Managing Personal Debt

Adriana Debt, Happiness, Success, Wealth August 26, 2024August 27, 2024Debt

by Chris Sheldon

Do you have your credit card under control?

Having a Credit card can often lead to racking up huge amounts of debt, well beyond your capacity to repay within the month required by most credit cards.

The holiday season, Christmas time, can be a particularly dangerous time for over-spending. “After pay”, credit cards, tap and go, all are fraught with problems for all of us. Using these easy-pay systems feels so easy and we think we can pay these items off at the end of the month. But the end of the month comes around quickly and we have forgotten about all the other items we also have bought, with absolutely no thought to keeping track of our spending.

Retail stores make it so easy for us to part with our money. We can pay the furniture or TV item off in two years’ time, but that time also comes around very quickly and huge fees can start applying, with no chance of paying it off quickly because in the meantime we have bought several large items, also on the pay-later scheme.

It’s such a trap for us all. Retailers just want our money whether we can afford it or not. We often know at the time of purchase that we won’t be able to pay these items off, but the desire for the product outweighs affordability. We just don’t realise how quickly debt can grow and often these items are things we don’t really need or could put off until we have the cash.

Many of us have been down this path of over-spending and built up credit card debt that has gotten out of control. If you cannot pay back your credit card debt each month, then you have a problem. If you are spending more than you earn, your debt will escalate.

The Solution to over-spending

The answer is simply to BUDGET. We all must learn the skill of budgeting properly, writing a list of the things we spend on each month.

The first step is to open an account for a DEBIT CARD.

We live in an age where things are changing very quickly and we want everything now. We don’t want to wait… we want all things bright and beautiful that we see every day. We want the brand-new car, and a lovely house to show off to our friends, along with the latest new furniture, of course. This can look very impressive to others but deep down we know that being up to your neck in debt can cause stress, leading to some long-term health issues. Our neighbours, friends and family may also be suffering from a similar debt crisis. Living well beyond our means is a major problem. From the outside, it looks like we earn a great wage and manage our debts. Some of us might be paying off the debt each month, but it is a huge issue for most people. Banks or finance companies lend money so easily and retail stores have sales all the time and we are tempted to buy the latest and greatest. We live with an ”I WANT IT NOW” age.

Why Budget?

The top 4 things that most people want when they retire are …

+ To be debt free, their house fully paid off and to have a nice car
+ To be comfortably retired with enough money to enjoy a great lifestyle, being able to make lots of choices for themselves
+ To be able to travel frequently in their own country or overseas.
+ To be able to help their children financially.

This all sounds so familiar and to many so very unachievable, but by changing our ingrained spending habits, it can become achievable.

For a lot of us, most of our money each week is going out as soon as we get it, having to pay for all these items …

The loans for the cars,
Credit card repayments for the things we can’t afford right now
A 25 to 30-year loan for the new home, paying interest to the bank at a
much higher rate than we are earning on our savings account.

Over spending creates so many issues. We struggle to live in balance, causing much unnecessary worry and anxiety for ourselves.

Borrowing more is not the answer, as the cycle starts all over again.

Leakage and wastage

We need to look at where exactly is the leakage or wastage happening. The money that is going on STUFF we really don’t need or can do without. The one item that give us no pleasure and we don’t feel happy about is CREDIT CARD INTEREST. And this is one of the biggest causes of leakage. If you are still paying for the holiday you have not long taken, you obviously could not afford it in the first place. If you keep putting items on the credit card and you never pay it off, just keep paying the monthly fee, your debt compounds.

Sound familiar? If so, you need to take a good look at the monthly interest that you pay on each credit card or any other items you are paying off. To seriously address this leakage or wastage, you may need to take out a loan for paying off all the items you have listed and reduce your credit card limit and only use your credit for emergencies or services charges only. Then, take out a debit card where you put in each week an amount you can afford for food, petrol and essentials each week, to get your spending back in check.

Tip: look around your house and yard and see what items you could sell that you are tired of that could bring in money to help reduce debt.

Credit card debt consolidation

To be continued [OTHER AREAS OF WASTAGE]

Dream BIG

Adriana Happiness, Success, Wealth February 5, 2023July 7, 2023Dream Big

You need to dream BIG to achieve BIG.

Most people spend their time, energy and resources.in life doing anything but their hearts’ desire. A lot of people talk about what they are going to do one day but never really focus on their dreams and what they really want.

Some people waste their time and their lives on frivolous things, trying to get from A to B to C but they often don’t have a purpose or a long-term outcome… where they would like to be in the future.

Some work towards bringing them about.

Why dream big…

Vision and Motivation:

Dreaming big helps you create a compelling vision for your life or career. It gives you a sense of purpose and direction, motivating you to work towards achieving your goals. When you have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish, it becomes easier to stay focused, overcome obstacles, and persist through challenges.

Stretching Your Limits:

When you dream big, you set ambitious goals that push you outside of your comfort zone. This encourages personal and professional growth, as you need to acquire new skills, expand your knowledge, and develop a mindset of continuous improvement. By reaching for the stars, you’re more likely to achieve significant accomplishments that can propel you forward.

Creating Opportunities:

Dreaming big opens your mind to possibilities and opportunities that you may not have considered otherwise. It allows you to think beyond current limitations and explore innovative solutions to problems. By having audacious dreams, you’re more likely to discover new paths, forge unconventional connections, and seize opportunities that can lead to success.

Overcoming Failure:

Dreaming big prepares you to face failure and setbacks along the way. In the pursuit of ambitious goals, it’s common to encounter obstacles and experience setbacks. However, dreaming big helps you develop resilience and a positive mindset that allows you to learn from failures, adapt, and keep moving forward. It enables you to see failures as valuable learning experiences rather than roadblocks.

Inspiring Others:

When you dream big and actively pursue your goals, you become an inspiration to others. Your passion, drive, and determination can influence and motivate those around you. By setting an example and sharing your journey, you can inspire others to dream big, believe in their potential, and strive for success themselves.

While dreaming big is essential, it’s important to complement it with strategic planning, consistent action, and adaptability. Dreams alone won’t guarantee success—you need to back them up with concrete steps, perseverance, and a willingness to adjust your approach when necessary.

“So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.”
Christopher Reeve

Why not sit down today and write out your BIG dream?

Read more about Accumulating Wealth

Believe in Yourself

Adriana Happiness, Mental Health, Positive Attitude, Success, Wealth December 15, 2022January 9, 2023self belief, self confidence

Your Belief System

To be both successful and happy, it is very important to believe in yourself. Our beliefs are generally formed in childhood. We have learnt these beliefs from our parents, our environment and the world around us.

Our patterns of behaviour and attitudes are formed when, as young children or teenagers, we watch and learn about attitudes and behaviours from our parents, teachers and any outside influences we are exposed to. We learn about what is acceptable and what is not, and we start forming our own opinions and belief systems, based on our own experiences. These are our shaped and learnt behaviours. We learn that being polite is rewarded and that being rude is not acceptable.

When processing new information or experiences as an adult, those core beliefs systems that we have formed and adopted in our early years can sometimes be challenged, but mostly we go back to our core beliefs as that is where we feel secure.

The Problem of Self Doubt

Core beliefs of parents are handed down the generations and they form the basis for our sometimes flawed, incorrect belief systems. When this happens, we can become self-doubters, feel insecure and unnecessary anxiety can take hold. We begin doubting ourselves and fighting against these ingrained beliefs proves to be very difficult. To work through these, we need to have a positive mindset because overcoming limiting beliefs can be challenging.

In life, we limit ourselves with these learnt limiting self-beliefs that somehow we focus on when faced with new challenges, like entering a new career or trying out something completely different.

Also, others can influence our thinking very easily, if we let them, putting up blockers for our vision for the future that we have set for ourselves. Peer pressure can play a role in confusing us at times when we want to break out of the mould and set our sights on something personally challenging. Others will have their own limiting mindset, so don’t be influenced by them. We can listen and may take their advice. We can ask others but we must draw our own conclusions.

Don’t let others stand in the way of what you really want to do. Parents, friends and associates may criticise, or their comments may come from the best of intentions, but do your own research and listen to someone who has a more open mind. If they are someone that you can bounce ideas off, you will respect their advice. Listen to them and ultimately make up your own mind.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!

Change every negative thought to a positive — be happy

Don’t let go of the dreams, passions and values you have set down for yourself. Having put these in place, ultimately the decision is yours. The sky is the limit when facing new challenges. Anything can be achieved if you believe in yourself.

Believe in yourself, believe that things will happen. Change will take place as you grow and learn. Don’t go through life missing opportunities. Grab them with both hands when they come along; learn, act and inspire others to do the same.

How to Change your MINDSET

Having made the decision, don’t doubt your abilities. If you need to take steps to improve your skills, do so. Do everything in your power to achieve your dreams. Your abilities are unique to you and belief in yourself is the first step in your journey to success. You are on your way to YOUR FUTURE SELF.

Every morning of every day, say to yourself, “I BELIEVE IN ME. I am capable of so much. I am willing to learn everything it takes to be successful, for I am going to succeed and go forward in my life, because I am ME. I am Positive and Confident”.

We all suffer from nerves. It can happen to anyone. It happens to famous musicians before going on stage. We actually need such feelings of fear to spur us on to overcome things… when we are starting a new job, meeting new people, taking on a new challenge, sitting for an exam, having to give a speech in front of a group of people, maybe your peers. These nerves can affect us in everyday life and can cause ANXIETY and SELF-DOUBT and it can affect some of us more than others.

I am a strong believer in SELF-TALK . Look in the mirror and tell yourself how good you are, what skills you have, how you are so capable at particular skills. Look yourself in the eye and say you can overcome what’s holding you back with thoughts of SELF DOUBT. Tell yourself you are going to change, you’re going to be a more positive person who always looks for opportunities and is grateful and thankful for opportunity and everything around you.

Your attitude towards everything should be from a positive mindset and this is critical to your success and belief in yourself.

Believe in Yourself Quotes

The Power of Giving

Adriana Mental Health, Passion, Success, Wealth October 23, 2022October 24, 2022giving, helping others

Updated October 2022

Many people go through life accumulating wealth and that’s great, but if it’s not coupled with giving to others, then what is it for?

It is more about themselves than about others.

They need to discover the power of giving.

Giving means offering something without expectation of receiving something in return; or more specifically the act of giving generously of time, money or work without expecting return favours.

If we want our lives to count for something, we should live our lives to advance our knowledge and abilities so that we will have money and time to use for the benefit of others as well as ourselves. This has been described as “win-win”.

Life is not just about getting for ourselves and taking at the expense of others. Life is so much more. A full and meaningful life includes the joy of giving.

It can take only one person to influence another person’s life and this can impact on the whole family or the whole community and beyond, for the benefit of so many people. One person’s giving can change a whole community or even change the world. Giving to others generously and graciously can not only advance and improve others’ situations in so many ways and for generations into the future, it also does so much for our own sense of worth and well-being.

We should never give to others simply so that we can gain. We need to give with gratitude, with no strings attached, no paybacks required and certainly no future reminders of how generous you were. By giving from a gracious heart you will find you gain back so much more. It will enrich your life beyond your wildest dreams.

The Benefits of Giving:

healthy — We are happy people for giving to others

Giving to others strengthens our own health and well-being.

It impacts on all parts of our own lives.

We are happier people for giving to others.

It improves our own sense of worth.

It gives us a sense of contentment, a warm and fuzzy feeling and we in turn reflect on our own self-worth and gain a sense of pride and achievement in contributing something worthwhile and of value to the world.

We gain depth of character.

It creates a desire within us to be more open to others and their social and economic needs.

We gain from giving to others and we then look for new ways to give of our money, our knowledge, our wisdom and insight.

It gives us a greater understanding of others and their real needs and a greater desire to resolve issues for them, that impact on the lives of others.

It gives us a stronger sense of love and kindness for others and brings serenity to our lives beyond what we could ever imagine.

It creates patience, tolerance and acceptance of others and gives us an inner desire to advance others.

Giving will make your own world a better place.

Be generous and give of yourself to others. If you have a heart to give to others, you will want to grow your own assets so that you are able to give. Boosting your income is a way of increasing your own wealth and thereby your ability to give to others in need of help.

Giving gives us a stronger sense of love and kindness for others

Read more about Growing Your Wealth

A Gift Basket — **Spa gift set for Mother, Wife or Girlfriend**

The Secret to Happiness

Ten Principles of Success

Adriana Happiness, Positive Attitude, Success, Wealth March 26, 2021September 12, 2021principles of success, success

What is success?

One way of defining success is by focusing on the most important Principles of Success.

To achieve success in the journey of life, you must first decide on your destination by setting personal goals. First, ask yourself “What is your big goal for 2021”?

It is then important to maintain positivity. Staying positive can be achieved by reading morning affirmations every day. Along with positive psychology you will also need positive energy. Every day should involve taking action.

But to fulfil your goals of life, you will need to understand and practise the Principles of Success.

Ten Principles of Success

1. You are the only person responsible for your success.

You need to reach a point in your life where you, and you alone, start to take full responsibility and are in full control of your future. It will be a highlight in your life when you let go of leaning on others, relying on others or blaming others. Decide to let go from the control of others and start to be the master of your own ship. The future is in your hands.

2. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel

Success can happen when you put your own creativity to work on something that perhaps already exists and put your own creative twist or feel to it, thereby giving it its own “unique selling proposition”.

3. There is no progress without taking action

No action always results in 100% failure rate. If we never start, our dreams will never be realised. Action requires determination, which results in progress.

4. Persistence always wins.

As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” A river cuts through rocks because of its persistence over time.

5. Focus is key.

Focus is everything. Clear focus leads to efficiency. Multi-tasking can lead to distractions along the way. Individual tasks need individual 100% focus.

6. Failure is necessary.

If we never fail, we have never learnt anything. We need to experience these failures and disappointments to help us refocus and interpret each failure as a learning experience that will lead down the road to success.

7. Positivity fuels productivity.

Success comes from positive energy. You can choose to get caught up with negativity, but Positivity is a choice. Surround yourself with positive people, read positive books and choose positive surroundings.

8. You must believe in yourself.

Find the place inside yourself where dreams start. Dreams become a reality, when you write them down. When you are fully determined, committed and take positive action, your dream will become a reality.

9. Helping others is part of being successful.

Successful people always help those around them, inspiring and encouraging them to also fulfil their dreams and passions in life. Find a way to help, assist and serve your community and others in your life.

10. Success is a journey of countless small steps, one at a time.

Growth and success come when we take one step at a time towards our dreams. We need to hold fast to our principles, always striving for a higher standard than others and constantly seeking to improve.

You are the only person responsible for your success

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The book spells out 67 timeless principles and practices that have been the basis of success for men and women around the world. Practising these principles every day can transform your life beyond your wildest dreams!

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