Did you want a Waitrose Christmas this year?
Maybe you picked up their glossy festive brochure (that seems to appear in store earlier and earlier!). Or maybe you’d love all the pre-prepared trimmings or veggie centrepiece or fancy deserts from their adverts.
But somehow, you’re still ending up doing your Christmas food shopping at Tesco?
Wherever you shop, this is REALLY about whether you’re ending 2021 where you wanted to be.
And if not, how we can make sure the next 12 months are different…so that you DO end up where you want to be this time next year!
If you thought this year would be better than last year – but you’re not quite hitting the mark – the first thing to say is some of that is NOT your fault.
If you look at what’s happened in the world during the last 12 months, it’s obvious why some people have had to change direction. Or had to take a big step back from their business (women in particular – who were significantly more likely than men to supervise home schooling for their children during lockdown, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics).
But it’s NOT too late to start planning for 2022.
I know it’s only a few weeks away and that some business coaches say you should be planning 6 or 9 months in advance. But that’s simply not the case with my clients.
I prefer to break things down into more manageable chunks. Which means picking one objective or goal, and then breaking it down into manageable milestones that you can track each month.
So if you’re looking at the money in your bank account – and then the shopping in your trolley, wishing you could just buy the things you really wanted – let’s do something about that.
Let’s create the Christmas that you want for next year!
Take some time out to have a browse on the website of the supermarket that you fancy. Where do you REALLY want your Christmas meal to come from?
I know we’ve said Waitrose – but if your real desire is the cranberry sauce or a hamper from Fortnum and Mason – log on to their website and write yourself a shopping list.
It’s just theoretical, a bit of fun like when you were a kid, going through the Argos catalogue circling all the toys you wanted. I’m sure I it wasn’t just me that did that (I think it was a way our parents kept us occupied in the 1980s, before we had a million TV channels on demand!).
Once you know how much this Christmas you want is going to cost, you’ll have an idea of the total amount of money you’re going to need.
And then it’s as simple as:
- Dividing that total amount by 12…
- Setting up a bank account, which you’re going to call ‘Christmas’…
- And setting up a standing order. So an automated payment goes from your normal bank account into your Christmas account each month, for the amount of money that you’ve decided!
It really is that straightforward.
But it can make you feel SO much better.
And once you’ve done this, the key thing is then tracking your progress. Because that’s where the motivation to continue comes from!
It’s the same principle as driving past a church hall and seeing one of those barometers stuck on the wall, with a red bit coloured in. Every so often, as they raise more funds towards the new church roof (or whatever cause), someone climbs up the ladder and colours in the next little bit of red.
It’s motivating to see the progress you’re making towards your goal. It’s exciting when you see it all stacking up in your account and knowing you’re on target. And it doesn’t ever feel fruitless, like your efforts are in vain!
Christmas is just one really small example.
I’m sure you have other things you want to aim for, over the next year or 2 years or 5 years or 10 years (or even longer than that).
But if you DON’T have a clear idea of what these things are and how much they’ll cost – how can you track your progress towards them? To make sure your goal actually happens?
One thing I do with lots of my clients is meet with them once a month. So we can look at what their savings look like; their pensions; investments; other assets; their credit card or loan balances; how big their mortgage is (and so on).
When we look at these figures combined, we can track their net worth and make sure it’s growing month on month.
If you’re wondering how on earth I have time to speak to all my clients like this, every single month – I don’t. Which is why I run it as part of a group programme!
And NOT the kind of kind of group programme where you have to share your private financial information with anyone else (in case you were worrying).
It’s an Interactive Monthly Implementation Call, where we all get on Zoom together. I check my figures and you check yours. And so do a room of 20 other brilliant business owners!
It means that we commit to make the time and hold the space to actually DO these things that we know are so important, because nobody wants to not show up on the call. But equally we can keep our finances private, which is so important.
I’ve got mine in a simple spreadsheet but you can do it in an exercise book, if you want. It’s as simple as adding up the balances in all the accounts you own; then adding up how much money you owe people; and then deducting one from the other to start tracking your net worth and feeling like you’ve got a proper grip on your finances (at last!).
And if you’ve got money pots where you’re saving for something specific, you’ll be able to see that amount getting bigger and bigger.
So whether it’s your next Christmas; your emergency fund; a dream holiday; personal development or anything else you desire…you’ll be able to log on and see that it’s improving, month after month.
You’ll feel like you’re actually creating WEALTH with the money that you’re earning.
These Interactive Monthly Implementation Calls are a key part of my Magnetic Wealth™ programme and my follow on programme, The Asset Accelerator, depending on where you’re at in your business.
To find out which is right for you, just click here to get in touch or feel free to message me personally on Facebook.
Here’s to a luxury-filled Christmas next year…and making REAL progress towards your goals in 2022!
Until next time,
Claire
