Publications
Partners
What do you want your future to look like and how are you going to achieve that vision?
I have never met a successful person who did not have a positive attitude towards life. There is a very strong link between your mental state and your success, both in your career and your finances. If you think positively, believe in your future, focus on the good things in your life and have gratitude, you will be more open to financial success. Your attitude is the only thing standing in the way of your goals.
Wealth creation requires effort
Thinking positively, while an important first step, is not enough to create wealth. If that were the case you could just sit on the floor in a lotus position, dream of your bank balance growing and – hey presto! – your financial worries are over!
The reality is that optimistic people are successful because they use their positive energy to perform positive actions. They have a plan and work towards their future because they believe in that future. Rather than believing that “only the lucky get rich”, they understand that a positive attitude and hard work are what make people “lucky”.
So ask yourself: “What do I want my future to look like and how am I going to achieve that vision?”
Putting a plan into action
Many people are afraid of putting a financial plan in place because they first have to face their current financial reality.
A person with a negative mind-set would say, “I have started too late; I am never going to get there anyway.” Not surprisingly they will be absolutely correct: they will never get there.
A person with a positive mind-set would say, “I am taking action now rather than tomorrow, I have a plan and I am moving forward.” By facing your current financial situation you are empowering yourself, putting yourself in charge of your financial destiny. You acknowledge the reality of your situation and you now have a plan that will change your “luck”.
A plan changes your luck
Our financial advisers tell us that clients who set goals and stick to them invariably reach their goals sooner than expected.
Even debt councillors say that 90% of people who adhere to their debt review commitments find that their debts are paid off quicker than planned. This is because when you are in control of your finances, when you have a plan in place and have a clear vision of your future, your finances improve.
You may have a plan to pay off your home loan within ten years, but once you have set that goal, you become so motivated that you find other opportunities to add even more cash and your home loan is paid off several years earlier: you have managed to create your own luck.
The key is to stick to your plan, because if you deviate then your luck will change. This is where your financial adviser plays a crucial role because there will be times you need someone to remind you of your goals and how your actions today will affect those goals in the future.
Set your goals, believe in your ability to achieve them and engage with your financial adviser to help you stay on track.
By Steven Braudo: CEO Liberty Retail
(Press release, Liberty Health, October 2011)
(Picture: future planning from Shutterstock)
