Simple Life Habits

You have heard it said that a bad habit is hard to break. So, how do you develop good habits? I think you need to first start with an awareness. We lie to ourselves more then any other person. In fact, there is a quote I heard once that really struck with me:

“Excuses are lies that you tell yourself.”

Are you using excuses in your life? Many of us think that good intentions will get us where we want to be eventually, but nothing could be further then the truth. Andy Stanley in his new book The Principle of the Path talks about this very thing.

As most of you know I have been on a quest to discover money saving ideas over the last year. I am not a naturally stingy type person by nature, in fact, I am more spontaneous and care free. At the same time, when you start to see how much of your hard earned money you really can save it becomes a wonderful game.

Today, I want to spend some time discussing one of my favorite ideas for saving money. I am surprised that more people do not employ this idea into their personal finances. We as customers forget that we are in fact just that…customers. In a free society we can do business with whomever we choose.

I have always had a craving to be better in life then I currently am. Whether it is my walk with God, my relationship with my wife & kids, or just how I handle my time. I want to be better today than yesterday. Life can get extremely busy and I am always looking for ways to simplify my life.

That being said, I have tried many things in my life (most of which did not work). I have tried all of the gadgets and tested every theory imaginable. Everything I tried seemed to have a gap or just did not fit right. I used to chalk it up to a lack of self discipline and that I just needed to “try harder.” Have you been there?

I’d like to let you know that the old days are over! Since the dawn of the Internet, people have scratched their heads wondering if making money online was a real possibility. There are many money making ideas out there, but you have to be able to see truth from fiction.

This blog is dedicated to providing simple steps on a directed path. Whether you are looking to create good habits for saving money, earning income, reducing debt, enjoy better health, or just simplifying life, this blog will reveal to you the straight facts.

At the beginning of this year I started a new habit: waking up early and doing a morning walk. For most of my life I have been a night person. I naturally come alive at 10pm. It can even be difficult for me to fall asleep at night because my mind does not shut off. I know what “silence is deafening” means. I use to find myself battling my mind and the silence in the house in order to fall asleep at night. Once I started an early morning ritual all that began to change.

Time to get creative! If money is tight and you need to be able to get cash fast, then I have a useful list for you to use. The first step toward creating the right money habits is to bank a $1000 Emergency Fund. This is the first step that Dave Ramsey and his Total Money Makeover recommends that you take. Establishing a baby emergency fund will do several things for you:

1. Some Peace of Mind - There is something refreshing about having at least $1000 set aside for any minor emergencies that might happen. Of course, $6000 makes you feel even better, but remember, this blog is dedicated to taking small steps on a directed path.

I love watching movies, but there is an interesting dynamic involved: you are just a spectator. No matter how much your heart is beating during the chase or how much you yell at Suzy to turn around and watch out behind her….you are just a spectator.

This makes for a great family lesson. Unfortunately for men, we are natural spectators in life. In fact, we are all certified in NPC. That’s right…Natural Passivity Certification. I am in the third year in Men’s Fraternity (A Journey to Authentic Manhood) and early on we learned that being passive is natural for a man. You can live under the same roof with your children and wife and still not really be there. Life is happening all around you and it is just as if you are at the movies.

Dave Ramsey is quickly becoming a household name in the area of personal finances. You never have to wonder where he stands in terms of how to handle money, but then again you didn’t wonder where your Grandmother stood either. If our generation has a sin, it is trying to achieve in 10 years financially what took our parent 25 years. We are quickly learning that debt is ultimately a slippery slope. It is easy to get into and tough to climb out of.

Why did I do it again?! Breaking habits can seem like an uphill battle for sure. Just when you feel like you are getting to the top of the hill, you stumble and roll half way down. Why does life seem so hard at times? Why is there such a big gap between where I am and where I want to be? Does God really have a plan for my life or am I just supposed to struggle along through life until I get to the other side?

Have you ever had these discussions with yourself? I sure have. I have stumbled so many times 70×7 seems like a small number.

Do you envy people who can fall right to sleep at night? I do. My wife can lay down and be sound asleep in 5.2 seconds. In 11 years of marriage, I have yet to fall asleep before her. A million thoughts run through my mind whenever I lay down. I wouldn’t consider myself to be a deep thinker and yet I am guilty of living in my thoughts.