Three Most Impactful Things I’ve Done in 2017
Today I cover the THREE MOST IMPACTFUL things I’ve done in 2017 in an attempt to become a better person than I was in 2016.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Earlier this year I looked at my family’s monthly budget and discovered that we were paying more to Verizon (internet, cell phones, cable) then we were tithing/giving to our Church. YIKES!!!So we took a look at all the reoccurring costs that we were paying to make sure we were getting the value that we expected from them and decided to cut the cord, change cell phone plans/companies and basically rely on Verizon for only fast internet. Boom! That saved us about $225 a month. BTW…for you Android lovers. We switched cell phones to Google Fi (LOVE IT)!
That’s only half the battle though. I then promptly increased our monthly investing by that same amount. Through the power of “compound interest” using a measly 8% return that’s an increase of almost $125k in retirement savings in 20 years. Plan to retire in 30 years?! Well, that’s over $300k during that period of time. One life change can sheer years off your retirement plans!!!
Lots of people say “But I can’t get all the sports I love!!!”. I’m still getting all the sports viewing that I want, and far less crap TV. Let’s take it to the Facebook group to talk more about “cord-cutting”!
**Action: Audit your reoccurring monthly costs then apply the savings to your monthly investing. Every dollar counts. The long-term effects are amazing!!!**
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
I personally believe we were put on this planet to help others and to have meaningful relationships while we are here. So here’s an action I took in 2017 that you should consider for 2018, it’s guaranteed to strengthen bonds….
**Action: Systematize for Deeper Relationships. Make a list of 5 to 7 people or families that you want to spend more time with in 2018. Plan a minimum of ONE social event each month where you can spend quality time with them (BBQ, a hike, weekend getaway, etc.). And if you are super EXTROVERTED like me…then plan TWO or THREE times a year that you host a party and invite them all at once.**
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, House of Cards, Game of Thrones, Poldark, romance novels, national and local news, sports radio, pop music, and repeatedly hitting the snooze button. If you haven’t indulged in one of these in 2017, then good for you!!!! Jim Rohn famously once said, “You are the average of the FIVE people you spend the most time with.”How come we fail to audit our friends, content, and time as adults. Your Mom told you to NOT spend time with bad influences as a kid. We completely forget that advice while “adulting”.
**Action: Audit your life. You should be able to cut out 30-40 minutes (or more) of toxic relationships, content, and snoozing a day. Replace it with audio books, meditation, or prayer. Make it a goal now ahead of 2018.**
