It’s time to put the knowledge you have about yourself and your money into action. It’s up to you to take the appropriate, conscious action to take charge of your money, get your financial house in order, and start living the life you want.
What next steps do you need to take to feel more fully empowered and on track with your money? Do you have a list of action items to complete? Are there phone calls, or appointments, you need to make to follow through on your plans?
Step 1: Start by organizing your paperwork by making a ‘Money Spot’ where you have conveniently located items like pens, chequebook, stamps, envelopes and your filing system.
Step 2: Set up your own filing system by using our My Financial Filing System. Keeping the paperwork in order helps relieve the stress of when things need to be done.
Step 3: Pick a regular Money Day. That’s the day you will spend time with your money, paying the bills, making sure things like kid’s permission slips are signed and returned, reviewing your bank statements and credit card statements.
Step 4: Complete the Financial Plan Checklist so that you have a quick reference list of what you have done, and what you have left to do.
Step 5: You can also use the Action Plan to consolidate your to-do lists. List anything you need to do to complete your plan, or to move your plan into action.
The key to the Action Plan is to be specific and set deadlines for yourself. You may even want to put your Action Plan up on your fridge, or keep a copy of it in your calendar to remind you of to-do items.
Review and Revise
As a general rule, keep in mind that you need to review and revise your plan and strategies to address your changing needs, goals, and overall financial position. This is especially important if you have significant changes in your life, such as marriage, divorce, having children, or retirement.
The good news is that as life shifts and changes, you can use what you have learned here to systematically ensure that your money will continue to support you during the various stages of your life.
To be sure you are staying on track with your money, use the My Annual Review Checklist every year. Complete it either at the end of the year, at tax time, or whenever you do your goal-setting for the year.
Once you are organized with your money, you’ll be able to jump on new opportunities more easily, have both physical and energetic space for your current life instead of your past, and be generally more connected to your financial life.
Start taking one step at a time, and watch your finances go from chaos to clarity – taking the worry out of money.
UNSTUCK – How to Get out of Your Money Rut and Start Living the Life you Want
by Karin Mizgala and Sheila Walkington
Excerpt from Chapter 14
