It’s a brand new year! A chance for new beginnings, a chance for a brand new start. 2013 was a mixed sentiment year, far from being perfect but also far from also being outright worse. We saw a combination of victories however we also saw some calamities. It was the year where we saw our basketball & boxing icons along with our beauty contestants rise to dominance but it was also the year were we got hit by political controversies here and there. 2013 was the year where we saw the stock market rise to dominance in the first half of the year and also was the year where we saw it plummet down at second half of the year.
Amidst all of this, One thing is certain, the past is the past and there is nothing we can do to change what has happened. What we can do though is move forward and start this year strong. For some it would need to be a shift in mindset that:
If you are in debt, it’s time to get out from debt into life. It’s time to make dramatic steps to further eradicate that debt. If a lifestyle shift is needed, it must be and should be done. This for some is just a season, since it’s a season it will not last forever. Better to sacrifice a little now, to give you the ability to enjoy more in the future later. It’s time to bring death to debt. Debt is a killer, it can take your confidence out and make you a slave to the lender. If there’s one thing I passionately want you out of this year that’s debt!
If you have been spending beyond your means, this is the year to live below your means. Sometimes the key to financial freedom is not just by earning more but also it’s by living with less. It does mot mean to deprive yourself of the things you need and want in life. It just means that you walk away from things you can’t afford. It means you seeing beyond the here and now to prepare yourself to be more financially flexible in the future.
If you have been borrowing money or touching your investments when emergencies occur, this is the time to start your own emergency fund. No one knows what what the future my hold, but what you can do is to be responsible with what you have today. That is what an emergency fund can do for you. When you build a solid base, your emergency fund will protect you and your investments should any unforseen issues pop up.
If you have been spending and don’t know where your money is going, this is the year to start making a budget. A budget is you telling your money where to go instead of you wondering where it went! It’s time to name every peso! It’s time to take control of your finances. Budgeting is something you make in and out of season. Regardless of the money that you make budgeting should be a part of your financial tools!
If you have money that’s just stored but without a purpose, this is the year to make a financial plan. People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan. Your financial plan will be your roadmap and anchor to help you and guide if your spending and investing is in line with the grand scheme of things. This will help you identify if you are in track with your goals or not.
If you made mistakes in business or investing this is the year to bounce back and not stay down. Failure is not falling down but rather failure is staying down and not standing up. If you look at most of the successful people both in business and investing, at one point or another they had a temporary setback that slowed them down. What differentiated them from the pact was that they all regrouped, learned form their mistake and used that as a learning to bounce back and rise to new levels!
If you have had this desire to have your money work hard for you, this is the year to start investing. This is the year to invest! We have a growing economy! It’s time for all of us to ride this wave! The Philippines is pumped and primed for progress! And the best place for every Filipino to be in, in a zooming economy is to have their money work hard for them.
It is might greatest desire that each one of us would start and end this year strong. This year is unlike any other. Our country is growing and moving forward, its time for all of us to also take our place and move forward. The Grace and Favor of God is with us and for us. We can do all things because He is our strength! With that, its time to dream dreams and turn those dreams into a reality!
2014 is going to be amazing! It’s time for us to start the new year strong!
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My book Stock Smarts: Stock Investing Made Easy is now out if you would like to grab a copy you may Click the Link to Register and Order.
If you’d like to learn more how to invest in the stock market and learn how to make your money work hard for you. I’d like to invite you to our upcoming events:
- January 17th Stock Smarts Davao
- February 1st How to Find The Perfect Timing in Buying and Selling Stocks
- February 8th Stock Trading Timing Workshop
- March 1st Stocks Smarts: How to pick good stocks and avoid bad ones
*Fireworks shot by Marco Soliven, remaining pictures via google search
