• Do a core value check – So often we get caught up doing what we are technically good at, we don’t take the time to see if it is in line with what we truly hold near and dear to our hearts.
• Be honest with yourself about what your core values are - It’s okay…some things that you may feel obligated to be on there, may not really be part of your core values.
• Limit yourself to your top 5 core values – Start with 10 and narrow down to your top 5. See how you feel once you have them out there.
• Build your life and your career around those values – If you are feeling totally out of balance, this may be your problem. If you are not holding true to your core values, start to take steps to move your life in that direction. It is amazing the difference you will feel.

There was so much more than that, but those are the heart of the experience. Now, based on that, this is how I have decided to change my life since I returned.

• Focus on me and my business – While I always thought I was taking my business seriously, the Universe certainly did not think so. Hence, I have changed my office hours to reflect how serious I am.
• Make my business my top priority – I will do this by stopping the distractions, prioritizing tasks and focusing my time accordingly. I also had a very serious heart to heart with my husband and each of my boys individually letting them know what is going on and how things would be changing.
• Step up and do what it takes, even if (especially if) it makes me uncomfortable
• Talk to my husband about “mommy guilt” - I know that may seem strange, but as a mom, I have to deal with it. But in order for me to be able to take care of my children the way I want to, I have to put my business at the top of my priority list right now.
• Feed my soul – This is an enormous work in progress for me. I have finally broken down and admitted I just do not know how to do it. I will keep you posted on what I discover.

There are many more steps, but I think you get the idea. Once you build your core values, you too can take the steps necessary to change your life.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have my pity party moments. I think everyone needs those now and again to stay sane. The difference is, when I am feeling that way, I stop and analyze what I am feeling and why. Let me share a little bit of my story with you.

When I was eleven years old, my father became gravely ill with cancer. It was certainly not an experience I would ever wish on anyone. In effect, I became an adult at eleven. When I could have taken the situation we were in and turned into another source of stress for my mom, I analyzed the situation and recognized the fact that my parents needed my help. Luckily my father survived after a very long battle and is alive and well today.

When we talk about that time as a family there are mixed emotions, there are times even today we wonder, “why us?” But, I have to admit, one of the things I have always said is, although it was not a pleasant time in our life, it made me who I am today. I honestly believe that I would not be where I am today without that experience. It made me strong. It made me tough. It made me a go getter. I never touched drugs because I saw firsthand the effect they had on my dad (with chemotherapy).

Honestly, I have no idea how my life would have turned out had I not had that experience, but I am thankful for it. Yes, you read right, thankful. Granted, I would not want to live through it again, but I have chosen to take the largest of obstacles in my life and turned it into a positive.

How can you do that? What is happening in your life that may seem like an obstacle now, but may end up being an opportunity for you to grow in the long run? I see it on almost a daily basis in my life. I might lose a client one day, but get another client a few days later that is a better fit. You might blow out a tire and meet an amazing business prospect at the repair shop. When I had to have surgery a couple of years ago, I took the down time as a sign that I needed to slow down altogether.

When life seems to be throwing you lemons, stop and examine them. Maybe there is an opportunity to make lemonade and heck, why not open a lemonade stand?!

Before we left, a group of us that were going met for dinner and “set intentions”, (pretty much another way of setting goals).  Don’t get me wrong, I think this is a wonderful idea.  It gets people focused and helps them stay on the course they want to go.  However, for some overachievers like me, I set so many “intentions” and I set them so high, I became completely overwhelmed when I got there.  I spent a good day of the conference in a funk.  I did, eventually, snap out of it, but I wanted to pass on what I had learned.

• Set “appropriate” goals! – You know yourself better than anyone else, so make sure you set goals.  However, set goals that are not going to overwhelm you and make you want to give up.  If that means daily goals, then so be it.  If that means larger goals, with baby steps to get there, then make it happen.
• Schedule time to reassess your goals – Think about how you work.  If you want to make sure you are on the right path…and are staying on the right path, you need to make time to reassess.  How frequently is completely up to you.  Are you someone that needs daily or weekly goals?  Or will setting aside time on a monthly basis suffice? 
• Evaluate how you are feeling – If you are completely overwhelmed by the goals you have set, chances are you are going to give up without accomplishing them.  The point of goals is not to give you heart palpitations.  It is very important to have those big goals, but sometimes you need to focus on the little steps it takes to get there. 
• Don’t put your blinders on – Part of my experience while I was in Dallas was that I was so focused on the goals I had set, I was not taking in all the amazing opportunities that were right in front of me.  Keep in mind, what may be your intention, may not be the Universe’s intention.  Stay open to other amazing opportunities while you are focused on your goal. 
• Recognize failure as an opportunity – Trust me, no one likes failing.  However, sometimes failure is a hidden opportunity to rise even higher than before.  It’s the people that recognize that and seize it that will rise to the highest levels.

In conclusion, yes, set goals.  But, do not let them get in your way.  Be open to the fact that life may have a different plan and be willing to be flexible.  The Universe may have bigger plans for you than you do!

Tip number three in my series is to: 

Establish a Separate Savings Account for Your Summer  – Rather than trying to scrounge up the money at the last minute, go to your bank and create a savings account just for your summer season.  You can earmark this money for anything summer related.  With online banking now, you can even change the name of the account to “Summer Savings”.  This will take some of the heat off you when many of your expenses have increased.  Take a percentage of your income every pay period and put it into that account.  You have to be consistent about it though.  If you establish the account and don’t put anything in there, it really isn’t going to do you any good, is it?  It doesn’t have to break the bank, start with just 1% of your take home pay.  You will be amazed at how your money grows throughout the year.

 Little steps like this can make an enormous difference and it is really not that hard to do.  Just think of all you will be able to do during the summer knowing you have it covered.

The first and most important thing you need to do is take a good look at your finances.  See where you can plug some holes to make it happen.  Once you do that, put a budget in place.  Recently my husband and I gave ourselves a $1,000 budget to go to San Diego for the weekend.  We are going this weekend for our 10^th wedding anniversary.  I will share with you later how it all goes. 

Here are some tips on how to get great travel deals.

Research Your Vacation Options – If money is a concern to begin with, I don’t want you to stress yourself out more with an expensive vacation.  Here you have a couple of options.  If you are a do-it-yourself kind of person, the internet is your best friend.  Surf the web to find the best deals around.  Depending on the economy, you will want to book your vacation way in advance, or the night before you leave.  With the economy in the state it is now, I have heard of a few people booking flights to Europe a few days before and getting screaming deals.  A friend of mine booked a weekend in San Francisco the day they left and were shocked at the enormous discount they were able to get because they were booking it on the spur of the moment. 

If you are more like me, you get a little overwhelmed researching all that information.  I am a big fan of travel agents.  If you find a good travel agent, you can call them with some ideas of where you want to go, when, for how long and give them your budget and you are set!  The best part is this service does not cost you a penny.  Travel agents do this for a living, so, they know the best places for the best prices.  It really is a win, win for everyone.

Over the next couple of weeks I am going to outline ten steps to financial summer survival.  Today is step one:

Take a Vacation – I know that seems counterintuitive, because that takes money, right?  I am aware of the fact that it takes money.  However, I am one of the worst culprits when it comes to not taking a vacation.  I can always come up with some excuse as to why we cannot, usually related to the family budget.  See if you think my logic makes sense, if you take a vacation, you will be refreshed and relaxed…ready to take on the world when you come back.  You will be less likely to get sick or burned out.  So, now you are ready to conquer the universe.  With all that extra energy, you will perform better at work, impress your boss, maybe you will end up getting a promotion, which all leads to more money in the future.  I don’t know about you, but I like that way of thinking.  It is worth spending some money now to rejuvenate…it will pay for itself in the future.

So, take my advice and go on vacation, even if it is a little one.  Something is better than nothing.  Get creative; you don’t have to go to Hawaii to get away.  Check out hidden treasures in your own back yard.  Living in the Sacramento Valley, I have Lake Tahoe or San Francisco within two hours either way.  Not to mention the Napa Valley or any of the other beautiful vacation spots.  Check out your neck of the woods and see what you can find. 

The most important thing is that you relax.  Go!  Have some fun…

If you are finding you are struggling with money, take a look at what problems you are solving.  Is it a problem you enjoy solving?  When you think about solving these problems do you get excited or do you get an empty feeling in the pit of your stomach?  Are there other problems you would prefer to solve?  Are you passionate about solving the problems you do solve, or do you just do it because they are there?    

There are a couple of things I can recommend if you would like to get paid more for your problem solving.

1. Solve problems you are passionate about.  Trust me I used to solve problems I really did not care about.  But, now I am extremely passionate about what I am doing.  The best part is, people can tell and they are naturally drawn in.  When you love what you do, everything else just seems to fall into place.
2. 2.    Solve bigger problems.  The bigger the problems you solve, the more money you will get paid.  If you are willing to take on the bigger tasks, you will be rewarded financially.  It just might put you first in line for that promotion you were hoping for or add a few percentage points to that raise you were up for. 
3. 3.    Solve more problems.  If you are the go to guy or gal for problem solving, you will soon build a reputation.  This reputation will end up in the right hands at the right time.  Whether you end up with more clients or bigger and more lucrative projects, the end result looks good.
4. 4.    Be selective about the problems you choose to take on.  Boundaries are very important.  Only take on the problems you want to take on.  You know who I am talking about, you do not want to be a yes man or woman to just anyone.  There are ways to be strategic about what you take on.  Do what feels right.  Do not let yourself get overwhelmed. 

If you have proper boundaries in place and you are passionate about the problems you solve, my guess is you are a very happy person.  Keeping a good balance is imperative. 

Take a look and see where you can make some changes, who knows what might come of it.

If you are miserable when you pay your bills, my guess is, your money is managing you.  You will not have financial freedom as long as that is the case.  I remember when I would pay my bills and I felt like a bird taking a bath.  There was money and paper flying everywhere, not sure where it was going, but it sure was not staying in my bank account.  Since then, I have put in some steps that take that feeling away.  They are:

• Have a specific place you pay the bills
• Make sure you have all the items you will need to take care of everything in one sitting -  If you have to get up to get something, chances are you will find another project to take your attention and the bills will not get paid. 
• Clear the space - You do not want it messy, that just adds to the confusion. 
• Select a day and time each week to pay your bills – If you put it on your calendar, you are more likely to keep the time carved out for that particular task.  If you try to squeeze it in somewhere else, it is much less likely to happen.
• Create a checklist – This way, you make sure you take care of all the things you need to do at one time.  Things like paying bills is obvious.  However, something you might forget to do is transfer money to savings or donate to your favorite charity. 

Hopefully some of these tips can help you create serenity while paying your bills.  I know that sounds like a dream, but you hold the key to making it a reality.

It really does make sense if you think about it.  More than likely self-made millionaires are probably the best (or close to it) at what they do.  If you make good money, you are probably pretty good at what you do.  But, could you be making more?  If so, what do you need to do to make that happen?  What is holding you back? 

Are you the best you can be in your career?  Do you want to do more?  If so, is there a reason you are not doing it?  What would it take to get where you really want to be?  More schooling, a license of some kind, a college degree, a graduate degree?  What is the first step?  Maybe it is looking up the courses online or researching the steps you will need to take and making a plan.  Whatever it is, I challenge you to take it.

Are you the best family member you can be (whether you are a mom, dad, son, daughter, brother or sister)?  If not, why not?  Are you spending too much time at work?  Do you need a family vacation, but you are too afraid to spend the time and money on one?  What would it take for you to take the first step? 

Physically, are you where you want to be?  Do you have the body you have always dreamed of?  Do you have all the energy you could ever want?  Are you getting all the sleep you desire?  If you are confused and can’t even begin to think about where to start, just go for a walk.  Not only will that give you time to think about it, but you will be getting exercise too.  Think about joining a gym or starting to play a sport recreationally that you have always been interested in. 

Do you have all the education you wanted to get?  Maybe you do not necessarily need to get more education for your career, but you have always wanted to learn about ________.  Why not go to a local community college and take a class here or there?  Start reading books on the subject.  There is nothing wrong with constantly educating oneself.

I want to inspire you to be the best at everything you do.  If you are perfectly happy where you are at with your life, then celebrate and enjoy the feeling.  But I have found, most people may be happy for a time, but then they want more.  If you want more, explore that feeling.  See what it is you desire and make a plan to make it happen.  If nothing else, put it on a dream board and see how it manifests itself.  I promise, you will not be sorry you did.