Tuesday, November 25, 2008

PLAN TO LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE: PART V

We all have heard the following: Have a positive attitude! It seems almost like a cliché but it is one of the most important elements in living a wealthy life. In the Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale stated the following:

“Too many people are defeated by the everyday problems of life. They go struggling, perhaps even whining, through their days with a sense of dull resentment at what they consider the “bad breaks” life has given them.. In a sense, there may be such a thing as “bad breaks” in this life, but there is also a spirit and method by which we can control and even determine the breaks. It is a pity that people should let themselves be defeated by problems, cares, and the difficulties of human existence, and it is quite unncessary…. By learning how to cast obstacles from your mind, by refusing to become mentally subservient to them and by channeling spiritual powers through your thoughts, you can rise above obstacles which ordinarily defeat you”.

It’s about thinking and doing! Positive thinking will help but is must be added to ACTION and WHAT YOU DO!

If you want to master the art of living a wealthy life in all aspects of your life, you must learn to master all aspects of wealth building, which is covered in all its aspects in Creating Wealth That Lasts !

Be thankful!! You can make it!

Jacques
Creatingwealththatlasts

Thursday, November 20, 2008

PLAN TO LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE: PART IV

Getting control of your time is a key element to living a balanced life and building a wealthy life. Here is what Brian Tracey has to say about time management: "Effective people plan their time in tight time increments. They think in terms of 10-15 minute blocks. They plan every day in detail, in advance. They make every minute count. As a result, they accomplish vastly more than the average person, and they feel much better about themselves."

Key areas you want to improve in:

1. Tackling emails: This can be time consuming and get you off on a tangent and away from concentrating on your most important tasks. Keep your personal emails short and simple. Set specific times during the day to check emails and stick to it. Whatever works best for you.
I personally am finding that "instant messaging" is not that great to have. It interupts the work flow.

2. Attack your tasks in blocks of time: exercise, reading mail, making and taking calls, etc. Finish one block and move on to the next.

3. Learn how to delegate. Non essential tasks should be given to someone else: spouse, independant contractor, etc. Focus on those tasks that only you can do.

4. Be slow to hire and quick to fire. ( More on this at a later time )


Time management is essential and once you get control of your time, you will find you are accomplsing more in less time.

Jacques
Creatingwealththatlasts

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

PLAN TO LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE: PART III

Your are starting to realize that you need to take ACTION! A good friend of mine, Giovanna Garcia, says " Imperfect Action is better than No Action !" You realize that if you don't change-your life will not change.

Think about your wife, kids, family, friends,etc. you can have an influence on them by taking charge of your life and moving ahead. Make a COMMITTMENT to change ! But, you MUST take action !

What is your time frame? Tommorrow, after your next vacation, after Thanksgiving, after Christmas, next year? Get the drift. The time is NOW!. Don't put this off.

Let's talk about goals:

1. Goals for your family life!

2. Goals for your health!

3. Social and charitable goals!

4. Personal goals!

5. Financial goals!

Remember,Creating Wealth That Lasts is multidimensional. You don't want to build a financial empire and lose everything that is really important in your life.

The next step is setting time lines for these: Weekly, monthly, yearly, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, etc. This will put things in perspective and will increase your focus.

This is not meant to be an exercise in goal setting but to provide a blueprint for you to follow.

The following was noted from a wealth building coach:

" We are all given an equal number of hours to spend each day. How we use them makes the difference between success and failure. I had learned,pretty early, the importance of working long and hard. What I never knew-until a conversation with a good friend, was the immense benefit of getting to work early."

By being focused and having goals that guide you, you will be energized and by starting now and starting earlier each day, you will take back your life !

Jacques
Creatingwealththatlast

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

PLAN TO LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE: PART II

Here is a profile of a typical American millionaire:

There are considerable variables among the millions of Americans who are millionaires but most typically they:

1. Made their money, rather than inherited.
2. Have between 1 million and 5 million in net worth.
3. Made their money by running their own companies.
4. Live frugally by clipping coupons, driving older cars, and so on.
5. Managed to save on surprisingly moderate, median-level incomes averaging $131,000/yr.

What doe this tell you? First you need to have your own business. Really!

Now is the right time to act. We are in unprecedented times. There has never been a better time to start a business. The world is waiting for innovation and in the coming years we will see phenomenal growth in new industries that don’t even exist today.

Today is the day of opportunity. Crisis in Chinese means “opportunity”. Seize the opportunity in front of you. Don’t buy into the negativity of the media.

Better days are ahead. Guaranteed! Why is now the best time to build wealth? Now is always the best time.

Now is the best time to start anything. Results take time and time is in short supply. The sooner you start, the sooner you will see results.

You can’t control the economy. You can’t control the environment. But you can become wealthier tomorrow than you are today. Make a decision and do it!

Let’s get started !!!!!!

Jacques
Creatingwealththatlasts

Monday, November 17, 2008

PLAN TO LIVE A WEALTHY LIFE: PART I

Before getting into specific strategies or mindsets, I would like you to consider the following answers provided by Bill Gates, the wealthiest man in the world, when questioned about his success:

1. Life isn’t fair-get used to it.

2. The world doesn’t care about your self esteem, it expects you to accomplish something before feeling good about yourself.

3. You won’t make 60K a year right out of high school or be vice president of a cell phone company. You have to earn it.

4. Do you think your teacher is tough? Wait till you have a boss-he’s not tenured.

5. Flipping burgers isn’t beneath you, your grandparents called it opportunity.

6. Your parents weren’t always boring; it came from feeding you, cleaning your clothes, and paying your bills. So before you rush out to save the rain forest from the “parasites” of your parents generation, try delousing your own closet.

7. Some schools may have abolished winners and losers, but life hasn’t. They may have eradicated “failing grades” and given you as long as you want to get the right answer. This bears no resemblance to reality.

8. Life isn’t divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off. Employers aren’t interested in helping you find yourself, you do that on your own time.

9. Unlike television, real people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to work.

10. Be nice to nerds, chances are you’ll end up working for one someday.

No shortcuts. You’ve got to work for it!

Jacques
Creatingwealththatlasts

Sunday, November 16, 2008

WHY CREATING WEALTH THAT LASTS?

After spending most of my adult life in debt, I finally got to the point where I had to do something to make the most of my potential in life. I had to get my life in order not only for myself but for my family.

I had a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, had spent numerous years in different businesses, taught business classes and I was in DEBT! I was a voracious reader and read a wide variety of business books and magazines and found alot of confusing information.

The day came that I made THE DECISION to get out of debt and most importantly to stay out of debt. I had been in debt on three different occasions and got out of debt, the last time for good.

I have developed a passion for sharing what I have learned because I know firsthand the heartache that being in debt can cause. It affects all aspects of our lives: family, marriage, health, relationships, spiritual, etc.

Therefore, to me, Creating Wealth That Lasts is not only about finances, it is about having wealth in your marriage, in your family, your relationships, your health, and in your spiritual life.

Creating Wealth That Lasts is about leaving a legacy for future generations. My wife and I have taught our son and daughter the principles we have learned and they have started their adult lives with no debt and the knowledge needed to stay out of debt.

I want to teach, motivate, and inspire as many people as I can to live a debt free life and to live a balanced life through Creating Wealth That Lasts in all areas of their lives.

This will be a life long endeavor affecting one person at a time.

Jacques

Creatingweatlththatlasts

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Face The Facts: Review !

So you have faced the facts! We all have a starting place and if we learn the different keys along the way, not only will we get to our destination, we will enjoy the journey.

Being debt free is attainable to everyone who chooses to live this way. The biggest challenge is to change our habits and mindset. For a long time I thought that I could never get by without debt, as it was the only way I knew.

By now you can see that habits can be changed and you can learn a new way of living. You have to learn not to get carried away by all the contradictory information in the media.

Don't listen to the gloom and doom on T.V, radio, newspapers, and the Internet. The world has had numerous challenges in every century and people survived, lived fruitful lives, and prospered.

Creating Wealth That Lasts is about living a balanced life in all the major areas of life. Learn to look at the big picture in your life. Don't focus on the immediate.

Two weeks ago I went to San Diego,California for 3 days of Internet training with Craig and Giovanna Garcia, two of the top trainers in the industry. I came back excited and motivated. Within one week I had to put a new roof on one of my properties, fix the furnace in the same property, and put major money in two of my vehicles. All expenses I had not anticipated.

I was able to take the hit because I had the cash to pay for these expenses. I did not like the fact that I had to dish it out,however, I did not have to incur any debt and that to me is a HUGE blessing. Thank God!

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Face The Facts: Part V

How much wealth do you need? Good question and this will vary with people depending on their perceived needs, age, and where they are financially at this juncture in their lives.

The recent stock market crash has drastically changed people's financial status, to put in mildly. Refer to Warren Buffet in my last blog.

Social security, medicare, and all other government programs are problematic at this time and no one really knows how this will play out.

Your future does not have to rest with the government. If you play that card, you are playing against a stacked deck. You need to take charge of your own future.

Homework time. Where do you stand?

1. List all of your assests: stocks, bonds, CD's, IRA's, savings accounts, etc.

2. Do not include your home or your car. Why? You will probably still want to drive and you need a place to stay. You will not liquidate these.

3. List your liabilities: credit card, loans, business debts, etc.

4. Subtract your liabilities from your assets.

If your net worth is less than $300,000, you are not in a position to retire any time soon. Not that you want to or need to retire at any time in your life. With the proper finances in line, you can choose to do something different with your time.

What you really need is to accumulate enough capital to generate a passive income that will pay for all your basic bills: housing, food, utilities, etc.

This is what CreatingWealthThatLasts is all about.

Jacques

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Face The Facts: Part IV

I have read literaly 100's of financial books, subscribed to numerous publications and have found that the amount of information you get is not only overwhelming but contradicatory !

Traditional wisdom that is out there will keep you confused and poor.

Most eperts tell you to skip your coffee at Starbucks, invest the $3.50 you pay on a daily basis at 10% interest and 40 years later you are all set. Where can you get a 10% return today? Why wait 40 years? Who wants to keep gambling on the stock market?

It is important to be careful of how you spend your money but you won't get rich doing this.

Most of these so called experts make their money selling their books or newsletters,not by implementing what they are recommending.

Very few people have not been affected by the recent stock market crash. Even Warren Buffet, the guru of investing, recently lost 10 Billion dollars. Don't you feel better already. Imagine losing 10 Billion dollars!

No matter what your age is you can make it by taking a different path. Almost all wealthy people have made their fortunes from having their own business. You cannot take advantage of the tax system in the United States if you are not operating a business.

For those of you who are already business owners and are going through hard times, don't despair. You already have a wealth of knowledge to draw from.

In today's challenging economic times, there are still innumerable opportunties for generating wealth.

Having your own business provides you with legitimate tax advantages as you build your business.

Stay tuned for more.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Monday, November 10, 2008

Face The Facts: Part III

Most people fall into two catagories:

1. People who are cautious in their spending and are focused on saving and investing.

2. People who like to spend, spend, spend. They like to project a rich image but it's not real.

The place to start is to develope a savings habit. You spend less than you earn!

Very important: You might like alot of material things but you need the finances to upkeep these things, maintain them, or replace them. If you don't have the cash put aside to do this, you are using present cash flow and you are not in a position to have a serious savings plan.

As I have mentioned earlier, Creating Wealth That Lasts is about having a balanced life in all areas of life. It is multi-dimensional.

Would it be safe to say most people would like the following:

1. A more tranquil and peacful life. Be free from the stress that a lack of finances produces.

2. More leisure time. Working to live, not living to work!

3. Freedom to choose where we live, how we live,etc.

Money should not be the most important thing in your life, but money does matter and
offers an avenue to help friends and family, pursue those things that add value to our lives and to give back in positive ways to society.

Baby boomers are coming to grips with a reality that they did not envision, however, it is never too late.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Face The Facts: Part II

The reality is that all of us need money coming in to allow us to function in our society. No matter how you where raised and what your family thought about money, you have to come to grips yourself about this issue.

Wealthy people are not necessarily smarter, have unique talents, or come from the right family. They made a decision, at some point in their lives, that they would make finances a priority for a period of time.

Wealth is actually a good thing, not the most important thing in life, but a good thing that can make it easier to find time for those other important areas of life.

Lets consider the following:

1. If you and your family are making $50,000/yr, you are struggling to make ends meet.

2. Between $50,000 and $100,000/yr., some of the pressure is off and you can afford a few things.

3. At the $150,000/yr level, you can start enjoying other aspects of life that make life more fulfilling, however, you must not go overboard in your spending and doing foolish things. Being debt free is essential and I will discuss this at a later time in more detail.

4.As you go over $200,000 to $300,000/yr, you find yourself in a position to give in a meaningful way back to society. You should have more peace of mind, if you have been a good steward of your finances and not squandered it on meaningless things.

5. Once you are at the million a year level of income, you can spend money without being overly concerned. It does not really guarantee an increase in your quality of life, if you do not have balance in your life and your priorities are not right.

Once you get to the $100,000/yr level and focus on increasing from this point on, components that come into play include: saving, being thrifty, looking at the big picture, and careful planning ( being debt free! ).

Part III will provide added insight.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Face The Facts! Part 1

I find it incredible that some people have an adverse reaction to wealth and to making money. To these types of people, it is demeaning to focus on money and somehow demeaning to one's life.

Most of these people, however, based on my experience, have a socialistic view of life and expect someone else to take care of them.

With the present state of the U.S. economy, let's look at some facts:

1. People are living in Fear. Why? Finances or lack thereof.
a) During this last election, the state of the economy was the major concern.

2. Failing marriages. The # 1 cause of divorce is related to finances.
a) 95% of couples argue about money.

3. Financial bondage. Most people are in deep debt and see no way out of it!
a) A large majority of graduating college students are in debt upwards of $20,000.

How can you be at peace and live a balanced, stress free life if money has you bound?
Americans today spend $1.22 for every $1 they earn. Does this sound right to you?

The facts stare us straight in the face. Money is a big deal and needs to be addressed. We all need to get a proper handle on finances and, believe me, after being in and out of debt on three different occasions, living debt free can be done and the rewards last a lifetime.

The best place to start is to "manage what you have".

To be continued!

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Friday, November 7, 2008

Getting Ready to Create Wealth!

As I have stated in prior blogs, being wealthy is not just about money but includes all aspects of life. We need wealth in our health, family, spiritual life, social life, work, business,etc. It is multi-dimensional.

However, the financial aspect is the foundation that allows us to fully experience life to the full in all other areas. This does not mean we are self centered and materialistic. Be real. If you did not have to work at your particular job or business to survive financially, would you continue?

Why are you doing this? We all need finances to survive in the world we live in. Do not bemoan the harsh economic realities that we all face. We live in the best country in the world and millions worldwide would give all they have to live in America with the promise of opportunity for those with vision and passion.

Economic cycles come and go and they always will. Study economic history and you will see there have been multiple financial crises in all centuries. You will also note that certain people have prospered in these times!

There is a formula to living rich in all areas of life. Living rich means living a balanced life. It is a mindset that we can all learn and live by.

I am starting to prepare for 2009 and beyond. There are six steps to this journey and I will be covering these in more detail in the future.

1. Face the facts.

2. Plan to live a wealthy life.

3. Develope wealthy habits.

4. Look into ways to develope alternate forms of income.

5. Look to dramatically increase your income.

6. Put yourself in a position to live the life that you desire.

Stay tuned!

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Now What!

How do you react to news that makes you uncomfortable? Does it alter your perception of your future. In reality, you have more of a large part to play in how your future plays out than anything happening in the world around you!

Why? Because we all have the capacity to choose how we will respond. Creating Wealth That Lasts is a mindset. It is a mindset that covers all aspects of our lives. Living Wealthy in Family, Health, Love, Marriage, etc is controlled from within.

Circumstances change! The economy changes! But with the right mindset, cicumstances are outward but our inward spirit is always at the right place!

Remain focused and at peace.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Monday, November 3, 2008

Thinking Beyond The Election!

In a short few hours we will have elected a new president. Depending on your point of view, you will be excited or concerned. Whoever is president will have an impact on the direction of this country but You can also have an impact on the direction of your life.

History has an ebb and flow to it and people have prospered in the low times and in the high times. Alot depends on how we view life and our attitude.

Opportunity is always present and people are always prospering! Where you are has alot to do about what your are expecting. A few days ago I talked about preparing for 2009. We can't what until December 31st to evaluate the next year and what we want to accomplish.

We need an expectation of better days ahead! Of more love in our lives! More lasting friendships, stronger ties with family members, and overall abundance.

When we operate out of that place, we position ourselves to receive these things because our mind set is set in the right direction.

Keep focused on what can be and your DREAMS!

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Be Where You Are When Your There!

As part of creating wealth that lasts, it's important to live in the moment! At the time that I am writing this I am in San Diego, California undertaking 3 days of intense training on Internet advertising and marketing.

Although this is a business trip and I need to make the most of it, I also need to make sure that I'm an enjoying all the benefits besides the business aspect.

Took time out to have lunch at a marina overlooking the ocean. It was awesome! I am building memories of the trip that will last for a lifetime.

Whether it's business, family, social, or the other aspects of our lives, we need to take advantage of all the unique moments that come our way.

That's living a balanced life one day at a time.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThat Lasts

Starting to Plan for 2009 !

As we see this year ending and 2009 coming up, now is the time to start evaluating what we have done this year. Waiting until the New Year to make our traditional resolutions is not the right track to follow.

Start now to look at the different aspects of your life and where you are at in each: Financial, Family, Social, Spiritual, and Physical. We have two months to plan and focus on those areas that need the most attention.

As we head into a New Year, we feel hopeful because we can start new and fresh!

Review each area in detail, set time aside to ponder and think and set priorities.

Do not view this as tedious but as necessary to living a balanced life. Do not despise small beginnings.

Jacques
CreatingWealthThatLasts