Economy Survival Tip: Treat the Disease, Not the Symptoms

family2.jpgfrom Personal Coach David Bohl

There’s a saying in recovery/treatment/12-step programs that goes: “TREAT THE DISEASE, not the symptoms.” What are the diseases causing your stress? The current economic “crisis”? The political race? The politics in your office? Your son’s report card? Making your next credit card payment? You hold the power. Once you get clear in your mind, you have the opportunity and ability to deal with the anxiety and stress of today’s world by keeping your side of the street clean.

Financially Speaking

No, you didn’t singlehandedly cause the current financial crisis. So don’t take the blame for it, don’t feel guilty about it, and, by all means, don’t think that you have to fix it. Just look out for you and your family. Your only job as a responsible consumer is keeping your end of the bargain.

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Apology Accepted

Are you sick of listening to the candidates dance around when confronted by a mistake they made in their pasts? It appears politics is the hotbed of verbal antics.

No one seems to realize the power of honesty. You are only as good as your word. No one will believe or trust you if you play verbal games. Honesty is morally right and efficient. And ultimately, always the best policy. (more…)

Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Focusing on What People DO Instead of What They SAY

Don’t know what the Presidential candidates stand for? With all the rhetoric– and misrepresentations and omissions of fact that you’re hearing from both candidates, it’s tough to tell what their real beliefs are. Not to mention the fact that the press/media is being accused of being on Obama’s side. You can also see this in your daily life. The coworker filled with empty promises. The “friend” who is constantly cancelling lunch. Your local representative who did not vote the way they said when on the stump. (more…)

Does Market Collapse Mean the End of the World?

fearful.jpgNo WAY!

Though you might believe otherwise from the news coverage and mass hysteria, the world is not coming to an end. The Financial “Crisis” will make it more difficult for those with not so perfect credit to get loans, but it really shouldn’t affect your day to day life.

What it should do is make you realize that this will impact only a tiny fraction of your existence…and there are so many other areas of your life that you have complete control over. Why not work on them, and secure your future?

What’s the worst that could happen?

Ask any economist, and the only response you will get is their opinion or theory. The markets are responding to the hysteria and the uncertainty of our past mistakes and future fears. Do not be swayed! Stay strong! Eventually when the government allows our markets to stabilize (by stabilizing THEMSELVES) we will return to our bullish times. Until then, realize that this period will be over at some point. Just make sure that YOUR house is in order.

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Are You Focusing on the Message? (What the 2008 Presidential Election Can Teach Us About Living on the Offense)

personal coachby David Bohl, Lifestyle Redesign Expert

As I watch the U.S. Presidential campaigns — complete with polls, interviews, focus groups, and pundits — it occurs to me that each candidate’s basic message has been lost.

When you’re starting out in business, or in sales, you’re taught to focus on one solid message, and to share this message time and time again… often for a year or more before moving onto anything else.

The Presidential candidates haven’t done this. Each may have started off strong, but with the field day that the media is having, they’ve since been diverted by other peoples’ expectations.

They hear that one group of people is affected, and they tailor a TV add to try to sway that group. One candidate attacks the other, so the attacked candidate films a rebuttal. This goes on in a never-ending digression until the candidate’s message: his/her values, beliefs, and visions — are totally lost and covered up by all the extraneous bull.

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Laughing in the Face of an Economic Recession?

laughing.jpgOur nation is going through some troubling economic times right now… but you do not need to follow suit. The economy today is a horror story of financial bailouts and golden parachutes. Is the government going to bail you out if you make some not so good decisions? This is why you need to control your own financial destiny!

Don’t panic.

Easier said than done, right? Well, the truth is that the stock markets go through cycles every ten years or so. Which is why if you are close to retirement, you should be involved in low risk stocks and why if you are far from retirement, higher risks are acceptable. You should be waiting it out… not jumping ship! If you join the sell, sell, SELL bandwagon, you will be sorry when those that buy your “undervalued” stocks at a song and make a killing. An economic downturn is the best opportunity to purchase stocks (and even “designer” stocks like Google or McDonalds) at a much discounted rate.

(Note: Before you do anything, talk to your financial advisor who can help you figure out the best financial planning strategy that makes the most sense for YOU.)

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Is Negativity Needed?

moon.jpgDon’t get me wrong; I’m all for looking on the bright side. But have you ever noticed… without the dark side, there can BE no bright side?

As Election Day edges closer, there’s an awful lot of negativity brewing. At first people seemed to thrive on pointing out how Candidate Obama didn’t do this, or Candidate McCain mismanaged that.

But now… I’m getting the distinct sense that people from both sides are just tired of hearing the criticism.

We know that the state of our country’s finances is grave. We know that something needs to change in order to fix it, and everything else that’s been or will be affected.

As the Obama campaign aptly points out, “It’s time for Change.”

But now we’ve got to figure out WHAT to do differently. And we can ONLY do that by exploring what we didn’t do right before.

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Sharing What We Covered Last Night

I wanted to send out a note of thanks to everyone who joined me for last night’s teleseminar,

“How the Average American Can Weather the Financial Crisis Without Becoming Emotionally Overwhelmed.”

I got some GREAT feedback and am feeling really good about what was presented!

I’m especially feeling good about what everybody took from the call.

That’s because I truly believe that now is the time to ACT… not just sit around in a state of paralysis over the news reports.

I want people to remember that life goes on no matter what the Dow Jones is doing. When a major crisis like what we’re seeing with the economy happens, know that it’s NOT about self preservation. It’s about self assertion!

Getting out and taking action. Making plans and following through on them. Creating a better life for you and your family. Doing it YOUR way.

As a gift of thanks for being a Slow Down Fast reader, I’d like to offer you a FREE instant replay of what was presented during last night’s teleseminar. You’ll find a link to the entire audio recording right here:

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=4649052

Note: On this call, I reveal some truths about myself in my “past life” that I normally don’t share with people whom I’ve just met.

But as I was planning the seminar, I started thinking that it was MORE important to share my story with people who might be able to relate to it than it was to worry about possibly being judged.

If you’re working on light tasks today, why not turn up your speakers and listen in for free? 

Also: please DO share your own thoughts about how we can all “weather the financial crisis together” – and maybe even come out better people in the end!

Email me: david@slowdownfast.com, or leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your views on what’s happening in the world today.

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Trick Your Mind Into Saving Money

cash.jpgMost of us have been taught from a very young age by parents or grandparents that lived through the depression that the responsible thing to do is to save…. and save a lot!

But living in the generation where everything is so readily available… and can be charged or financed… spending seems to be the wheel most of find ourselves running. How do we break the cycle?

My biggest tip: use cash! Cash is much more difficult to part with than swiping your credit or debit cards. Using cash really makes the decision of “do I really need this” very easy. Cash is King, after all. Save for big ticket items. Not necessarily saving $30K for a new car… but surely you can put away a few dollars a week or month for that gaming system or washer/dryer you will be needing shortly! Saving and spending money you have saved also helps you determine if you are buying things your really “need.”
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Frugal and Fabulous

fashion.jpgWe see it all around us… the people on the street flashing their Prada and their Dolce and Gabbana. The Hollywood stars with their great cars and multi-million dollar homes. Even the detectives on the TV dramas are wearing $400 shoes and staying plugged in to the hottest, trendiest gadgets.

Sure, looking great means feeling great… but you’re on a budget. So what’s an average income earner to do when they want to enjoy a few nice things in life but not end up in the poor house as a result?

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