This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Northwestern Mutual. The opinions and text are all mine. #LiveLifeDifferently
Share YOUR GOALS on your social sites with the hashtag #LiveLifeDifferently and you could WIN a $25 Visa gift card (for social posts shared on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #LiveLifeDifferently).
If you have a website, share a quick post with the hashtag #LiveLifeDifferently and you could win a $100 Visa gift card .
I have had a lot of goals in my life. Number one is managing to get three daughter’s raised with kindness, success and as few hiccups along the way as possible. It may be a pipe dream, but it is a goal I work on every single day. Only time will tell if that will pan out. But other goals, like getting healthier, getting my financial picture in order or getting the laundry put away the same day I wash it are all goals that I can make a dent on in real time. As with many people, though, I can get sidetracked and put a goal in the, ‘I’ll start Monday‘ category. Like saving more money instead of splurging on ice cream once again. Or getting Life Insurance so my kids will be taken care of should the unthinkable happen. Or kicking sugar to the curb once and for all. These goals I have to make a real effort to acheive. So I searched and searched for tips on how to stay focused and want to share them with you!
Live Life Differently
Yea, yea… we all hear it. You have to change your lifestyle to acheive a goal. As much as we don’t want to acknowledge that, we DO have to make serious changes to what we are doing now to acheive what we want later. Let’s use finances as an example.
As we enter the busiest and, likely, most expensive season of the year, it is easy to think, ‘I can save next year.’, or ‘I can cut back on that come January‘. But the truth is, we always have an excuse. The other truth is that we all have to take care of ourselves, and our family, and it costs money. We have to be prepared for everything. Northwestern Mutual understands that meeting financial goals can be hard to obtain. So they want to help us Live Life Differently so we can make a dent in real time! Check out their website, which is full of great advice and helps, to make planning for our financial future a priority. We all need to take it out of the, ‘Later.’ category and put it in the ‘NOW!’ category!
Make Goals that Can Be Achieved
While it may be true that I have a goal to be a best selling author or the star of my own TV show, the truth is that those things most likely won’t happen. Setting goals that I can actually work towards and acheive is important. Winning the lottery is not a goal. It is a pipe dream. But making an effort to hit the gym three times a week, or saving 1% of what I spend a day, is possible! That can help me actually reach my, ‘Live healthier!‘ goal!
Write them Down
There is something very permanent about writing down a goal and seeing it on paper. I am a fan of lipstick on the mirror, personally, but any way you do it can help! Seeing your goal in writing can be incredibly motivating!
Allow Yourself to Stumble
At the beginning of last year, I wrote down that I wanted to save up enough to pay off my car. While I have made great strides, I am not there yet and, most likely won’t for a few more months. Though I would LOVE to write that check to make my 2 year old car mine and to stop paying interest on it now, it is OK that it will take me longer than I anticipated. At least I am still headed towards the end of car payments. I have to allow myself to stumble and to adjust to get back on track!
Allow Yourself to Succeed!
This may seem odd, but the truth is, a lot of us don’t or won’t recognize when we succeed. Like getting healthy, for instance. I have been doing CrossFit for over a year. I have yet to lose a single pound on the scale but I have lost 3 dress sizes. However, the lack of movement on the scale has been demotivating. I have to understand that the mere fact that I get up and go is a success! The fact that I wear a smaller size IS a success! The fact that I sleep better, my energy level is up and that I am happier is a success. Allowing myself to succeed at even the smallest level is necessary when trying to hit that goal!
No matter what the goal, there are resources to help. Reach out to Northwestern Mutual to get a hand in reaching that financial goal we all have. Reach out to friends to help motivate you to reach that personal goal. Use what is available to you and Live Life Differently to finally get there!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Northwestern Mutual. The opinions and text are all mine.
