It's All Part of the Plan

Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is simply passing the time. Action with vision is making a positive difference. ~ Joel Barker

Yes I'm a Joker fan if you recognized the title as a quote from the latest Batman film, the Dark Knight. And which emotion did the Joker incite most? Yep, that's right (or at least I hope you said). Fear.

Fear is a very powerful emotional tool that prevents a lot of people from achieving their dreams. It's so powerful that it's been one of the main obstacles in hindering people from reaching their first million dollars. Why is that? Well for starters, some of us have strong doubts of our ability. Or, we fear the amount of work we'll have to put in, the sacrifices we'll have to make, the relationships we'll have to sacrifice, the cost of failure, the fear of embarrassment, the lost of respect, the troubles we'll cause, the label of "bankrupt" stapled to us wherever we go, the loss of our homes, our jobs, our families, all because of a desire to live life to its fullness. And so what do we do? We make excuses, we procrastinate, we delude ourselves into thinking we're ok just scrapping by, we think life will change when we're lucky enough to strike TOTO or 4-D or whatever lottery we take part in, we look at the guy driving the Ferrari and think "Lucky devil." and just continue looking, we blame the world for our circumstance, our parents, our teachers, our damn luck. Yes, we just wait. I waited too, for such a long time, without realizing I was missing out on opportunities everywhere. So I know exactly what waiting does to oneself. It does absolutely nothing.

If you want to see money coming into your pockets, wanting it is simply not enough. Yes, the first step is to desire it but then, you have to vision it, see it, feel it, believe that you can obtain it and then most important of all, act on it. The Mindset is crucial and that gets you acting. So what do you do now?

Now you start to aim, plan and do. Aim how much you want to retire on, or how much you want to earn each month, or how much you want to be able to spend each month, etc. Figure out what your objectives are. Is it to grow your money? Protect your capital? Save for an education fund for your kids? Are you saving for future medical costs? And then prioritize. Make this aim clear with real figures with real dates to achieve this by. Divide this into long-term goals (>5yrs), mid-term goals (2-5yrs) and short-term goals (<2yrs).>

Whew, sounds complicated isn't it? Well if it is, the first person you'd like to speak to is a financial planner. Wherever you are, you should consult a certified financial planner who is well-versed in the various investments and who is able to tailor your plan to your objectives. But believe me, it really isn't that hard to start.

You might want to educate yourself first. Here are some suggestions:

1. Personal Finance for Dummies

2. Mastering Your Personal Finance - Dennis Ng

3. The Automatic Millionaire - David Bach

4. Start Late Finish Rich - David Bach

5. Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires - Adam Khoo

6. Rich Dad Poor Dad - Robert Kiyosaki

Well, the weekend is here again. So take care and enjoy!

Cheers,

~K