Merry Christmas and See you in 2020

It is a few days before Christmas, and I want to leave you with a few thoughts before you completely disappear from your electronics, at least for a little while.

I told you that I would come back to you on the ways in which I embraced change over this year. There will be some goodies in here for you. Here are the 14 days of embracing change that guided us in the beginning of the year. Right next to each day is an example of how I executed in 2019. You can use these reminders on any 14 days of the year. I hope you find joy in what you find out about yourself. Let’s go!

Day 1: Stay Relevant. I continued to home my craft as it relates to wealth creation and financial empowerment. You’ve been the beneficiary in my newsletters. If you want something different, or more of a certain topic, please let me know.  
Day 2: Remove the People Distractions. I read Cal Newport’s Deep Work: The Rules for Success in a Distracted World. This is a powerful book on how to create space for the deep work that you must do to be productive and move forward.
Day 3: Talk Success, Not Fearing Failure. I wanted to take my professional development to the next level. I utilized Valor Performance, which was an incredible resource for me. We talked success and shifting my mindset next level.  While you might not use this platform, what will you use to help you talk success?
Day 4: Struggle A Bit.  I struggled to find good individual stocks that I really wanted to invest in. I didn’t want to lose money, and thus I let some of my funds sit in cash as the market was going up. It was painful, but I know that my time will come. Remember, be patient with the stock market and have a long-term view.
Day 5:  Pivot the Strategy. In my mind, I had my financial and working mom strategy all planned out after I returned from maternity leave. But, the arrival of my child created a new paradigm across my life. I needed to pivot to embrace my new normal.
Day 6: Quiet the Noise. I kept an active journal this year to write out my hopes, dreams, and desires. It works to quiet the noise in my head.
Day 7: Take a Risk. I re-connected with several people this year who I had been out of touch with for a while. I took a risk in letting them know I missed them. I was unsure of how they would respond. I was vulnerable. I was transparent. The risk paid off - those relationships have turned out to add positive wealth to my life in unexpected ways.
Day 8. Pool Your Resources. In the beginning of the year that I wanted to start a family wealth group to invest together. Over the last year, several members of my family and me have put a collective financial goal on the table and we’ve been meeting about 1x per month since April. We did not let the fear of our past attempts stop us from moving forward.

Day 9: Laugh at Yourself. My husband and I bid on a piece of property at a live auction for the first time ever. I had to laugh at myself when the prices passed the multi-million mark. I will have the last laugh down the line. You might find yourself in a similar situation where something appears out of reach. Laugh it off and run your own race!   
Day 10: Pounce on Opportunity. I set up a 529 college savings plan in New York State for my new daughter. Although I live in Illinois, the tax benefits are horrible and the investment options in New York State were fantastic. Please pounce on the opportunity to set up a 529 college savings plan for a new child. The earlier you do it, the better for those earnings to grow. Use this calculator to see what tax benefits you can potentially get in your state.

Day 11: Utilize Technology. My financial advisor has a turbo financial planning forecaster. I have said goodbye to excel spreadsheets and hello technology. Whatever tech works for you and your family to plan out what you need to earn, save, and spend, use it!
Day 12. Question the System. I questioned our tax system, which penalizes us for making more money. We need to find new ways for passive income and business ownership so that we do not give Uncle Sam everything from our hard labor. I am a firm believer in less hours for dollars!
Day 13: Get a Tailwind. My tailwind was my husband. He supported. He pushed. He encouraged. Who will pay the tailwind in your life?
Day 14: Use Your Voice. I want you to know that I’m grateful for you. You inspire me to keep writing, reading, and living. Thank you for a wonderful 2019. I look forward to seeing you in 2020.  

That’s it. Now, you can return to your holiday plans. Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza!