we have been addressing a specific task that will allow you to become more efficient in carrying out your financial objectives. Goal accomplishment is not attained by isolated spurts of activity; it’s the little actions that you do every day that will eventually help you to be successful.

This month’s money mission addresses a major problem that can hinder your effectiveness in your personal, work and financial lives. Many people find that they are not able to achieve their best, not because they lack the desire or skills to do so, but because they are completely disorganised.

Disorganisation brings distress

Marcia awakes each morning with an optimistic outlook. “Everything is going to run smoothly today,” she vows. Marcia operates a small wholesale and also makes gift baskets that she delivers to her customers. She juggles the two activities hoping that the combined effort will pay all her bills. Continue reading Money Mission: Get Organised →

Food and your Finances

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Jamaicans definitely have a very special relationship with food. Our love of preparing and eating good food is culturally celebrated in poems, songs, wise sayings and folklore. Many people will travel far and wide just to partake in a fancy food festival or curry goat cook-up.

Food also has a major effect on our economy. Apart from the profits that food providers can make, other businesses can benefit from our fascination with food. If you’re planning an event and you want to encourage people to participate, just let it be known that free food will be available!

The benefits of the food industry

On the positive side, our country is experiencing a resurgence in the quantity and quality of food service professionals. When I was in school, over 20 years ago, it was not considered ambitious to take a home economics class, as you didn’t see how it could contribute to a lucrative career. Continue reading Food and your Finances →

Keeping Records is Key

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One of the occasional tasks that I find tedious and inconvenient is filling out forms or questionnaires. Whether I’m required to carry out a survey, complete documents for a financial institution or even submit contact information online, I usually have to overcome my initial resistance to the process.

I know I’m not alone in my aversion to data entry; but in many instances, it can be well worth the effort to capture information in a written or computerised format. When it comes to your finances, it is essential to maintain regular accounts of your transactions, both for individual and business use.

If you don’t have a firm handle on your financial dealings, it can cost you dearly in lost time, money and opportunities, and lead to confusion and frustration. Let’s look at some of the ways in which keeping timely and accurate records can help you to manage your personal or business finances. Continue reading Keeping Records is Key →

What do you need to learn about money?

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As children, we were taught that we needed to study the topics of reading, writing and arithmetic if we wanted to do well in school. Similarly, if you want to be financially successful, you have to make an effort to learn the essential principles of dealing with money.

Wikipedia.org defines financial literacy as the “set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources.” There are three keys to being financially smart — you have to know how to manage, multiply and maintain your money.

Get basic money skills
The important skill sets to learn in managing money are: how to budget to know the cost of your lifestyle and to prioritise your spending; how to develop the discipline of saving; how to manage useful debt and eliminate wasteful borrowing; and how to set and achieve your financial goals. Continue reading What do you need to learn about money? →

Six Ways to Learn About Money

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I regularly receive correspondence from readers asking me for advice on how to fix their money problems or accomplish some of their financial goals. While it’s possible to answer some questions in a few paragraphs, most queries would require an extended period of teaching to comprehensively address the issues of concern.

We live in an age of immediate gratification, and many people have become accustomed to getting fast solutions to their needs. Although today you can enjoy convenience foods, Google searches and instant messaging conversations, when you are looking for solutions to your money challenges, there really is no shortcut to success.

Take charge of your financial education
It took me many years of dedicated research and determined application to garner the wealth of knowledge about money that I am happy to share with you each week. I’m still learning new things all the time about what it takes to be successful with money, as there is always some lesson in life that can bring more insight and wisdom. Continue reading Six Ways to Learn About Money →

Money Mission: Increase Your Financial Knowledge

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One of the reasons why persons may find it difficult to achieve their money goals is that they lack the financial know-how necessary for success. They might be clear about what they want to achieve, and may be motivated to do what’s necessary to accomplish their objectives, but they are still hampered by uncertainty about the right way forward.

Although having insufficient information can negatively affect your self-confidence, it’s one of the easiest obstacles to overcome. We are living in the age of information, and there are myriad ways to gain detailed instructions on almost anything you need to do. Once you have a strong desire to learn, you can seek and find the answers to most of your questions.

As we continue to look at strategies which can help you to stay focused on your goals, this month’s money mission challenges you to get educated about financial matters. As 16th century philosopher Sir Francis Bacon declared, “Knowledge is power;” and learning the essential skills of money can empower and equip you to take charge of your financial future. Continue reading Money Mission: Increase Your Financial Knowledge →

Instant Money Motivation

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Years ago when I worked in an investment firm, I often wondered why even though all my clients received detailed advice to help them accomplish their goals, less than 50 per cent actually carried out the recommended steps. In addition, only a very small percentage of those who started the process continued until they had achieved their objectives.

Could I have done more to assist those who fell by the financial wayside? Could I have done a better job in finding workable solutions for my clients? My determination to help people achieve evoked my desire to learn about the factors required to bring about lasting change in their beliefs and behaviours.

With more experience in money coaching, I now recognise that there are various underlying reasons that can block persons from actualising their dreams. Although counsellors can make suggestions and show them practical ways to fix their financial problems, the reality is that the decision to take corrective action can only come from within. Continue reading Instant Money Motivation →

Get Mad and Get Going!

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“When will this ever end?” Martha groaned in frustration. “If I have to face one more tirade from Mr Johnson for a mistake I didn’t commit, I’m going to scream!” Martha reflected on the practice of her dishonest supervisor to blame his junior staff for his own errors of judgement. Since Mr Johnson got promoted six months ago, he had made her job a daily nightmare.

For the third time that day, Martha daydreamed about what her life would have been like if she had followed her heart. Doing administrative work was not her real desire; in school she had excelled in home economics and had wanted to pursue a career in catering. However, she doubted that she could have earned a living at it, and had studied business at the community college instead.

Twenty years later, Martha was amazed at the developments in Jamaica’s food industry and a little envious of all the persons who had risen to stardom in the field. She still treasured baking as a hobby and enjoyed the praises of her friends who encouraged her to go into business using her talent. “What’s the point?” she sighed. “I’m too old now to make a change.” Continue reading Get Mad and Get Going! →

How To Motivate Yourself to Sell

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“You wrote recently about the importance of creating your own income. I agree, yet I find it almost impossible to proceed as I just don’t know how to sell anything. I have no motivation to make the effort to make the extra money I need, because I feel like I would be a total failure at it. How can I overcome this problem?”

Earning an independent income is vital for goal achievement; and selling is an integral part of this process. For some persons, the thought of selling is as welcome as going to the dentist with a cavity. However, you must conquer your anxieties to fix an ailing tooth; and if you really want to realise your financial dreams, you have to overcome your resistance to doing sales.

One reason that may demotivate many persons from trying something new, like selling, is that they lack confidence. The good news is that sales, like any other life or business skill, can be learned. There are simple, repeatable steps that novices can take, which will help them to improve their techniques and eventually excel at the task of selling. Continue reading How To Motivate Yourself to Sell →

Money Mission: Discover Your Motivating Force

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Recently I spoke to students in the Young Entrepreneurs Society at my former high school, showing them simple strategies to earn income even before they graduated. I encouraged them to learn how to establish viable enterprises in the future, reminding them that small business is the engine for growth that can turn around our country’s ailing economy.

After my talk, we had a brief question and answer session, and one of the students had a very interesting question for me. “What drives you to be successful?” he asked. Usually I am quite speedy in providing responses, but this question made me pause. To be able to give an honest answer, I had to really get introspective and consider my true motives.

I have always said that when you are establishing a goal, you need to be certain about what you want out of life and focus on why it is important to you. Don’t worry too much about the how it will happen. You only need to formulate the initial strategies that will get you started on the journey to your dreams; the rest of the pathway will reveal itself over time. Continue reading Money Mission: Discover Your Motivating Force →