2018 Jan Articles Archives

Set your Intentions for the New Year

The Circle Goals Exercise

If you want to put some solid resolutions in place for the coming year, but don’t know where to start, this simple and thought-provoking exercise is just what you need. The Circle Goals exercise is designed to help you make positive changes to all areas of your life, in a balanced and healthy way. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1

Grab a cup of coffee or tea (or maybe a green smoothie, since this is all about New Year’s resolutions)! Get comfortable in your favourite chair, pick up your pen and journal, and you’re ready to get started.

Step 2

Draw a circle, and divide it into 6 equal segments, like pie-chart slices. In each segment, name an area of your life that you want to focus on for the next year – or DOWNLOAD a sample here

For example: Fitness, Finance, Career, Relationships, Spirituality, and Creativity.

The segments should be equal because it’s important to give equal attention to each category.

Step 3

For each segment, write out 5 realistic, measurable goals you want to accomplish. Be as specific as you can, and make sure you’ll be able to see the results of these goals a year from now.

For example: In the Finance segment, you might include a goal like “Have all financial information online by March”.

In the Creativity segment, you could include a goal like “Sign up for a 6-week art class”.

Take your time setting up your circle; don’t try to rush it. You might even want to come back to it in a few days and revise it, as the process sets your thoughts in motion.

Step 4

When your circle is finished, choose a goal from each category that is most important to you. Write down these 6 goals on a separate page, and keep them somewhere you’ll be able to read them often.

Step 5

After 6 months, look at your circle again and review it (without making any edits). Acknowledge what you have achieved so far, and think about what you can still realistically accomplish in the next 6 months.

Step 6

At the end of the year, look at your circle again, and reflect on each goal you’ve accomplished. Congratulate yourself for your achievements – maybe drink a toast to your success!

Remember, it’s very unlikely that you’ll get everything in your circle done, so don’t be too hard on yourself about those missed goals. The aim is to help yourself accomplish more than you expected, by prioritising the things that are most important.

Step 7

Now you can start the process again and set up your circle for the following year, including the goals you might not have been able to reach yet.

It might take you a few years of trying and adjusting your expectations, but if you persevere, you’ll find ways of moving towards the goals you still want to reach.

Tip: Share your circle with your closest friends and family, so that that they know what you’re trying to achieve, and are able to offer support where possible.

The Circle Goals process will prompt you to think about the improvements you want to make in all aspects of your life; physically, mentally and emotionally. We wish you all the best with your goals and dreams in the year to come!

Sources

New Year ideas and exercises
Retrieved from: http://rebootbreak.com/2014/01/01/january-newsletter-january-newsletter-new-year-ideas-and-exercises/

Five Savvy Spending & Saving Tips for the New Year

We all look for ways to improve our physical health and fitness when the New Year begins, and many of us focus on cultivating better emotional wellness too. But how often do you think about your financial health?

December is typically a time of big spending and January offers no relief, with credit card bills stacking up and back-to-school costs adding strain. So how do you recover from the expenses of the festive season, and protect your financial wellbeing in the year to follow?

Budget, Budget, Budget

This is the first and most important tip for a healthier wallet! Draw up a monthly household budget, and stick to it. Be aware of how much you’re spending, and what you’re spending it on. This can be a daunting process, but it will leave you informed and empowered to take the next step.

Thanks to mobile technology, there are plenty of apps available today that will help you to track your finances, and make drawing up a budget less intimidating. Mint, GoodBudget and Trov are just a few examples.

Wants vs. Needs

This can be a tough one, because it requires you to be really honest about the luxury expenses you should be cutting back on. Look at the budget you’ve created, and identify the costs you can remove in the coming year. For example:

Do you really need that DStv or Netflix subscription? It might be hard to let go of, but think about it: You can rent must-watch movies and series shortly after they’re released, for a much smaller fee. Or you can buy them quite affordably on DVD and Blu-ray, then sell them second-hand and make back part of the money you spent. This requires a little extra effort, but it will add up to a lot of cash saved over the course of the year.
Do you really need to eat out at a restaurant every week or weekend? It’s much cheaper to embrace your inner foodie, and prepare your favourite meals at home. If you’ve got a bit of a green thumb, you can save even more by growing some of your own veggies and herbs. By next December, you’ll have more money set aside for a festive feast – not to mention some impressive new culinary skills to put it all together.

Paper, Not Plastic

Get into the habit of carrying just enough cash to cover your purchases for the day; leave your credit cards at home. This will push you to set (and stay within) a realistic daily budget, plus it will help to prevent impulse spending.

Get More for Less

We spoke earlier about wants vs. needs, and how it makes sense to eliminate luxury expenses. But that doesn’t mean you should never treat yourself and your family; it just means you need to be smarter about the way you do it. Here’s some handy advice for making it work:

If you enjoy eating out (or you find it easier with your busy schedule), look for ways to do that more affordably. Keep an eye out for special “two for the price of one” deals or “kids eat free” offers at your favourite local restaurants.
Many restaurants and coffee shops will also offer loyalty cards, giving you the chance to earn points towards free meals and drinks. Be sure to take advantage of these, and you’ll be rewarded for making more frugal choices.
You can even enjoy the occasional shopping spree while still taking care of your financial health. Shop for your winter clothes at the beginning of summer, and vice versa. Shops will be trying to get rid of old stock, so it will be marked down in an end-of-season sale.
While we’re on the subject of shopping, forget fad fashions and invest in good quality pieces that will outlast short-lived trends. A slightly pricier but more versatile and long-lasting wardrobe means you can look like a million bucks, without spending nearly that much!

Plan Ahead

Give yourself a head-start on the next festive season with some clever spending habits. Instead of doing all your holiday shopping at once next December, do it piece by piece throughout the year.

Look out for specials on gift items your family will love, and allocate a bit of your monthly budget towards them.
Shop for next December’s holiday decorations in this year’s January sales.
Save on airfares and accommodation by booking your holiday trips earlier in the year. Or plan a relaxed holiday at home, and book your trip during the off-season when costs are lower anyway.

Following these five tips will give you a healthier bank balance and better peace of mind all year round.

Sources

Expert tips for surviving the weak rand
Retrieved from: http://www.fin24.com/Money/MoneyManagement/expert-tips-for-surviving-the-weak-rand-20160112

Thirty tips to help you save money
Retrieved from: http://www.essentials.co.za/money-work/spend-less-worry-less

The best apps to track your money
Retrieved from: https://businesstech.co.za/news/industry-news/114324/the-best-apps-to-track-your-money/