I can relate to hesitation about a belief in financial success. When I was younger I chose two careers that interested me greatly, but didn’t pay particularly well; music and photography. I enjoyed them both, and I was good enough at each to scratch a living from them, but financial success or excess was not within my reach at the time I was pursuing these careers. I have been deeply in debt, and I have been unemployed. Those problems have solutions. I have solved each of those problems more than once in my own life.
This article is written to offer you encouragement that whatever your financial situation, you can improve it. My mission with the MoneySmart Solutions book, davidpandone.com, and my Wealth Strategies activity is not to make you rich, though you can certainly achieve that with the skills I can teach you. More work with the same skill set that solves a debt problem can produce an excess that will generate more money than you need. That is what creates wealth: simple skills and proper habits. That’s what the skills learned in the MoneySmart book and information at davidpandone.com can help you learn. At that point you’ll have another problem: ‘how do I protect what I’ve created from those that will gladly take it from me?’ That’s where I can help you with my Wealth Strategies activity. On both sides, both broke and wealthy, there are issues to deal with.
When I was actively hiking around the Phoenix area, I often hiked a popular local spot called Piestewa Peak (formerly Squaw Peak). The toughest thing about that hike was finding a parking spot; it’s a popular place. Once you found a place to park, climbing the mountain was just a matter of making some decisions. Am I going all the way to the top? How fast am I going to go? How long do I have to get there and back? Am I going to leave myself enough energy to walk back down? I’ve seen people helo-lifted off that mountain, so that last question isn’t as odd as one might think!
There’s a difference between how simple the goal is and how easy the goal is. Getting to the top of that mountain is simple. The path to the top of the mountain is well worn and lined with other people making their way both to and from the same goal. It’s not hidden behind bushes, or in the shadow of the mountain where it can’t be seen. The path is walked every day by people who come to enjoy the weather, the physical activity, the view, and the personal accomplishment. The journey to the top of the mountain is simple: follow the path. That’s how to get there.
The journey is not always easy, however. It takes effort, commitment, and some preparation. Bring water. Wear shoes sufficient for hiking. Be in sufficient physical condition where you can exert yourself at altitude for an hour without collapsing. Leave yourself enough time and resources for the journey. The more time you leave yourself, the easier the journey is! That applies both to hiking up that mountain and to fixing your financial problems. So, starting now leaves you with the most time to work with and makes the journey as easy as it will ever be. Starting later always leaves you with less time and makes things harder. That’s important enough to read twice. “Starting later always leaves you with less time and makes things harder.”
Your decision and journey to reduce or eliminate debt, or to create a growing personal wealth, is also a simple journey. No more complex than the understanding of this simple story: A farmer walks to the chicken coup and puts ten eggs in his basket. Once in the kitchen he transfers only nine to the cook for breakfast. If you continue to repeat this simple process you eventually end up with the problem of needing a larger basket. “Oops!” Helping you end up with more money than you need isn’t a problem for which I’m likely to apologize. Like the decision to climb the mountain, it will take some effort, commitment, and preparation; but the path is simple. Understanding the path is simple. Deciding to walk the path, committing to walk the path, and keeping yourself from wandering off the path are things that will take your personal attention and effort.
With the MoneySmart Solutions book, davidpandone.com, and my Wealth Strategies activity, I can help you on that journey. I have set up, or am in the process of setting up books, videos, audio clips, and an online community to help you understand your path and your journey. The MoneySmart Solutions book gives you the system and teaches you the skill set that can help you become financially successful. The website and video series on youtube.com teaches you how to use the systems in the workbook. There is plenty that is available to you free, though buying a book, attending a live or online seminar, or working with a coach or wealth advisor will likely speed up the process. We leave the path you’d like to walk up to you, and there are several paths to the top of your mountain; some are shorter than others. What you have to do is decide to start that journey. Remember, starting now leaves you with the most time and makes the journey as easy as it can be. When you’re ready, fill out the contact request and choose to get started below.
2nd Edition updated by David Pandone for davidpandone.com 4-12-2017
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