Something Simple: Pre-made Spreadsheets

I've just run across the most comprehensive list of tracking, budgeting and financial spreadsheets I've seen on the internet. There are both free and more elaborate paid spreadsheets on a myriad topics.

Go see it here.

Financial Pressure? What to do Right Now

One of the lessons that I'm learning is that time and space create a lot more results than pressure.

Have you ever been in a pinch and tried to come up with new ideas about a project? It doesn't matter if it's for work or at home. If you're really worried about it, what happens? 

Often the ideas struggle out of my brain. I'm worried and have a hard time focussing. I feel urgency and want results now.  I find that if I'm under enough pressure, I look back after making the decision and realize there are about 14 things I hadn't thought of that didn't make it into a project idea or into that proposal or off to that client.

On the other hand when I take time and open up space and spend some time relaxing,  ideas just come to me - out of the blue. Brilliant ideas for projects, services and products - so many that I can't follow up on all of them.

Financial pressure is a lot like that.  There are plenty of places that talk about money as a river or stream or flowing water and that use the metaphor of a faucet. My experience is that worry is akin to turning the faucet down or even off.

But why?  I've heard it talked about in terms of energy and there is something there. But in terms of psychology, what we see is that people get and do what they focus on - they find proof for their stories.  That's why advertising works. You see an ad for toothpaste over and over and pretty soon you're standing in your bathroom wondering how this this toothpaste you've never tried before got into your house.

Things that we imagine often come to pass - positive, negative or otherwise: because our brains are looking for them. Our brains are trained to find patterns and so the patterns you put into them is what you eventually find. It's why we seem to have similar relationships over and over - and that's part of why affirmations work. We tell our brains to look for certain ideas and hooks and it does. So I talked about affirmations and and how to write them, now is great time to review them if you haven't in a while.

In an ideal world you would have a Financial Map of  Intentions - a review of what you've been spending and clear projections about what you intend to spend moving forward, month by month. That way you can review your monthly spending and make clear decisions in advance of financial crunches. 

But that's not always possible and things change - so no sense in making yourself feel worse than you already do. In fact now is a great time to be grateful for your financial prowess - you see what's going on, you've come to look for support and now you're going to change it! Way to go!

So what to do about financial pressure right now?

If you're feeling pressured about money, the first thing to do is to take a deep breath. (And notice when the last time was that you did that.) Just take a moment to relax and come back into your body. Sometimes it takes a few breaths or more to come back - a walk outside in the fresh air, a hug, looking at something beautiful, a nice long, hot bath. But take that time - it's well worth it and really supports making sound decisions.

Second do a real assessment: are you in danger? What are the real dangers in this situation?  Often we worry about financial pressures that might happen - in days, weeks and months from now. If those things aren't here, take another breath and notice that more than likely you really are safe right now.

Then create a plan. Not just for the crisis or thing that has come up that you're worried about, but look at the bigger picture. Decide what really wants to be done here - is this an obligation that you want to continue with? Is this mortgage something you can handle? What is coming up over the next few weeks that can effect this piece of your financial reality? And how can you effect positive change from right here. 

Remember in creating change you want it to be in alignment with your values. So if you value ease, think about what you can do to bring more ease into this situation.  How do you want to feel about this obligation and what can you do to bring more of that emotion into this situation?

Keep breathing and move gently focusing on staying home in your body and making positive changes that support the overall effort of your life. It might take time, but putting into place a plan for you financial success is well worth the effort.

Think and Grow Rich, Really?

When I was a teenager I had a job doing telemarketing. I hated it. Calling people to "book appointments" was loathsome.  I wanted to be doing anything else.  So sometimes I would call in sick when all I wanted was to be doing something else, like hanging out with friends or finishing that homework project (yeah I was a bit of a goody-goody in high school).

But I'm not any good at lying. So in order to call in sick, I'd have to invoke being sick. Have a cough, exhaustion, etc. And in the half an hour to an hour it took me to work up the courage to call and tell that lie I would start to feel really sick. And then I really needed that rest I was asking for.

That's the power of the mind and affirmations combined with taking actions. Saying it can make it so, acting on that information will make it so.  In fact think of a time in  your life, daily life, when you want something you know you're going to get. Like dinner (whether it's groceries, dining in a restaurant or fast food), you know you're going to get it. But you don't just know you're going to get it, you act on that information.

In reading "Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill one of the things he says to so is decide what you want in detail and name what you're willing to do to get it. Then he instructs his reader to say that plan every day, morning and evening and act based on that plan.

That's the essence of working in alignment with your values. 

Values, beliefs, truths, affirmations are all the same thing with different phrasing (and possibly different copyrights) but getting to the same ideas.

"Affirmations" affirm your path, ideas and being.  If you really want to take that business to the next level that you know will require more than one, one-time action, it requires focus, drive and follow through. It takes being impeccable with your word and always doing your best. 

It will take other things as well, depending on who you are, what your business idea or life path you desire and where you are now.  Do you know what those things are? Do you know what qualities you need to invoke for your success? And if you do are you acting based on those ideas or based on other ideas that someone else told you?

That single-minded devotion to your dream takes tools to make it happen. Reminding yourself everyday of your dreams and supports you in making that happen.  In fact it's one of the keys in many personal growth systems. Don Miguel Ruiz in his book, "The Four Agreements Companion Book" says to make your own Book of Law which is about writing down what you believe about yourself and the world in order to create it. "Creating Money: Attracting Abundance" by Duane Packer and Sanaya Roman has affirmations throughout the book as a core practice of writing it as the basic beginning of creating change.  Doreen Virtue, PhD. includes affirmations in everything of hers that I've come across.  And Suze Orman, "Financial Guidebook: Put the 9 Steps to Work" calls is "creating new truths" which is the one of the first steps in her process. 

Whether you call them beliefs, affirmations or truths, we're all getting at the same thing: affirming a positive present and acting on it.

In the first year of my business I doubled my income. I didn'tknow it, but I was using values alignment work. I kept saying to myself, "I'm making more money doing bookkeeping." And so I sought that out. Then it became true which set up a self-fulfilling prophecy.  I went from making $1200 a month to $4000 a month in a year, freelancing, even when other people told me I was nuts.  They told me to go out and get a real job. But I wanted to be doing something meaningful that was not sitting behind a desk. So I chose it, I affirmed it and I acted on it.

So why?  The truth that I can find is that your mind manifests what you believe.  The same is true of negative patterns. If you've spent the afternoon thinking about how fat you feel or how difficult things are, have you found that you see those things? It's the same idea. What you focus on you bring into being.

The deeper truth is that if you're planting your own seeds in your unconscious or conscious mind, it leaves less space for other, negative thoughts to get in there and have a field day of self destruction, defeat, or questioning self worth.  Being active has the added bonus that it creates change much faster than passively receiving negative feedback. You've created your own willingness to have the change that you are intending. You are practicing having what you want.

Affirmations are positive phrasings, written in the present tense about what you want.

"I am a money magnet" is an affirmation

"I want 10,000 a month in income, is not, but "I make at least $10,000 a month" is.

There is more to this process however. Just saying it does not make it so.

They must be accompanied by action.  Saying a thing and acting in alignment with that value, leverages it to make t happen here in the physical world, not just in your head.

Falling Down: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Implementation

In working with clients I get to see their biggest successes and most difficult challenges of their relationship with money.

The big successes in the coaching process with most of my clients, especially the entrepreneurs? Vision. They know what they want. That's a big part of why they went into business for themselves: they can see the possibilities. And once they identify those possibilities, they start to see them in their lives. That's exciting!

The hardest thing? Implementation. The every day follow up on that big dream.  And that shows up in coaching. Some clients get to the goal setting stage and then say to me, "Wow, thanks for the help, I'll take it from here." And they take a break, give up, go out on their own and try to do it all alone.

The vast majority of the time, when I check back in with them in a month or two or six they are in the same place that they were in before they took a break or before they came to coaching at all. I hear frustration and overwhelm, blame and sometimes anger.

And the truth is, it is the every day, day-to-day, get up and go to work that's the hard part. The following up on that vision, keeping it in your sights and staying focusing on what you really want is taxing and time consuming. It's not all roses.  

So what to do?

The first thing to do is notice what's going on.  If we don't acknowledge that there's an issue or a block, it's nearly impossible to change it.  So notice, right now - are you having a difficult time getting what you really want? 

Then as yourself: Are you ready to commit or re-commit to that vision?

If you are, look for support. Coaching helps (that's why I do what I do - it's what I think is needed). Groups like masterminding groups or issue-specific peer groups or group coaching help. Having a money buddy to check in with consistently helps. The basic idea here is to get support to help you be accountable to your vision.

Here are some things you can do with that vision that will help keep you on track that you can do on you own:

* Frame your vision positively.

* Make sure to include not just your vision, but what you're willing to do to get it.

* Make sure that what you're going to do to get it is something that you'll enjoy and is related to your purpose.

* Write it down and post it in a place you'll see it.

* Read you vision to your self twice at day - once in the morning and once in the evening.

* Imagine yourself in your vision, getting what you want and doing what you say you're going to do for five minutes every day.

As always, if you try something I've written about or have an additional idea, please post a comment or email me and let me know!

My experience: Getting Things Done

I've talked a bit about "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. I did implement his system and I thought you'd like to know how it went for me. So here's a piece of my personal journal that I've edited and transcribed here.

"Last week I got the bottom of the 4th stack of Inbox stuff. Entered in Omni Focus, filed, calendared, put away. (Omni Foucs is a program that was written for use with Getting Things Done and was one of the best gifts I've ever received)
I didn't know things could change so much and that I could really let go of holding everything in my head.

"My desk has become a working space rather than storage. I feel confident that I'm holding all the pieces and that I can get to them all. I won't loose them. My computer files are backed up in case something does happen to it. (Thank you to Mozy)

"I found art from camp, important development work, books that have been missing, and cleared out places for old client files and documents that have been waiting to be filed for what seems like years. It's enabled me to do calendaring much further in advance because I know what I need to do and know that it's held in the calendar.

"It feels not just like I've cleaned something, but that I've made a fundamental change in the way that I'm viewing my work and working process. I started applying this to the rest of the house already and it's going to get all the stuff off my plate a piece at a time because in addition to doing the work, I don't have to hold the organizing in my head as well. It's really freeing up a lot of brain space

"The cost of this system: Omni Focus is $80 (Outlook has very similar functionality, if you know how to use it) , Getting Things Done by David Allen $15, inbox, $4, upright file holder, $3, new rolling shelves (not necessary for the system, just for me) $40, new insert for additional cabinet drawer, $8, box of manilla filing folders $6, and time. That's $156. I already had the filing cabinets and hanging file folders. The time it's actually taken me is a couple of hours a few days a week for the last 2 weeks. Plus 6 hours of reading and re-reading.

"This is a very useful system that don't require a ton of cash or a ton of time. Just focus and consistency and it creates that in its use."

What I'm finding is that in having a system that I'm sticking to it's revolutionizing my life. Creating time and ease in places that I've been holding. Needless to say, I highly recommend this system!

Sales Tax: Do you sell things?

If you sell things, generally you need to collect sales tax.  In California you'll need to talk to the Franchise Tax Board.  They have a customer service site, that's being fairly useful, though not great. The link to information on getting a permit is here.

The site tells you about the documents you need. You can send your application in the mail or you can go in to the office to do the filing.

My experience is that many government offices, especially around taxes are fairly nice, helpful people who are willing to show you what you need and explain the process. 

Credit consolidation?

Credit consolidation and credit counseling are ideas I've been hearing tossed around quite a lot.

I found a resource recently that I found has been helpful to my clients: Choosing a Credit Counselor.

It's on the FTC's website and includes information about the structure of various agencies, a bit about how to tell if they are legitimate as well as questions to ask them once you're ready to make contact.

If you're considering credit counseling, check it out. And as always, let me know how it works out for you!

Got money issues?

Lots of people have "issues" with money.

I was just reading Salon.com and came across this.

Since the internet changes things so often, I'll give you a brief synopsis: everyone needs to learn about money, even writers.

The author, Cary Tennis, answers a letter where a woman talks about caring for her partner, but because of his ideas about and patterns with money, she does not think the relationship has a future. They otherwise seem to have a great connection, but money is the pits.

Money is not something we talk about or get taught about - not by parents, teachers, in school or even college. Although we often pick up our parents attitudes and ideals, we don't always pick up their skills - if they had money skills at all.

This is no longer a world of pensions and jobs with lots of retirement planning and ease of buying single family homes (or even in sustaining two-parent families over time). The national economy is crashing and the global economy is in constant flux. It's up to us to create the future that we want.

In the case of this article, not understanding and talking about money has lead this couple to have a potentially serious issue. What to do?

Tennis suggested just what I was thinking - talk to someone and get some support. Talking about money can be inititally painful, but it often leads to openness and connection - enhancing relationships rather than detracting from them.

If you want to create clarity about your relationship with money, set aside some time to talk through your money stories. Talk about what your parents did with money and what that meant for you, how it felt and what the repercussions have been. Talk about what your parents spent money on and how you spend money and what you want your experience of money to be.

And listen. Listen to youself and your emotions as you talk and listen to your partner, friends and loved ones when they talk about money. Open the conversation and see where it takes you! And you want support around that let me know!

Free Credit Reports

One of the things that I like to do regularly is get my credit reports to see what's going on. You're entitled to one free credit report a year from each of the three major agencies - TransUnoin, Experian and Equifax - and these days you can get them online. You can get them more often than once a year for various reasons including if within 60days of appling for credit (whether you're approved or not).

Each of the credit bureaus does things a little bit differently, so it behooves you to look at all of them. I found a mistake on one of mine that was not reflected on the other two which was interesting to me (and I plan to dispute it).

But why just one? I recently started reading "Dirty Little Secrets:" What the Credit Bureaus Won't Tell You" (Entrepreneur Press) which has a lot of great information including that different companies report to different agencies but not necessarily to all of them, so the information is likely to be at least a little bit inconsistent (which I already knew).

But, did you know that even though you're entitled to a copy of your credit report, you're they can charge you to see your score? There are options to get 3-in1 reports for varying pricesor you can get them one at a time by agency.

By the way, I got my free credit reports at Annual Credit Report. I couldn't figure out how to find the free reports on the TransUnion site (it actually goes to a third party site that is full of ads and all kinds of products, but nowhere could I find the link to get my credit report for free). But Experian had the link on their front page. However, they all wanted money to take a look at the scores, so I opted for doing a search to find the above tool this which I've used before.

Over all it was a pleasant experience - I've been in process with my own money and credit stuff and am finding that the work really pays off. I'd love to hear what you find out and what, if anything, you do about it.

Cheat Sheet - how to make sure those payments get made on time

One of the things that can easily cause adverse credit for sole proprietors and small businesses is not paying bills on time. Not only that, but missed payments cost money - in late fees and often in interest. And sometimes one or two late payments can cause interest rates on credit cards to go through the roof.

So, in addition to a bookkeeping tool like QuickBooks or Quicken, I keep a cheat sheet called "Bills" posted on my office wall. It lists all of my bills - personal and business - as well as the amounts, the accounts they come out of by due dates.

And while many of us try to pay bills as they come in, sometimes things get missed - mail gets mis-delivered, statements get mixed in with junk mail or delayed. But I'm still responsible for making payments on time. With my little cheat sheet, any time during the month I can just glance up on my cheat sheet and be reminded of all of my regular bills.

I find that this little tool carries me a long ways towards reducing my anxiety about making timely payments.