I’ve noticed a trend in my life, and perhaps you have seen it as well in your own life.  It seems that things which are short-term urgent tend to trump items which are long-term significant.

Here are two common examples:

1. Purchase a video game for our child (who already has 85 games) but there is no money saved for his college education
2. Spend our money at yet another expensive restaurant (only to be hungry again 3 hours later), but refuse to save money for the health insurance deductible even though we know that we WILL get sick someday

This issue is best defeated by having a monthly budget (short-term plan) as well as a fully thought out “Plans, Hopes, and Dreams” list (long-term plan).

When you know the actual dream that is being sacrificed when faced with a short-term urgent item, there is a much greater likelihood that you will overcome that temptation.

QUESTION:  What is the one short-term urgent item in your life that seems to keep destroying your finances and erodes your ability to fund your long-term dreams?

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Have you ever firmly believed something only to discover that it was not true?

Santa Claus ring a bell?  The Easter bunny?  Tooth Fairy?

“Santa IS real!” we would exclaim when confronted with the brutal facts.  In others words, “Just because you say so, doesn’t mean it is so.”

We might smile about the “oh my goodness!” moments when we discovered that our beliefs were dashed about Santa, but I’ve seen that many people believe things about money that are untrue.  No matter how much a person exclaims, protests, or yells, it won’t change reality.

Here are some common mistaken beliefs people have when it comes to money:

1. “Even though I have a job, I need to earn more money to be able to actually win financially.”
2. “I’m too old to win with money.”
3. “I can maximize my money even though I do not have a budget.”
4. “Earning money under the table means that I shouldn’t have to pay taxes on it.”
5. “I can never save and never invest and still retire well.”

Have you ever believed one of these falsehoods?  Any others that you have believed that you later discovered to be untrue?

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The response to the “Why Do You Do What You Do” Survey was amazing!

First, let me share the data.

In response to the question, “Do you LOVE your job?“, 43.9% said NO and 56.1% said YES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In response to the question, “If money were not the object, would you still do the same work you do today?“, 55.1% said NO and 44.9% said YES.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other words, while 56.1% of people said they LOVE their job, about 20% of those people don’t love their job enough that they would keep doing the same work if money were not the object keeping them there.

An open-ended question was also asked – “Why do you do what you do?” The responses varied from amazing, interesting, weird, and ridiculous. I wanted to share EVERY response with you, but it would take an entire book to share them all.  Below are some of my favorite responses.

• “My work helps people CHANGE their lives!!!”
• “Because there’s nothing else around right now.”
• “Could not make the same money doing what I love”
• “I enjoy helping others and making a difference. This opportunity came along and I took this job as a sacrifice for my children. It has wonderful benefits, hours, and I am now in my 13 th year. I took a 20 thousand dollar paycut when I first started but it was a sacrifice I felt like I needed to make at the time for my children.”
• “It’s what I worked a long time to achieve and I love it.”
• “I like people and I am challenged by what I do and receive much gratification when I succeed at my work.
  I am in the selling business and have many failures and successes and learn from both, everyday is an education day.”
• “Money and it is a love/hate relationship! I feel stuck can’t move up! can’t move out without making less!”
• “It is a family business which i was “forced” into. While the pay is over the top, the drama and stress is ridiculous. I guess I’m just a glutton for punishment.”
• “It is a calling not a job!”
• “To pay the bills. If we were in a financially better place I would spend more time with my daughter and less time working.”
• “Briefly: To see people experience LIFE in Christ. So far in just a little over four years we have been a part of 1,376 people saying YES to Jesus.”
• “I am 73 years old and thanks to you and your inspiring words (I took your course last year at my church in Coldwater, AL) I am now debt free (I even paid my car off and have no car payment for the first time since I was 30 years old!). I am not a retiring type, and wanted a job where I could set my own hours, talk to people daily, with no stress or worry to supplement my social security. I am happy to say I found it and still have time to be with my family, write, read and enjoy the joy of living each day that the Lord gives me!”
• “Why do I do what I do? Because I like to turn little kids into musicians. I like it when they “get it” (that light bulb moment) and when they can sing or play something without my help as a music teacher. I like it when they can think about music independently and come up with their own thoughts about what they’re hearing. Little kids can sometimes be so creative and thoughtful. It’s great to interact with them.”

Awesome response – I am so honored that so many of you chose to participate!

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As we start out another week of this great adventure we call LIFE, I would be honored to have you participate in our brief survey below: