Holistic Financial Counseling

Here is how journaling works

Have a pen and paper ready…. If a blank whole page intimidates you, fold it in half; don’t follow the lines if you need more space; turn the page 90 degrees if you want to be different; use colored pens if you want to be playful.

You are boss. There are no rules; no homework and no tests!

Excerpt from Showing Up For The Golden Years:

Every morning when you wake up, write. Yes, you’re right—write! Write about anything. If you can’t think of anything, start with this: “I don’t know what to write about but the Money Whisperer told me to write so here goes.” Or “Why did I get up 20 minutes earlier to write about whatever?” and take it from there.

You don’t have to stick to the subject, just keep that pen to paper going for 20 minutes. Don’t wonder about a topic or grammar; no erasing, no crossing out, just write what comes to mind. Let it flow! Every day!

And my suggestion—if those voices in your head keep calling for attention, give them the pen and paper, and allow them to take the lead.

There are no guarantees in life but this I promise you: write, push yourself to write, and, eventually, the words and the thoughts will appear. They will fall onto the paper in spite of your resistance and often they will pleasantly surprise you.

Journaling is like tweeting with your soul

You want open communication with your dreams and expectations when you build a Master Life Plan or a sustainable spending plan. Journaling is one of the more effective ways to open that dialogue.

Contrary to what you may have heard, journaling is a pleasurable activity. I see it as a treat, a way to withdraw from the world and spend time with me–my very own mental health retreat at my beck and call.

There is an intimate connection between brain, heart and hand. It has to do with the speed of thinking and the not so speedy writing coming together to help you reveal your innermost wishes. 

Journaling

-Starts the sorting and grouping process

-Allows freedom of expression

-Finds the missing pieces and the unsaid

-Moves you towards wholeness and growth, to who you really are

-It is a known and often used stress-releasing tool.

Journaling is the portal to your soul

What does your dream life look like?

What do you want to have accomplished in your lifetime?

What would you like to have tried and experienced?

Some people are lucky enough to have all the answers to these questions. They know what they want in life and are ready to go.

Not me. You may not belong to that club either, so keep on reading.

You may be so busy with daily life that you can’t hear what your inner core has to say. What have you tried to unscramble communications between you and your dreams and ambitions?

Be honest: how many hours have you really spent with these questions?  

Don’t abandon your quest quite yet. It’s your life you’re talking about here. Doesn’t that deserve your time and effort?

I am asking you to get into the habit of journaling.

Twenty or thirty minutes a day, preferably in the morning, find a quiet place with a piece of paper and pen and start writing.

Marielle’s Master Life Plan

I want to share my Master Life Plan with you, such as it is: a work in progress.

-Every day I will seek balance between time with family and friends, work, romance and intimacy, hobbies, spiritual time, healthy living, enjoyment and plain old fun.

-I will build my wealth with emotional and financial intelligence, considering my whole person, my integrity, and not just my capability to make money.

-I rely daily on all the knowledge and wisdom of my lifetime.

-Through my book and the counseling, I share my message with the world: to experience and employ the power embodied in all of us to be the matrons/patriarchs of our lives.

-I want to participate in life, with fire in my belly, with commitment and the conviction that living and feeling and growing is what it is all about.

My Personal Mission Statement

-I will work on my goals, on every one of them, every day. I will use my time tracker for the next few months to show me where my time goes.

-I will find my audience for the book and clients for my counseling practice. I will connect with as many groups and people as possible to talk about the magic combination of financial counseling and human resilience.

-I keep honing my public speaking skills in ToastMasters.

-I will find the right coach to compose engaging presentations on both the book and the counseling.

It will be a trick and a half to fit all those requirements for happiness in the short 24 hours every day. Where would I end up if I didn’t have a plan to support me?

How many important moments would I miss?

How many significant victories would I not appreciate?

Create momentum: keep your finger on the pulse of your life

A Master Life Plan is not a straight jacket. It is a description of what you most desire, of what you want to accomplish in life.

Give your plan ample room for growth and for life to happen, but not so much that it loses its form or its function. A Master Life Plan is a projection into your future and is supposed to lure you out of your comfort zone at times. You want it to be that faithful companion that pushes you forward in difficult times, the one constant in your life that holds you accountable.

Your Personal Mission Statement is where you plan the steps that bring your Master Life Plan into your daily activities. From now on all your daily decisions will support your Master Life Plan.  

You want to strengthen and enhance your plan continuously. Your commitment, your engagement is what will make the difference.

Stephen R. Covey in Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times focuses on corporations maneuvering through challenging times. I see such a strong correlation, though, between large scale and personal plans that I want to list the four hazards of unpredictable times he recognizes. Let’s see if you agree with me.

-failure to execute (you have your plan but nothing happens)

-crisis of trust       

-loss of focus

-pervasive fear – psychological recession

He sees three ways to stay on task when you are under pressure:

-focus on top goals only

-make sure everybody you rely on knows his/her role

-keep score. Measure effect of each action.

In the next few days I plan to share some of my own Master Life Plan with you.