I used to think perfection was necessary.

“Falling short of perfection is a process that just never stops.” ~William Shawn

Now that I know it’s not, this is how I overcome the bug of perfection. Yes, sometimes it wants to rear it’s ugly head, but I’m a little older, wiser and am able to recognize it before it takes control.

Before, when I’d start ANY task, the situation around it had to be “just right”. If I couldn’t complete a task in one sitting, I wouldn’t start it at all. If an event didn’t go as planned, to me it was a total failure. In essence, if I didn’t go big with everything…I went home.

Trust me…this thought process is actually very debilitating. Ever heard the statement, “Either do it right, or not at all…no half stepping!”? Well, I’ve since learned that a half step is better than no step. Especially when it comes to important issues like taking control of your life, your money, your relationships, even your health.

Truth be told…getting started is the hard part. But once the process is started you can find better ways to keep the momentum going. Especially when you start seeing positive results. Before you know it…new habits have been created, the mission has been accomplished and the moment of triumph is recognized.

So, this is what I recommend. Find a task that you deem overwhelming. Think of something you can do today to get started and just go for it. START & CREATE!

Small incremental steps lead to big results!

Some applicable ideas:

Saving Money. So you can’t afford to save $1000 per month? Saving $10, $25, or $100 per month can be just as rewarding. Imagine having your own stash of money when a small emergency arises and being able to take care of it with no problem.

Giving. Clothes. Time. A small amount of money. A meal. A smile. All examples of some form of giving. It’s not a big elaborate campaign of coming to the rescue of a large group of people, but notoriety is not what you’re seeking. It’s to make a difference in your own little part of the world.

Other great examples are calling a creditor to making payment arrangements, setting up a retirement account, finding employment, etc.

A good artist does not define their art by what they produce, but how they live. ~Author Unknown

What will you do today? Tell us about it in the comments below.

Image by le vent le cri

It’s challenging to keep the perspective of abundance within focus daily, but I hope to make it a top of mind subject regularly.

Not so that we can sit back in all smiles rejoicing over all of the things we’ve acquired. The reason is the exact opposite.

It’s to be that small voice that reminds you to see your life through new eyes. To see the abundance within you…not outside of you.

At first, abundance could be thought of as the things you have, the amount of money you make, how well known you are or even your job title at work. You know, all the outward accomplishments.

But the best definition I’ve seen so far is…

Tuning into the direct connection with source (God). I think most of our unhappiness derives from the outward pursuit of our goals without first connecting to source to show gratitude and thanks just for be-(ing). That means the abundant being you are in mind, body and spirit.

Not sure if you think about this often, but we are awesome creations…magnificently and wonderfully made. So instead of letting your thoughts participate in the Daytona 500 (comparisons to others, focusing on what you don’t have, etc), STOP and tune into the abundance that is already within you. You are already rich beyond measure. Once you tune into that daily within, the outward manifestations of that abundance will start to unfold for you. That way you get to experience to full enjoyment of what your life was intended to be.

What’s your experience? How do you remember the abundance that’s always present? If you don’t, what’s your plan for starting? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

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Want daily reminders to help with this process? Come on over and participate in our Facebook Community. Daily thoughts and discussions are shared to help you stay focused on what’s true and important each day.

Remember: Being financially successful is not only about creating budgets. The first hurdle is to correct the mental framework that keeps us in the same position year after year.

Image by: Kelly Cree

When I was a kid, I remember being so anxious about becoming an adult.  As each year passed and the birthdays came and went, I was enthused about the future and making my own pathway into the world.

Fast forward to college, I’d dream about the great job I was going to have after graduation.  The details of how I was going to get there didn’t matter…the world was going to be my oyster.

Looking back, I can see how naïve I was…having parents that provided for my brother and I.  Often sacrificing without not even one noticeable flinch.  If they worried…we didn’t know it.  If they cried…we didn’t know it.

So as an adult, when the tough parts of life hit me, it was a little tough to overcome.  The life I’d imagined was a carousel, but in reality it was a roller coaster.  Blind sighted…I wanted to throw up both arms and scream…“HEY!!! LET ME OFF!!!  I didn’t sign up for this!!!”  But it’s too late.  Firstly, no one hears you (it’s too noisy) and frankly they really don’t care to hear about your troubles.  They’ve got enough of their own.

Fortunately, the ride does stop.  But it’s a question of when? And how do you bear the time you have remaining? Part of the answer is to live patiently in excellence which increases your chances of a safe and swift arrival.

Here are a few additional suggestions:

• Smile when you feel like crying. 

Don’t let your what’s going on inwardly affect the energy you put out into the world.  It’s not that you’re trying to put on a façade so that others won’t see what’s really going on.  It’s the total opposite.  You want to live as if so that you attract your the desired solution.

Now, this is not a license to ignore the problem.  Face it an handle it quickly.  It’s just to smile through it knowing that it’ll work out.

• Work like you don’t need the money.

That’s only one line from an old Irish proverb.  The full version is:

Work like you don’t need the money, dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, love like you’ve never been hurt and live life every day as if it were your last.

But watch out: this may cause you to act a bit carelessly which is the opposite of what you desire.  This action is more like creating a fervent walk of faith.  Or like starting a new exercise regimen.  When you start the program, the adjustment is hard for a while.  But after the each day’s progression and being consistent, you’ve created a whole new attitude to have when managing problems.

• Don’t worry. 

We all know about worry, but how many of us still do it?  Let’s see a show of hands.  Come on…it’s just between you and I.

The right action is to take baby steps…so things don’t get so stressful.  There is nothing you can do about yesterday…it is history.  You can’t even focus on tomorrow because it’s a mystery.  Be here…right now.  Do what you can with what you can.  No more…no less.  Worrying about the problem does not solve it.  It just creates more of the same.

• Enjoy what you can’t see.

Shift your mind to the things you cannot see.  Then you’ll be reminded of the miracles that happen in your life daily.  Like the carbon dioxide that we breathe.  The wind that shifts.  The evaporation of water into condensation that lifts into the air creating clouds.  Try this little experiment:  Real Quick…Go run and get a glass of water and put it on the table next to you.  Take a good look at the water.  Can you guess how old it is?  Hmmmmm…  This is what it’s all about – the best things in life are unseen so don’t focus only what you can see.

• Get Some Rest.

Have you ever made an important decision when you were tired?  Well, here’s my personal experience on the matter:  Good, sound decisions are not made with a brain and body that is sleep deprived.  Whatever the question is, allow yourself the freedom to use the 24 hour rule.  If that time frame is too long, politely decline without regret.

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Most of the time during my early life learning experiences, I spent too much time beating my head up against the wall.  Mainly confused because I didn’t feel adequately prepared for these important tasks.  Nope, there weren’t any manuals.  Still aren’t.  But what I do know now is that each life experience is different and to decrease the learning curve a good idea is to learn from each other.  This sharing acts as a teaching tool so that we don’t all make the same mistakes.

Were you surprised by life when it didn’t happen the way you intended? Is there a life experience you wish you would have been warned about?  Let us know in the comments below…

Image by dingler1109

As promised, here is the report I’ve been working on for the last few months, An Escape Route to Financial Freedom. 

It reveals six pathways that will lead you to the remarkable life you’ve been called to live.  The foundation needed to create the lasting change you want in your life.

I started it early 2010, but unfortunately it suffered the same delay as the site.  Again, I knew what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t find the right direction to complete it.  So for the last couple of months, I’ve taken the time required to sit, reflect and listen.

Who Is It For?

The student that is ready.  If you’re really ready to create a better financial life…then it’s for you.  No matter where you are financially…there is always room for improvement.  So if you want your financial life to grow far beyond what it is now…read…then apply.

What You’ll Discover:

• A Descriptive Definition of Financial Freedom
• The One and Only Secret to Financial Success
• Six Pathways That Will Get You There (Challenges Included)

For those of you who are already on the  newsletter list, you should have received your copy via email last week.  If you’re not on the newsletter list, it does require you to sign up, but it’s painless.  Just enter your first name and email address below and it’ll be sent over to you pronto!

Action Step

Answer the following questions:  Financial Freedom, Abundance and Independence: What does that look and feel like to you?  How do you plan to take action today?

Feel free to share your answer to that question in the comments section below.

I wish you so much success.  Thanks so much for reading!

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Today is THE day!!!

At the time of this writing, the last post made here was July 1, 2010, a little over 1 year and 6 months ago. First, I must say WELCOME to the Re-Launch and THANK YOU for being a part of this community!

Second, I’ve got to answer this question…What happened? A lot! I’ll get more into the details

in a moment, but I’ll go ahead and tell you one significant lesson I learned.

It’s really important to listen to life as it talks to you.

Now at the time I stepped away, I didn’t think that it would be so long, but as time continued to pass it became more apparent that I needed the space to really listen to what I needed to do.

The three major issues were: Number 1, I wasn’t really satisfied with the direction I was taking the site. Number 2, I’d started a new job. And Number 3, I just don’t think the time was right. The interference was so loud that I could no longer ignore it.

Right from the beginning, I started with I think some pretty good information…creating budgets, paying off debt, reaching goals, etc. But something just didn’t feel right about the approach. I really wanted to get the message out about us and our money, but I didn’t feel that it was in the right way.

My ultimate goal is to make a positive contribution to the world, to encourage, motivate and teach…in a way that matters. I can’t tell you how many times over the past year and a half I’ve heard the following words, “Patrenia, you really should be a teacher!” I cannot say that I know everything…who does? But what I do know…I’ll share. And what I don’t know…I’ll learn, then share.

So with that in mind, I’ve created a skeleton vision of what I want PFN to look like and how I will write for it. I’ll add layers as we go along. One thing I do know, it won’t be your traditional personal finance blog. To give you a hint about the direction, I’ll repost here the information from the About section of the Facebook Fan Page … “Personal Finance Notebook celebrates financial abundance and independence.”

Ahhh! That just feels better to me. I don’t want to batter people who have made money mistakes or have been a victim of the current economy…that comes off as very judgmental to me (of which I have no right to be). Encouragement and gaining knowledge are much better options. And as the saying goes, when you know better…you do better!

Looking ahead, here’s what I’d like to see six months from now:

• High-quality and engaging content consisting of at least one post here per week.
• Regular weekly Facebook and Twitter Interaction. You many participate in the Facebook community here.
• An average of at least 200+ regular readers who follow PFN via email updates.

What You Can Expect Going Forward

Helpful, encouraging, motivational information to help you ARISE to the next level in financial abundance! I’m ready…

I hope you enjoy it!

p.s. ARISE is my theme for this year inspired by this scripture… “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.” Gen. 13:17

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Next Monday, I’ll release a free eBook that I’ve been working on for some time called An Escape Route to Financial Freedom: Six Pathways That Will Lead You to The Remarkable Life You’ve Been Called To Live here on the site. For those of you who are already email subscribers, you will receive your free copy tomorrow morning about 8am CST.

The report is completely free – it’s just filled with many concepts for you to ponder and put into action. It also helps you to answer a few important questions that I’m sure you’ve tried your best to figure out.

How You Can Help with the Release

If the eBook inspires you in any way, feel free to come back here and share you experience. Also, I’d really appreciate it if you’d help me spread the word about the release next week. If you have a presence on Facebook, Twitter or friend’s email addresses AND you find the eBook worthy of attention, I’d be really thankful if you would tell your friends about it.

So, that’s all folks! I just want to say again that I’m so excited about this community. I just believe that as we grow, we’ll inspire others to grow.

See you next week?

Image by Bidrohi >H!ROK<

Well, hello there!  It’s been a while I know, but I’m on my way back to a regular involvement with this site.  I’m very excited because I’ve definitely missed having the opportunity to interact with you on a regular basis.  What happened, you say? I’ll explain later.  But right now, I want to talk more about the future plans for the site which I hope you’ll want to be a part of.

Ironically, as I was starting to write this post, I was watching Oprah’s Life Class when she was talking about The Plague of America: Money.  It was an awesome class and it validated the constant pull  that I’ve felt over the last few years to start a conversation to help us all  rise and realize that we can all live an abundant life.  It’s just a matter of learning how.

So, here’s what I have currently in store.  In a few weeks,  February 13, 2012, I will do an official re-launch Personal Finance Notebook.  The following week, I’ll release a free guide that I’ve written just for readers who are interested in becoming a part of this community.  The guide is called, An Escape Route to Financial Freedom: Six Pathways That Will Lead You to Live the Remarkable Life You’ve Been Called to Live.  For those of you who are already a part of the community, I’ve decided to send it to you a few days prior to the site release.  It’s something that I’ve poured my heart into.   I know that many of you have probably created those New Years Resolutions to become better managers of your money so I pray that this guide will help you along your journey to the financial abundance you seek.

SIDE NOTE!  I am in the process of merging all subscribers to one email management system.  I apologize, but for those of you that receive the site updates via Google, please look out for a confirmation email that will be coming to you within the next day or so.  I need you to re-confirm your email with the new system.  If you don’t receive the email, no worries…you are already a part of the main account. 

I have lots more to say, but I won’t bore you with the details at this point.  For now, mark your calendars for February 13, 2012.  If you’d like to participate further in the development of this project, see what you can do below:

• I’m currently very active on Facebook and Twitter.  Feel free to stop in, say hi and start interacting there.
• Leave a comment at the end of this post…all are welcome!  What are your ideas? What’s happening financially in your own life? Do you feel that you are living your life in complete abundance?  It’s o.k. if the situation is good.  It’s also o.k. if it’s a challenging time right now.  We’re here to support each other.  If you would like to share your ideas or story in a more private forum, you can email me at patrenia.spears [@] personalfinancenotebook.com (without the brackets). Information shared via e-mail will not be released, shared or exposed without your permission.
• Read more about my new vision for the site here and the community here.
• Spread the word.

That’s all for now.  Don’t forget to help me get the word out! PUSH…February 2012!!!  Thank you all so much and I look forward to a wonderful year.

Yours in Service,

Regardless of where you are in your life right now, you are no stranger to trouble.  I know I’m not.  It seems that not a week goes by where I’m not faced with some issue or a tough decision that must be made. 

You may not think so, but all of these things weigh heavily upon us.  Our minds, our health, our spirits and our attitudes are not all at their peak.

Well, I came across a very short, but inspiring story that I’d like to share with you today called The Trouble Tree.  You may read it below:

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

“Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied.” I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.”

He paused. “Funny thing is,” he smiled, “when I come out in the morning to pick ‘em up, there ain’t nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before.”

~Author Anonymous

So for those of you out there with any type of trouble today, consider creating your own trouble tree.  Your family, friends and your own mind just might appreciate you for it.

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A Quick Announcement

Last week, I posted a giveaway for you the readers here at Personal Finance Notebook.   Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments.  Your words made me realize that although this community is very small, I have a good concept going here and I need to be extremely dedicated to improving and marketing it.  I have to remind myself that this is a work in progress.  Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

In the next few weeks, I’ll be implementing a few changes, updates and additions to the site.  Just a little side note, if you are signed up as an email update reader, please be on the lookout for a personal email from me in the near future. 

Also if you didn’t make a comment, but you read the articles posted here (maybe you were a little shy), thank you as well.  I know I say this all the time, but I really appreciate the time you take to read Personal Finance Notebook each week.  It can only go up from here!

Ok, Ok…enough with all the preliminaries, 0n to announcing the winner of the $25 Amazon gift card.  The winner is:  Eric Watermolen (commenter #3)  Congratulations, Eric!

Ghost Tree Image by John-Morgan

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Connect with the Personal Finance Notebook Community here on Facebook!

Hello dear friends and readers,

Today I wanted to write a short note to all of you to just say “Thank You”.  Thank you for coming to the site, subscribing and being a faithful reader of Personal Finance Notebook.  I’ve been on this journey of sharing ideas related to personal finance officially since November of last year.  Time sure flies when you’re having fun.

I have met so many wonderful people.  Many of you have sent emails of encouragement, subscribed to receive articles as they are posted, commented on articles that have been of interest and joined the small community on Facebook.  For all of that I am truly grateful!

Now to show my appreciation for all of you, I’d like to do a little giveaway.  I have an Amazon Gift Card valued at $25 in my Amazon shopping cart.  In order to participate in the giveaway, please leave a comment stating a reason or reasons why you read Personal Finance Notebook.  On Wednesday, I’ll number each comment (in order) and use a random number generator to choose the winner.  The announcement of the winner will be made in Thursday’s post.  It’s that simple!

Ok, well that’s all for now.  Thanks again and I look forward to reading what you all have to say.  But before I go, I’ll just leave you with a statement that I’ve taken as my unofficial motto:

“Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.” ~John Dewey

Image Cred denise carbonell

To get into your rightful place financially, you have to move past what has not only become comfortable, but what has become just a way of life.  When I say comfortable, I’m basically talking about life as usual. 

We have dreams of something bigger and better, but getting there sometimes seems too difficult.  What we normally do is keep the dream in our heads, but never move toward action.  We mostly use the One Day Theory.  You know…One Day I’m gonna have enough money to do whatever I want OR One Day I’m gonna own my own home.

You can probably rattle off a couple of your own One Day Theories – in fact, you’ve probably heard and said them many times over.  Truth is though, the One Day Theory is just another basic form of procrastination.

On a deeper level, procrastination overlaps with avoidance.  When a task initially seems too difficult to handle, we’ll put it off and put it off until it becomes a monster.  I don’t know what makes us think that the problem will go away.  It NEVER does. 

I know it seems easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore life along with your hopeful dreams.  The thing about that is, it’s suffocating.  You definitely can’t survive that way.  Survival of the fittest is taking responsibility quickly and creating the success you desire.

Do I suffer from the disease of procrastination?  Of course, I do.  All the time.  As I write this article, it is very late in the evening.  My initial thoughts were to shut the computer down and start fresh tomorrow.  But then I thought about how the delay would really throw me off schedule.  My right action was to do what’s needed now and feel good about what I accomplish later.

I remember reading a book a few years back by Brian Tracy called, Eat that Frog: 21 Great Ways to Get More Done in Less Time.  This book was key in transforming my thoughts about goal achievement and handling daily life.

My 4-Most Important Mantras from the book were:

1. Consider the consequences.  Take a moment to consider what the outcome will be if the task is put off until later.
2. Do the most difficult task first.  This statement is the entire basis of eating the frog.  Getting the difficult task out of the way first frees your mind for greater accomplishment.  It becomes a snowball of successful action.
3. Slice and dice the task.  Breaking down bigger projects into smaller manageable chunks = faster goal achievement.
4. Develop a sense of urgency.  A determination to stay focused until the project is completed.

He also says:

The key to reaching high levels of performance and productivity is for you to develop the lifelong habit of tackling your major task first thing each morning.  You must develop a routine of “eating your frog” before you do anything else and without taking too much time to think about it.

The thing is, I’m seeing many people achieve their dreams each day.  We all have our good and bad days.  The key though is to have more bad than good.  See if you constantly make two steps forward and only one step backwards, you’re doing your best to make greater strides in the right direction. 

So as you continue your day, consider something you have been avoiding – a work assignment, cleaning up your financial house, getting organized, any short or long term goal.  Be determined today to eat that frog.

How about you on the other side of the screen?  What’s stopping you? 

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I appreciate you reading today.  If you enjoyed it, don’t be selfish – share this article with a friend.   Have a wonderful and prosperous day!

Gotta Get Organized Image by Szlea

Note: In the Ask Patrenia articles, I answer questions from readers sent to me by Email, Twitter or Facebook.  Feel free to ask your money questions.  I look forward to it.

It hits everyone of us at some point and time in our life.  The four letter word…FEAR!

I received a question here on the site a while back from a reader that I have grown to respect and admire not only for her inspiration, but her courage to motivate others.  Here’s what she said…

I’d love to read more about getting over your fear of money… that’s a personal issue for me. Like I know that tools exist to help me get on track… but just admitting how bad things are in order to get on that track is scary! I know I have to “feel the fear and do it anyway”…. but I swear that financial stuff seems the hardest area to improve sometimes. – Anilia, MotivatedSista

Firstly, I want to thank Anilia for this question and her bravery for stating that fear of money is a personal issue.  It is an issue for most of us, but we don’t want anyone to know that we are a little afraid of facing the money issues.  Truth is, just about every day, we have to resist the fear of “something”.  It may not be money, but it’s all just the same.  So, if you’re wrestling with fear, try one or more of these ideas.

Take Small Steps. Whenever we attempt to learn a new process, we tend to suffer from fear of the unknown.  We’re excited about a new endeavor.  We find lots of information about the subject.  Our information is from different sources, different people with different views.  So not only do we have too much information, but the information suggests different ideas.  What are our next actions?  Nothing.  The stress level has risen, we’re confused and it’s just seems easier to do nothing.  So just take it slow, learn and start practicing the new process.

Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes. Denis Waitley once said that failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker.   I wholeheartedly agree, making mistakes is part of the learning process.  When a baby learns to walk, how many times do they fall?  When you learned how to ride a bike, how many times did you fall?

See Every Day As A New Start. Use yesterday as a reference, but don’t let the actions linger.  If any unintentional events occurred, don’t dwell on them.  Figure out what went wrong and make corrections to avoid the same problem in the future.

Consider Your Prior Victories. Make a list of other goals you were able to achieve.  Not necessarily financial goals, just life goals in general.  When doubt or fear enter into you mind, pull out your victory list and gain strength.

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Taking control of your money is not as intimidating as it seems.  It’s just a few daily disciplines practiced everyday.  We all know what they say about practice – practice makes perfect.  Ok, I’m not so sure about the “perfect” part, but it will be at least better.

So, stop thinking or be held back by fear and take some action!

Feel free to add your own tips.  How do you overcome fear?

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Freedom Not Fear Image by James Cronin