Search Results for: blog sort and long term goals

Long Term Career Goals vs. Short Term Survival

I have met and known many individuals who struggle along, living at home, on unemployment or receiving some other type of assistance. When you stop to ask them why? Their response is often, “I still haven’t found my career job or calling.” It is important to not let your long term goals hold you back from short term survival. In the career realm, it is ideal to have both short and long term career goals. In order to succeed you really must have shorter and longer range plans, and follow both. If you are unemployed or still in school, start … Continue reading →

List of Financial Goals

As I was writing yesterday’s blog entry on setting your financial priorities, I started thinking about all the different financial goals we might have. I thought it would be helpful to list some, and invite my readers to add any more in the comments. Having a list to work from may also help you narrow down which of these apply most to you. Common Financial Goals: 1. Buy a house. 2. Save for retirement. 3. Retire early. 4. Quit work to stay at home with kids. 5. Take an extensive vacation – around the world, to Europe, etc. 6. Pay … Continue reading →

Basic Budget Strategies for Achieving your Goals

What sort of budget strategy do you have? Is it working? Budgeting can be a chore that we often put off, but if you have dreams and goals… it can help you achieve them. The first step in budgeting is coming up with an accurate measure of your expenses and income. Start by tracking these for at least two months; and then attempt to look at averages for certain fluctuating expenses and income like heat or sales commissions. Then create a spreadsheet – either on a piece of paper, excel document or budgeting software. The first part of the spreadsheet … Continue reading →

Job Satisfaction? Home – Based Professionals Can Have That!

People that are wondering about whether working from home will work for them often have a lot of questions about what it is really like to work at home. One important question that is likely to be on the mind of anyone that is considering making the switch to home-based work is whether home-based work brings as much job satisfaction as work outside of the home. It is certainly easy to go on and on about the lifestyle satisfaction that comes along with making the switch to home-based work, but lifestyle is not everything. In order to feel fulfilled, most … Continue reading →

How Open Are You?

Supposing you were being interviewed, what would your answers reveal about you? What would they reveal about your Christian life? Would they reveal anything at all? Would you make it public knowledge or try and keep it a secret, and be a secret disciple like Joseph of Arimathea was for a time. In the end though, ignoring any risk, Joseph stood up for Jesus and for what he believed, John 20:38-42. This blog is prompted by something I did recently. In an effort to help promote my book, I interviewed a character from Streets on a Map. It was interesting … Continue reading →

Flower Child of Education

The other day my husband called me the “Flower Child of Education.” He was referring to my idea that one needs to “de-school” their brain in order to educate properly. One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain; “I never let my schooling get in the way of my education.” My husband has heard me quote this many times and smiles each time at my enthusiasm for being a “flower child of education.” As a matter of fact, I love that term so much I may use it for a blog or a book someday. While, my husband intends … Continue reading →

Loving an Angry Man

I’ll never forget a conversation I had with my husband early in our relationship regarding his anger issues. I was trying to ascertain whether or not he understood the impact his volatile temper had on his personal and professional life. When I realized that he didn’t necessarily consider his anger a negative attribute, I asked him, “How do you figure your temper helps you?” His answer was swift and decisive: “People are afraid of me, so they usually do what I want.” He was a little slower in answering my next question: “And how does it hurt you?” Like most … Continue reading →

Ways to Save: Online Accounts

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a look at ways to save your money. Back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all come in the fall and winter season, which means that saving is often the last thing on our minds. All the more reason to think about it! I’ll start with one of my personal simple favorites: the online savings account. An online account with ING or another bank is not necessarily your everyday banking solution. It’s connected to a bricks-and-mortar bank account in your own community, most likely. However, these accounts are generally no fee and … Continue reading →

An Unexpected Job Offer

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Every so often we are approached by a headhunter, previous co-worker or associate that has a job offer. These are often unplanned and unexpected, at a time we may not even be looking for a change. How should you handle these sorts of situations? First, let it boost your ego a bit. Certainly, someone has recognized your skills and quality of work. This should make you feel proud. Still, don’t let this feeling go to your head. Just because someone wants you… doesn’t mean you have to go! When presented with an opportunity you were not exactly looking for, you … Continue reading →

Don’t Lose Your Most Promising Ideas

Brainstorming is a good thing for a small business owner, but you may have discovered already that your best ideas do not always come at the most convenient times. Sure, it would be great if you were sitting at your desk or at least had a pen and paper handy when those fantastic ideas descend upon you but that is not always the case. How can you be sure not to lose those most promising ideas and take advantage of a sharp mind and strong problem-solving? There are some obvious ideas for keeping track of those grand ideas: recording them, … Continue reading →