Stay Golden

Some one once said to me a long time ago, "No matter what happens, remember that you're solid gold. Nothing can break you." At the tender young age of seventeen, hearing this didn't resonate with me the way it does for me today. Though the person that gave me this solid piece of advice is no longer in my life, its meaning and simplicity has stuck with me all these years.

Although I had intended for this post to be somewhat of an organizational tip/guide for the new year, I realized it was more than just that, which is why its taken me a little longer to put this together. While it still serves as an organizational guide/motivator for the new year, I hope this post inspires you beyond that - beyond learning some tips on how to set your agenda or straighten out your finances. I promise it'll all come full circle in the end!  

For me, 2014 was a roller coaster year of challenges, accomplishments, and growth. At times when I didn't think I could do something, I did. When I thought there wasn't enough steam left in me to care, there was. When I deemed myself as incapable, I realized I wasn't. As I reflected back on this as we said goodbye to 2014, that piece of advice I received 8 years ago struck a chord with me. "No matter what happens, remember that you're solid gold. Nothing can break you." 

Yes, it is helpful to have a supportive circle of influence, but at the end of the day, it comes down to how you structure your life - both in the everyday and for the future. 2014 truly was the warm up for me *insert cheesy line here*, which is why I don't want to let 2015 go without documenting every thought, idea, dream, goal, and accomplishment - all while continuing to stay organized and financially independent!  

Follow along to see how I'll be accomplishing them throughout the year and onwards. I hope that these tips will inspire you to set your dreams, accomplish your goals, and get focused in 2015. 

My mantra for the year - 

Stay golden, 

Luvania

Noticed a trend since my 25th Birthday Post? Everything.is.gold. I told you it would all come full circle, didn't I? ;) 

If you're wondering why so many note books - this is where all the jotting down of thoughts, ideas, etc. comes into play. I like to store my dreams, goals, and tasks for each sector of my life in separate books. Its one thing to have these thoughts in the back of your mind, but its been proven that you're more likely to remember and go out and do them if you've written it down. 

When I check back in 6 months from now, you can expect that there will be more notebooks!  

Agenda. An old-fashioned paper kind of agenda. Yes, the iCal is great, I use mine everyday. But there is nothing quite the same as hitting pen to paper to organize your day/week/month/year. Keeping organized is my number one tip to help anyone overcome stress. Anytime I'm feeling overwhelmed, I revert back to my agenda and realize that everything is going to be all right. 

A new addition that I've incorporated in my agenda this year is including all my friend's and family member's birthdays. While all of my family members live outside of Vancouver, I realized in 2014 how important it is to pick up the phone and hear their voice. Technology is too easily accessible and I've learned first hand how much we miss because of this. So why not pick up the phone on your loved one's birthday? 

I've always wanted a bed tray and finally found one that suited my style and price point ($15 score at Winners!). I like to leave all my thought books and agenda here as I find I do the most reflecting and planning while I'm curled up in bed after work with a hot cup of tea. Find a place that works best for you - maybe its in the bathroom? Hey, I'm not judging! 

I'm really not sure where I picked up this idea from, but I started to write action words such as "Learn," "Health," "Career," etc. Each of these action words are my dreams and on the back of each cue card are goals that I need to accomplish in order to achieve these dreams. 

Learning will never go out of style. I plan to keep learning even well after I'm retired and I've got 15 grandkids running around (yes, I've planned that far ahead - just kidding). No matter what your dream may be, I will bet money on it that there's some skill or knowledge that you need to learn. This is exactly the case for some of my dreams too. 

For example, in my "Learn" dream card, reading more books is one of the goals. Therefore I've set a goal to read 24 books within the year. I've already finished one and I'm on to the next - so far so good!

Last but not least, finances. Its the one no one likes to talk about, but its got to be done. While I do have my parents (and an awesome financial planner) to thank for setting me on the right track from young, being a financially independent woman now means taking care of business - yourself. Being financially stable will open a lot of doors for you in the future. If you're unsure what to do, speaking with someone whom you trust and is knowledgable in this area is a great first step. 

Aside from all the "serious" financial activities you may have going on, keeping track of daily expenditures often gets slipped to the wayside. In order to keep track of my everyday spending habits, I picked up this folio from Target with 12 sections - perfect for every month. At the end of each month, I plan to take into consideration all my spending habits and assess which areas need work. Seeing things in black and white can be an eye opener.