Weekly Challenge

Let’s talk about getting creative by getting out of our comfort zone this week. When we were kids it was easy to use our imagination especially when we were bored. As we get older, it seems like that it goes away as life gets in the way or we think it has to be this big thing. This week I am going to challenge you to bring out that kid imagination.

Easy: Set a two minute timer. Write down the phrase, “I wish I knew how to…”. Now start the timer and write as many things that pop in your head. The crazier and more outlandish the better. Open your mind to all the possibilities that you subconsciously want to do.

Medium: Pick one of those things and do it! I found an awesome site: goblin.tools Use the magic todo feature. Type in what you want to do and it will give you step by step instructions. No excuses that you don’t know how to get started.

Hard: Rotate job responsibilities with someone else with something you haven’t done. You can learn new skills and it can keep things interesting at work and at home.

Burnout – every single one of us have struggled with this some time in our life. Burnout isn’t just a random bad day. It’s an extended period of stress with real physical, mental, and emotional consequences. It’s the feeling of being out of control, overly negative, exhausted, or just plain lacking motivation.

Your challenges this week are things that can help with this:

Easy: Identify YOUR warning signs. Everyone is different when it comes to how we handle stress. Knowing what burnout looks like and feels like for you is key to managing it. Some indicators can be inability to sleep, moodiness, or problems disconnecting.

Medium: Establish boundaries. Block time in your calendar for the things you need to do. This can be at work or at home. The people around us can consume every minute of our day. In order for you to pour out to them and be at your best you must fill yourself first. You can’t pour out it if you are empty. Put your phone down and be present with those around you. Leave work at work. Set up strategies in your life that will set you up for success.

Hard: Be proactive. Now that you have figured out your strategies, implement them. Look at your upcoming week and block out that time you need. Tell the people around you what your plan is to hold you accountable. Schedule the vacation time the company has given you.

You got this!!

Learning to take criticism (especially from someone you don’t like) is HARD because more than likely there is truth in it. It’s up to us whether we take that truth and grow OR take it personally and continue the same old thing. We all have blind spots in our life and the only way to figure out what they are is to ask people.

Two questions I always use in my 1-1’s at work: What did I catch you doing right? What can you improve? Or vice versa I ask them for me. Anything I did this week that you really liked? How can I support you better?

Yes, work is easier to not take it personally. Personal relationships can be trickier. Understand that it is coming from a place of love with our close relationships. It’s hard to tell someone the truth, but that is the only way you both can grow.

Easy Challenge: Repeat this phrase in your head when faced with criticism. “Take it seriously, but not personally.” Meaning don’t get offended, but find the truth in it and work on it.

Medium challenge: When someone criticizes you think about these 3 things: What actually happened (not what you think you heard), what seems “wrong” with it, and what might be right? Give that 3rd question some consideration.

Hard challenge: Taking that 3rd question of “what might be right?” and using that to grow as a better version of yourself.

These next 10 challenges will have you finishing out the year strong and starting the new year even stronger. The first challenge this week is about owning what you are good at. We are all good at something. People probably give you compliments about it. How do you take those compliments? Do you ramble about how you are not that good or do you smile and say thank you. Think about when you give someone a compliment. How do you want them to react?

Easy Challenge: Think of at least one thing you are good at.

Medium Challenge: When someone gives you a compliment about what you are good at. Smile and say thank you.

Hard Challenge: Now we get into the hard part. You identified something you are good at. Now in conversations this week tell someone. Especially at work if there is something that you are good at or enjoy. Those comments stick with people. When something comes up you would be the first person they think of to fill that role. That’s where opportunities are made.

Last financial challenge for you this week. This is about living your life without trying to keep up with other people. Don’t compare your life to someone else’s highlight reel.

Living within your means – it’s about not using the credit card and not living paycheck to paycheck. We have this mindset that when I make more money then I will… It doesn’t work like that. It’s a lifestyle change you have to be intentional about.

Think about how much you made 10 years ago. You probably make more now. Do you have anymore money saved up or are you just going out to eat more and buying the nicer stuff? I know inflation, but be honest with yourself.

Easy Challenge: Imagine if you had less money coming in than you did right now. How would you live differently?

Medium Challenge: Incorporate at least one idea from the easy challenge into your lifestyle. Put that money aside.

Hard Challenge: For this month, budget from starting point of zero. Write each line with the attitude of “I get to have..” I get to pay my mortgage so I have a warm roof over my head. This flips the script of budgeting being negative to something positive with gratitude.

On to our 9th financial challenge. This week the challenge is to think about our money behavior compared to our money philosophy.
Money is emotional whether we like it or not. There is no right way of being a spender or saver as long as you are not at the extremes. It’s finding the right balance between them just like everything else in life.

Easy challenge:
Determine whether you are naturally a spender or saver. We all have a natural tendency to lean one way based on how we grew up, our values, and mindset.

Medium challenge:
Determine what philosophy do you fall under. There are 4 philosophies or scripts about money: avoid it out of anxiety/fear/lack of understanding, believe it is the key to happiness, try to keep up with others, or you act cautiously. Which one do you naturally tend towards.

Note: I keep including naturally because we can be aware of our tendencies and intentionally go another route.

Hard: Compare your behavior to your philosophy. Do they align?
Ask yourself: When I save/spend money, I feel….
When I save/spend money, I want to feel….
If they are not aligned. How can you align them better?

Our next financial challenge may be an eye opener to some of you. We have so many conveniences, but with those usually comes a reoccurring subscription. These may not feel too bad when you think of them individually, but they can add up quickly. We have streaming services, Amazon, meal prep, pet treats, YouTube, websites, apps, etc… The list is endless for what is available to us today.

This week our challenges stack on top of each other so start with easy and work your way to hard.

Easy:
Go through your bank accounts and credit card statements for the past 6 months or year (since some are yearly) and just write down a list of those subscriptions. That’s it. Just write down the list and how much each one is. If you want to be shocked…add them up.

Medium:
Go through the list you just made and flag the ones you don’t really use. Plus I want you to number them from 1 to ? with 1 being must have, use all the time.

Hard:
Now it’s time to get real with yourself. Look at your budget and come up with realistic number you can afford. Start at the top of your list and check mark until you run out of budget money. Your challenge is to cancel anything that isn’t checked.

Want more of a challenge: Go through your checked items. Is there anything that you really don’t need. You can save that money for a vacation or something else you have been saving for.

I didn’t forget the “un” for this week’s challenge. This week is about planning for our expected expenses that are not every month. These expenses are birthdays, holidays, insurance, car registration, hair appointments, and…. It’s the things we don’t think about until that month and then struggle to come up with the money without using the credit cards. How many times has this happened to you?

So here’s your challenge:
Easy:
Pinpoint your budget weaknesses. Yes I made that plural for a reason. What expenses do you tend to forget until they are due?

Medium:
Make a list when before you go to the store and stick to the list. It could also be going into the store for shampoo and coming out with shampoo, conditioner, face wash, toilet paper, etc because you are “almost out..”

Hard:
Time to get intentional. Come up with how much you need for your expected expenses for the year. Divide that number by 12 and set up an automatic transfer into a savings account. This way you have the money when you need it.

Would you consider yourself a patient person? Waiting is HARD especially if it is something you want. This week is about challenging ourselves on what we want versus what we need when it comes to our purchases.

It is so simple now to scroll on your phone and end up ordering things you really don’t need. We have the excuse it’s free shipping or it’s on sale. When you are at a store and see something that isn’t on the list but impulse has you buying it. Who’s guilty of this?

Something I started with online shopping is putting it in the cart, but I have to wait at least 2 days before purchasing if it is a want vs need. For groceries, I do 90% of the time with delivery so I don’t have impulse to grab stuff not on the list. It’s finding something that works for you.

This week I challenge you to be intentional with thinking about if this a want or a need before each purchase.

Easy Challenge:
Before each purchase ask yourself if this is a want or need.

Medium Challenge:
Write down for 1 week the purchases you make into want and need. Total it up at the end of the week. You will be shocked at the numbers. Make sure to follow your normal pattern to be real with yourself.

Want more – go through your account for the past month. Be prepared to be shocked.

Hard Challenge:
Practice delayed gratification. If it is a want, make yourself wait. It will suck at first, but then when you actually do purchase it you will actually appreciate it more. It’s weird but works.

Halfway through these finance challenges and this one is going to be easy for some and hard for others. I’m in the hard category….

This week is about stopping the swiping (even your debit card) and starting to use cash only for your non-bill purchases. You would be amazed at how you think twice when you know you only have so much in your wallet and when it’s gone…you are SOL.

You could do the Dave Ramsey envelope system. We have done that for our non-fixed bills like groceries and going out to eat.

For everyday spending, Joe and I call it our “allowance” for the week. It’s our own discretionary fund that we can spend however we want. We can spend it or save some for a rainy day.

Easy Challenge – Go cash only for one day

Medium Challenge- Go cash only for a whole week

Hard Challenge- Go cash only for an entire month!

What challenge are you up for?