Mind, Money, Motion…where to start?

We all have something we know we want or need to improve in our lives. The hard part is either getting motivated to make that change or identifying specifically what to change (and sticking with it) or both.

A friend of mine from church, who likes and uses checklists to get things done like I do, told me once about a time her husband looked at her current list and asked: “Is enjoy life on your list?” I chuckled when she told me that but also quickly felt the truth of that moisten my eyes. Do you sometimes feel like you’re so busy that you forget to enjoy the journey?

We’ve all heard:

• Where your mind goes, so goes your life
• Your checkbook (remember those gadgets?) reflects what you value
• A glance at your calendar says a lot about how you spend your time

So ask yourself, in those three areas of mind, money, and motion, are they in alignment with what is most important to you? And are you enjoying the adventure called “life”?

If your answer is “no” or “not as often as I would like” then making a change to improve your life is likely what you need. To be successful at making a change, you need to 1) know your “why” and 2) identify your specific next step.

“Why” do you want to change? To feel better, reduce your stress, improve your health, spend more time with family/friends or perhaps to improve your finances? Your motivation for change has to be a clear visualization of “why” the results will be important to you.

Then to identify specific next steps, consider lots of options to pick which one matters most to you. You don’t have to do this alone—listen to my podcast Mind, Money, Motion as your advocate, translator, knowledgeable and experienced guide no matter where you are on your adventure in life. Kathleen Gramzay (www.KathleenGramzay.com), one of my past podcast guests for example, suggested practicing the 54321 method: count down from 5 and on 1 you get up off the couch/chair to begin your physical activity or whatever healthier behavior you said you were going to do. Or Cindy Gordon’s tip (www.BusinesRescueCoaching.com) to remember that women are “creatures of community” so surround yourself with supportive women who may have similar interests and goals as you do. Lupe Camargo (www.moneyaz.com), lost 50 pounds in 10 months at age 50 and will be sharing helpful tips from her behavior change bootcamp experiences as well as the book “Atomic Habits” as one of the guests on my September podcast.

I invite you to tune in live the third Wednesday of each month to hear from experts in all three areas from 11 am MT to noon at www.businessradiox.com/phoenixbusinessradio or catch the podcast recording on iTunes or at www.MindMoneyMotion.com.

Marie Burns is a Certified Financial Planner™, Speaker and Author of the bestselling Financial Checklist books.