If you want to be successful at anything in life, it takes time. You need to work at it, you need to practice it and you need to research it. Whatever it may be.
If you set a goal in 2012 to become better financially educated, then I advise you to use the following tips to help you achieve that goal. These tips helped me to active it, as well as others I know.
The reason these tips are so important is because there are only 24 hours in each day. Whether you are Warren Buffett or a bum on the street, you only have 24 hours each and every day. You must make the most of this time if you want to get ahead.
The following tips will help you maximize your 24 hours.
Turn Your Car into a University on Wheels:
Translation: turn off the music, sports radio or whatever, and buy audio books on cd/tapes/mp3.
This is perfect for the busy commuter, or the person that says they are just too busy. How much time do you spend in the car each day? Or on the train? Or on a bus? Use this time efficiently.
I first applied this trick when I was traveling back and forth from Phoenix to Orange County, CA. 6 hours in the car listening to the same 250 songs never got me anywhere other than learning the lyrics to a lot of songs.
By listening to an audio book, I turned six hours that was wasted into the most productive 6 hours of my day. I started using this trick every time I got in the car. Short journey or long journey. I even started to re listen to books, just to have in the background while my mind was else where. Imagine having the knowledge of moneymaking ingrained into your subconscious the way a Lady Gaga song can get stuck in your head. It is powerful.
Always Have a Book With You:
Translation: stop reading 3 year old magazines in the doctor's office waiting room.
When I first used this trick, I always carried a couple books in my car, while reading one at a time. Anytime I had to go to an appointment for anything I would bring my book. People are always late, use this time. It is also handy carrying a book with you because people will notice. Someone may have read the same book and want to talk about it it with. Not only is this great networking, but its great to meet other motivated individuals that take time out of their days to better themselves.
I now use my iPad Kindle App for most of my reading. The pros are that I can have hundreds of books that barely weigh anything, but the cons are that this is a little pricier and people don't come up to me telling me they have read my book anymore. Decide which makes more sense for you, but definitely pick one. You will be amazed when you discover how much time you have wasted waiting for others.
Sunday Night is for Planning Your Week:
Translation: no more wasting time deciding what to wear in the morning and what to eat for dinner.
This little tip is for the advanced. Those that are dedicated and truly want to maximize their time. If you have applied the first two tips and learned how helpful they are, then you are going to love this one.
Sunday night, write down what you are going to make or buy for dinner for the rest of the week. Why do this? How many times do you finish up work and then drive around wondering what to do for dinner. Additionally, how many minutes does it take you to decide what to wear in the morning. You might not think it is a lot, but it is. Especially when you add up the whole week, month then year. This is wasted time.
So on Sunday night, just simply write out what you plan on eating each night. It removes the wonder. It makes you more decisive. It allows you to spend your time thinking about things that actually matter. In addition, if you are planning on a healthier 2012, this is a great way to stay on track with healthy eating.
You can also expand on these tips in ways that better suit you. For example, put an audio book on your iPod for when you walk the dogs in the morning. Maybe Sunday isn't your off night, so choose a night that works better for you.
In the end, all the tips in the world won't make a difference if you yourself do not choose to make the changes yourself. Remember, that we are all ordinary people, but some people choose to do extraordinary things.
Happy New Year!
For a list of audiobooks for your University on Wheels: Click Here!
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