Money Moxie - Practicing Consistency

"If you are persistent, you get it.  If you are consistent, you'll keep it.  Consistency is key." Serita Jakes 

Consistency is the secret sauce to sustained success.  If you observe the people who stay on top of their game - industry, profession, career - they share one think in common, and that is consistency.

I joined a mastermind group back in December to study the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.  I first read the book back in May of 1988 and it has been sitting on the shelf ever since.  I was home with a cast on a broken leg and grieving the loss of my beloved mother, it was Winter, and it sucked to be laid up big time.  I saw the promotional information  for the mastermind and thought, let me pull this book out and read it again, which I did.  After finishing my second read I could not help asking my self, "why was I not reading this book every six months?"  I decided to join up the TAGR mastermind group anyway, just so I could get a "deeper dive" into the text and get the benefit of the group wisdom.  The first assignment in the study was to read the chapter on persistence every day for fourteen days consecutively.  If we missed a day, we would have to start over from day one again! For quite a few years I have been attempting to become more consistent in my daily routines as I realized that great skill and knowledge and persistence but not consistently applied will cause one to come up short more often than not.  But  it was this assignment that brought out the reality of this awareness!  To get this assignment done I had to create a routine for reading and follow it consistently.  Is this easy? No it is not!  Especially with many tasks and interactions to cause distraction.  But a decision has to be made, if this is important to you, once you make the decision you definitely will do it.

To be successful at anything, a high level of consistency must be maintained. I can tell you those who develop routines and follow them consistently are less frustrated and more successful. They are more productive, they accomplish more for sure.  I was a young administrator working in a branch office of a life insurance company when I had a chat with one of the older and very successful agents.  He told me about his daily routine.  He said he got up the same time every day, read, have the same thing for breakfast and go to the barber for a shave before coming to the office.  He had lunch the same time every day!  That impressed upon my mind and I never forgot that conversation.  There were times when I criticized folks who I thought were not flexible enough because of their strict adherance to established routines but I later evolved on the matter as I realized that it worked for them.  My personality is of such that too much routine would make me feel like I'm in a straight jacket, but I never the less need to set up strict routines in the areas that matter the most to me or I'm likely to sabotage myself.  Many creative people hate routines but they are very necessary in some areas of life.

"Riches do not respond to wishes.  They respond only to definite plans, backed by definite desire, through constant persistence."  Napoleon Hill - Think And Grow Rich

When it comes to your major life goals, your money goals, being consistent is a must.  Consistently making, updating and following a budget means you will stay on track with spending and saving.  Having a plan in place to save and invest will keep you moving in the direction of your dreams.  The majority of people I have met with significant assets did not inherit them nor did they win the lottery! What they did do though is have some form of "forced" savings and investing, whether it is through their work in Group Retirement and Thrift Plans or individual plans they set up themselves through an advisor.  If you are going to wait until you have a big chunk of money before you start investing, it is a slim chance you will, because when that big chunk comes, if it comes at all, something will be waiting for it!

Once you have created a plan for your money goals and implemented programs toward their attainment, it is imperative to review them on a consistent basis.  Make adjustments as necessary.
For instance, if you start earning more money, you can increase your weekly or monthly savings and investment allotments, if you have a temporary setback you can lower them and reset them later.  Without regular review though, it is easy to lose track of the original goals and just let your plan drift.

Aspire to be consistent in all that you do so that it becomes part of your character.

BEVERLEY ALLEN, FLMI

Beverley

Investment Fund Advisor & Life and Health Insurance Advisor

Desjardins Financial Security Investments Inc.

Desjardins Financial Security Independent Network

Ontario Central Region (OCR), GTA West Branch

5070 Dixie Road

Mississauga, On L4W 1C9

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