“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” – Henry Ford
To make 2015 your most lucrative year yet, you may have to do some things differently than what you’ve done in the past.
Here are 12 action items that can put you ahead regardless of what happens with the economy in the coming year and beyond:
Originally published by BusinessInsider.
1. Become your own CFO.
You can’t fix what you don’t know, so the first step is becoming completely aware of your finances and where your money is going.
As soon as you start to understand your current situation in detail, you will be able to identify leaks and simple solutions that will help get you on your way.
Nobody cares more about your finances than you do (not even a financial adviser), so it is on you to take control of your financial future and direct it to where you want to go.
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2. Go on a diet.
I’m not talking about what you eat. Identify one expense that isn’t helping you achieve your goals, and cut it out for 30 days.
A simple expense to choose is DSTV. The average Ghanaian watches more than five hours of TV every day. That is hundreds of cedis and thousands of hours often wasted each year!
Try a TV (or other guilty pleasure) diet for 30 days, and use that time and money on something more beneficial. I’m sure you’ll survive without it just fine.
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3. Be selfish.
When you get on an airplane, what do they tell you during the safety instructions? “Put your own mask on first, and then help the person beside you.”
It should be the same way with our time and our finances. Be selfish and take care of yourself first, and then you can have more flexibility to take care of others. The problem is that so many of us put others first and then aren’t able to help ourselves.
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