The Intentional Life

I recall a recent conversation with some friends who were complaining quite bitterly about the lack of training at their companies. While we were talking I asked a simple question: why not train yourself? Their response - since their organisations would benefit from the results of the training then naturally, it's the organisation's responsibility to train their staff.

I agree to a limited extent, but then I wonder if an organisation can possibly be more responsible for you than you are for yourself. In any organisation anywhere in the world there will always be many more development needs than existing resources can meet. So shouldn't people take charge of making sure these needs are met outside of what the organisation can do?

More worrying is the fact that a lot of people are happy to completely surrender their developmental goals to their employers rather than drive their personal development themselves.

I read an article recently where the author stated that if Bill Gates lost all his money today, he'd be wealthy again in no time because he had invested in his human capital. While this may be true for Bill Gates, the question to you is, are YOU investing in yourself? Do you realise that YOU are your greatest asset? Once you do, your perspectives and actions will alter dramatically.

Here are 4 ways to invest in your most valuable asset:

Read a book on a topic that interests you: Why? Reading opens up your mind in ways nothing else does. It expands your imagination, perspective and vocabulary at the same time. In the last one month have you read a new non-work related book or article? Do you engage the Internet and look for specific information or just surf? Pick up a book (it could be online or hard copy depending on your preference) and challenge yourself to read at least one new book a quarter this year.

Enhance your skills: Actively seek out ways to improve your skills. There's really no excuse not to as there's so much free information available now through expert blogs, ebooks, articles, webinars etc. on literally any subject in the world. Beyond the freebies, invest in quality trainings, conferences, seminars as these also give you networking opportunities where you an share thoughts and experiences with others.

Get creative: People often link creativity with artistry or musical skills, but that's only one aspect. Creativity exercises your brain as you think of ways of doing things differently. It doesn't have to be complicated, you can learn a new language, write an article on something that interests you, explore a skill you've always wanted to develop. Make a conscious effort to try something new consistently.

Take care of your body: You'll only ever have one body so take care of it. Imagine your body is a million dollar machine, how would you treat it? Definitely you'd fill it with the highest grade fuel (food), make sure the body work is top notch (exercise, good skin care and dressing) and won't overrun the engine (get adequate rest). You'd take it for regular service checks (medical check ups, rest and recuperation), and make sure nothing impairs the brain box (take care of your mental health). Sadly we often take our bodies for granted until something forces us to change our behaviour. Don't wait until that happens, be proactive.

Each of the points I've touched on is a whole topic in itself which I'll go into in more depth over the coming weeks.

I hope you found this useful. If so don't keep it to yourself, share with your friends and drop me a note I'd love to hear from you.

Handle [han-dl]

“that which may be held, seized, grasped, or taken advantage of in effecting a purpose”

Money. We all talk about it, we all need it for different things, we all use it, but not everyone knows how to handle it.  Money on its own doesn’t make a difference. It’s what you do with it that makes a difference. Imagine a person that has millions in an account, but lives an impoverished lifestyle. It just doesn’t add up.

Money shouldn’t be an end in itself, but a means to get to an end: a nice car, nice house, send the kids to good schools, or that designer bag you’ve been dreaming about :-) Where most people often miss it is they are not intentional about how they go about handling money effectively.

Here are 5 simple things you can do to start taking control of your money starting today:

1. Understand your money philosophy: What money means to you unconsciously affects the way you treat it. Our money philosophy is usually based on what we heard/felt growing up and how much we want to stay close to or get as far away as possible from that feeling.  To understand your money philosophy, go through your bank statement for the last 3 to 6 months and reflect on what you did with the money that has passed through your account. It’s always an eye opener believe me!

2. Don’t spend it all: Sounds simple enough right? Then how come there almost always seems to be more month at the end of the money rather than the other way round? The rule of thumb is to spend no more than 75% of your monthly income. There’s a magical thing that happens when you deliberately set out to do this: you survive on less than you thought you could! Because life throws us things we didn’t plan for from time to time, setting 25% of your income aside gives you a buffer when these ‘shocks’ happen.

3. Pay yourself FIRST: Before you pay any bill, as soon as you get the money in your hands or account move out 25% IMMEDIATELY to another account you don’t have easy access to. Banks typically offer a higher interest rate for accounts you don’t take money out of regularly so take advantage of this and let your money start working for you. Don’t wait until after you’ve paid all your bills to start setting money aside, otherwise you’ll never start.

4. Get more value for your time: We all get 24hrs in a day, no more, no less. Ask yourself “How can I get more value out of today”. What do you need to do to earn more income within the same 24hrs? Who do you need to talk to, provide a value added service for, or get a raise from? To get more value out, you need to put more value in.

5. Have a goal: There’s something about having a goal that drives people to perform at their peak. Set yourself a goal to operate at a higher standard of life. Set your goals in crystal clear terms of how much you earn, how much you have invested, right down to how many holidays you take a year and where you go. Set realistic time frames and be disciplined about achieving the goals. Remember, a goal without a plan and a deadline is just a wish.