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This past year I have taken two personality profiles, an intelligence test, and a strengths assessment. It is amazing how much these help clarify individual strenghts and weaknesses. They are great at seeing how I best communicate and how to add more value in the lives of those around me as well as how to perform better in the workplace. I am great at relationship building, especially in person. This is confirmed by my high “I” score. I can tend to under analyze things and miss details which is shown in my low “C” score. I can see how my marriage is blessed by my wife being much higher in “C”. We make an awesome fit. It is well worth the money to take a good personality profile at least once.

Want clarity on how you tick? Start here with your personality profile(affiliate link).

You do, you just may have to work and experiment to find it. Just don’t quit, ever.

If you need some inspiration, watch the movie. If you have questions, I would love to help you get started on your journey with a free meeting to give you clarity and direction.

Then I heard a voice from the west. While watching the movie Rango I took notice near the end of the movie when a character named the Spirit of the west tells Rango you can’t walk out on your own story. It makes sense. You can change your story by quitting on something. If you give up, quit, or abandon a quest for better health, a better job, more peace at home, or better finances you are still writing your story. It just suffers in quality. Many of the best stories include the hero overcoming the greatest adversary. Himself.

What can you do to overcome yourself and write a better story?

I don’t know that you have much choice.

I have learned to maximize the opportunities I am given. Sometimes it means extra income. However, money is not the greatest reward. Sometimes an unexpected opportunity provides a great memory building moment with my family. Sometimes, like with the above mentioned credit it is a learning opportunity. I could have spent $100 on a course in Adwords. Instead I got real experience in how it works, the terminology used, how to maximize effectiveness, and how to track results.

I much prefer referral marketing(friends and clients who know and trust me telling others) than plain ads. However I am still using what I learned with Analytics.

What opportunities to learn do you have available? Maybe a coworker from another country that could teach you their language.

What other opportunities have you seen in the real world to make the most of a situation?

It isn’t.

You can earn more money in a day.

You cannot create more time.

However, you can reduce what eats your time.

This is often overlooked as a wealth building tool.

It can build wealth because it frees you mentally and physically to do what you rock at. And you should be getting a good return on that.

Two easy ways to ease up some time takers.

1. Dump it. Does it have to be done? Is there a way to get rid of it? Is it even your responsibility?

2. Outsource it. Do you have to be the one to do it? Can someone else do it better? Can you delegate it to a virtual assistant, lawn care company, cleaning service, or someone else?

Many times it isn’t even about the money. It is the stress relieved or time gained with family and friends that gives you the return of investing in your time.

Let me know, what is something you would love to get rid of that eats at your time?

Margin is more appealing because it implies you get something instead of being restricted.

It gives you freedom.

Freedom to travel for the single guy or gal who lives in a cheep apartment to create margin by reducing rent.

Freedom to adopt for the family that drives one used, paid for car to create margin by eliminating any vehicle debt.

Freedom. Now who wouldn’t like more of that.

Create it by creating margin.

How do you create margin? What will you use your freedom for? Respond and let me know.

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The term indebted means you are obligated or owing money. When using debt you become indebted. Whether it is a blue ray player or a new home you have bonded yourself to the lender with a contract to pay.

I recently spoke with a young man who informed me that his father in law bought their house and they will pay payments to him. He informed me the payments are easy to make. I asked him if they had savings to help give them margin and security. They used all of it on the down payment. His wife and himself both have student loans and one car payment. I then asked one simple question.

What if you lost your job today and it took a few months to land a replacement?

He froze. It is not that his father in law would foreclose on them. I could see it in his eyes. It was the prospect of not holding to his end of the deal. The guilt of not paying would stink.

The bible says that the borrower becomes a slave to the lender. The relationship has changed.

“Many a man thinks he is buying pleasure, when he is really selling himself to it.” Benjamin Franklin

Have you ever gone into debt and regretted it? What was it for? How did you get out or through the experience?

“Do not value money for any more nor any less than its worth; it is a good servant but a bad master.”

Alexandre Dumas Fils

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1. You have needs.

The Bible in the book of Matthew chapter 22 says that we should love our neighbor as ourself. How can you provide for someone else if you are not properly providing for you. It is hard for a starving man to feed another. We must have a full cup in order to fill those of others.

2. Your household has needs.

• But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:8

It is vital that we take care of those near to us. How can anyone trust us if we don’t.

3. Opportunities to help others.

God is a giver and has created us to be as well. You know how you feel when you bless someone with a gift. Being more responsible with what you have will allow you to give more to others.

Budgeting is not easy. But, like most things, it has it’s rewards. It also gets easier with practice.

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The key to victory or failure often lies in our “why”

Only 7% of those who attempt to quit smoking succeed their first time. They knew why they were fighting.

Over 45 million Americans have gym memberships at almost 30,000 health clubs and yet we are such an unhealthy nation because we don’t know why we want to be fit. I don’t mean the stock answers running through our heads right now.

I mean that individual burning passion in each person. The why you do what you do.

The average household debt is above $100,000 with an average household income of $43,000. Because families don’t know why they want to be financially secure. My wife and I are very aggressive towards paying off our house. Our why is so that freed up income may be used to have a lifestyle for our family that matches our values and purposes.

Your why is power. It fuels your drive to move, act, and most importantly keep going…and going until you reach the goal.

I quit smoking many years ago. My why was that it had become the thing that garnered most of my attention. I didn’t want it having that control over me. My worship belongs to Christ, not something that was poisoning me.

Drive is when your disdain for where you are, or the enticement for the end goal causes you to pursue your passion and act.

Fuel drive with your “Why”. It isn’t fun running out of gas (trust me, I’ve done it enough to know).

Don’t fight a battle if you don’t gain anything by winning. George Patton

Exceptional Quality?

Timeliness?

As a nice person to deal with?

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I recently watched a commencement speech delivered by Neil Gaiman (video link below). He shared that freelance workers maintain their income by delivering good work, on time, and being nice to work with. He received a laugh when he stated that only two out of three are required.

I find this very true. I find it true for freelancers and traditionaly employed. I find it true for myself.

I have been late. But I kept my customer happy by delivering exceptional quality and I was a pleasure to deal with.

I have produced “ok” quality. By doing it on time and being nice to work with I have received more opportunities to produce better.

I have had days in which I was unpleasant to work with. I kept producing high quality on time and kept my job.

The point is you don’t have to be perfect. Just keep producing. Try to be as pleasant as you can. Try to keep your time commitments.

And always ship your best product.

If you miss the mark, you will be ok. You will probably hit two out of three.

“Make good art” Neil Gaiman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikAb-NYkseI