by Eldari Visser, Managing Director of Picketfence.Life
If you ask me to join a gym I get a very uneasy feeling. The mere idea of putting myself through pain does not sit well with me. I prefer to go for the sexier options such as dancing or Zumba; or the calmer options like yoga or Pilates. I program my brain that these type of exercises will not hurt as much as going to the gym. Who exactly am I kidding? My body is going to complain, that is a fact. Don’t even mention all the good reasons that I can come up with for not getting started or not going each week.
I am sure many will relate with me. The ladies that do love exercising will simply shake their heads thinking, “you don’t know how good it feels to exercise regularly plus there are many health benefits”. I get you!
If we are considering a trip into the jungle or climbing a massive mountain and we want to achieve this goal as a once in a lifetime bucket-list affair, we consciously switch on our brain to focus on the task at hand. We wake up with the end destination in mind and start training – hard! We have something to prove to ourselves and many times even to others or for a purpose greater than ourselves.
That being said, our financial fitness world can easily be just as difficult. Even a factor that we tend to ignore - the elephant in the room.
As entrepreneurs we know how to work out the business finances or we get someone in to make sure it runs perfectly whilst we focus on our passion. We drive ourselves to success yet neglect our own finances. Why? The same reason we do not want to start to train. It is a tough exercise in the beginning. Many do not know where to start and they know that once you have started with the paperwork you cannot just walk away and give up. The financial fitness will not follow. You have to keep working at it. Maybe I am preaching to the converted but I have heard from so many people that their own stuff is literally in shambles. If this is you, what can you do?
Let’s get back to our jungle expedition. By now we all know that we have researched a destination, we have goals and we have enquired about an expedition leader. It is time to get the financial muscles fit.
Start by jotting down a few burning questions.
Write down a list of goals that you want your finances to DO for you.
Research topics that you want to get clarification on eg. Unit trusts, compounding interest, tax laws, interest rates, credit scores and the likes. What is it that you want to know?
Make a list of what you want to ask your expedition leader to help you with.
Read, research, google and ask….Become an informed consumer.
A word of caution, watch out who you ask for advice. Don’t let them help you from the river bank into the rushing water. You do not start a gym program without a proper instructor. Handle your financial fitness with the same mind-set.
Eldari Visser and her unique company, Picketfence Life, is providing access to information, advice and a powerful network of experts to help consumers find solutions to various serious issues. The company focuses mostly on easy blogs written by financial coaches, lawyers, accountants and tax practitioners, life and business coaches, and even psychologists. It gives practical tips and help and is the expert on your side of the fence. --- You can reach Eldari at www.picketfence.lifeor www.askgerald.com
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