The joy of doing what you love that will also allow you to provide income is often a challenge to find and achieve. To be successful in finding and achieving that combination, you have accomplished what James A. Michener describes as The Art of Living
“The masters in the art of living make little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their bodies, their information, their recreation, their love and their religion. They hardly know which is which; they simply pursue their vision of excellence at whatever they do, leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing.” James A. Michener
Many sacrifices are often required to achieve this balance. The need to provide income for you and your family will not always be easy. The opportunity to do what you love and to be compensated for it will often have challenges, it may be difficult, you may feel discouraged at times and feel like giving up on the work, the purpose and the talents you were designed for. Emerson teaches, “Every wall has a door.”
Success in the real world does not come by wishing for it or waving a magic-wand. It most often comes from hard work, persistence, being grateful for employment and the importance of choosing how passionate you are about enjoying each day. The importance of how important passion is to success is essential in allowing ourselves to be Masters in the Art of Living.
This section of the LifeVision involves your career and your money, how you earn money and how you manage your money. As with everything else presented in this program, financial success also starts in the mind. What thoughts and attitudes do you hold about your career and your finances? You have to first decide what you want; you then must believe that what you want is possible and that you deserve it. Then focus on those things that you want by visualizing them as if everything you desire is already yours that all that you wish for is a current reality.
Many people are often limited by their own beliefs about money and by the question of whether or not they deserve it. Prior to writing your Professional and Financial LifeVision, it is imperative that you turn around your limiting beliefs about money. Challenge those limiting beliefs.
If you are thinking about money in a negative way or in a way that you are always lacking remember your brain see’s in pictures, if you are constantly telling your self you do not have enough money or you never will have the money you want that is exactly what will attracted into your life. It is important to change the way you view money. T. Harv Eker describes this well.
There is a secret psychology to money. A lack of money is not the problem; it is merely a symptom of what’s going on inside you.
Get very clear on what you would like. Acknowledge that you are deserving of what you desire. Write your LifeVision as if what you desire is your current reality. If you have had the habit of thinking in a negative sense, create a positive shift in your thinking.
Example
- Your Current Belief: “The genes aren’t right in my family to accumulate wealth.”
- Shift Your Belief: “Starting with me, there is wealth in my family. I have mastered financial and money-making skills that I have passed on to my children.”
If you currently struggle with finances and wealth accumulation, this is now the time and the opportunity for change. You can now write in your LifeVision that you are re-inventing your beliefs, thoughts and actions that will propel you to financial success.
The following is a list of affirmations used by Jack Canfield in his book The Success Principles. These are helpful to think about or to incorporate when writing your own Career and Financial LifeVision.
- God is my infinite supply, and large sums of money come to me quickly and easily for the highest good of all concerned.
- I now have more money than I need to do everything I want to do.
- Money comes to me in many unforeseen ways.
- I am making positive choices about what to do with my money.
- Every day, my income increases whether I am working, playing or sleeping.
- All my investments are profitable.
- People love to pay me money for what I most enjoy doing.
When you are writing and recording affirmations in your LifeVision, it is not uncommon in the beginning to become aware of competing thoughts such as “Yeah right! You’re never going to be rich.” or “You have to have money to make money and I don’t have money!” When this occurs, close your eyes and release that thought and the emotions that accompany it. It may take a bit of time and practice, but be patient and honor the process of change and you will begin to change your beliefs and emotions regarding money.
Begin your Professional and Financial LifeVision with a paragraph describing your new beliefs about money.
Example
My new beliefs on money and abundance are changing my financial picture. I deserve to be wealthy, prosperous and affluent. My business is one of the pipelines through which I tap into the infinite wealth of the Universe. I use my money wisely. I enjoy creating value for people. My clients value my expertise and services and pay promptly without hesitation. I always have enough money for all of my needs and all of my wants. I have money saved in secure accounts that allow me to have peace of mind for my future.
Your Professional LifeVision
As you begin the Professional section of your LifeVision, first determine if you are working at your ideal career.
Are you doing what you want to professionally? If not, it’s time to work this out through dreaming, journaling, visualizing and then writing it in your LifeVision. It may feel a bit overwhelming, but it can be accomplished if taken one step at a time.
If you are currently doing what you want to be doing professionally, but know there is something more, a next step to take to progress your career, ask yourself: Where would you like to be in the next year? In 5 years? In 10 years? What actions will be necessary to move things forward to reach those goals? Do you need additional education? Who can I begin networking with? Who are the people I need to start connecting with that are experts in the area I want to pursue? Can I improve my interpersonal or communication skills? Can I improve my leadership skills? What resources can I begin learning from that will increase my knowledge in the career I desire?
Consider these things and write the clearly defined answers to them as you write your Professional LifeVision. Keep in mind that your words will reflect the professional life you are creating or have created. Write you words as if these things are a current reality.
Examples
The Vision of my Business
Being a LifeVision Expert, mentor and motivator is at the center of what I do professionally. It’s part of my soul purpose as I empower others in reaching their divine & full potential. My unique benefit statement is: I work with entrepreneurs in creating a powerful recorded LifeVision that defines their soul purpose, provides clarity and focus for not only their business but all areas of their life! I make fantastic money with my business but it is the thrill of seeing lives change that is my true motivator.
My Daily Schedule
I arrive at the office each morning by 8:30 am I spend the first 30 minutes checking email and voice mail and returning messages that are important. I manage my time very well. Mondays and Fridays are designated for office work, client preparation and handling personal matters. I hold all of my client meetings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in 1.5 hr. time slots. My meetings begin at 9am and end by 6pm. I take 1 hr. for lunch from 12-1pm and have 10 minutes between each meeting to eat a snack, relax and rejuvenate. All client meetings are held in my office.
My Projects
I have a large presence on the Internet. With the help of Rhonda, my new website has gone from static to evolving. Blogging is one of my main marketing techniques that provide readers with information they can use immediately plus a desire to improve their own techniques in goal setting. I have incredible content that keeps prospective and current clients coming back week after week. My website is set up with name squeeze using the soft approach of a free EBook. My list grows by 250 per month and I have 3,000 names by the end of the year. My blog is updated at least 3 times a week. One entry is a well thought out and developed article, one is a video success story that speaks of one of the concrete benefits of my business. I work on this every morning for a minimum of 30 minutes. It feels fantastic as each entry is posted and I receive a high number of comments.
How I Will Strengthen and Grow
With ease I tell people what I do in my career. I know I am introducing them to something that can make a drastic difference in their life!! That makes it so easy to share this opportunity with them. People are interested in my work and what I do. I feel good about the work that I provide and enjoy the benefits of helping people.
Closing the Deal
My favorite part of my business is closing the deal. I am a master at it; it comes as naturally as breathing. I understand that closing a person is merely helping them recognize that NOW is the time for decision-making. They are excited about what I’ve shared with them and they are anxious to continue. My potential clients are comfortable with the manner that we transition to this close. I lead them gently to CHOICE and they make the correct one for them. I have learned to master this by practicing on friends and family many times. My expertise pays off, as I not only gain a new client but also income that provides for my needs and the needs of my family.
My Motivation
My hard work pays off when in June; we purchase a brand new Master Craft PS 190. We go shopping for this family toy in April. We have our down payment of $15,000 and can afford the monthly payment over the next 2 years. It feels great knowing that a dream purchase is now becoming a reality. My family enjoys our time together as we enjoy this now family toy.
Your Financial LifeVision
In addition to designing your ideal professional life, it’s important that you address your finances as well. This is the area where you will decide how your money is managed. You can include in your Financial LifeVision your answers to question like these. What is the amount of money you want to make monthly or yearly? What investments will you make? How will you budget or manage your money?
Example
I am on top of my financial life! I am living a life filled with abundance and prosperity. Because I am financially free, it allows me CHOICE in my life. Ibase all of my financial decisions purely on value. This allows me to make the best possible decisions for my family and myself. To increase my financial knowledge, I have hired a personal financial coach by April 1st. My coach has supported me in becoming self reliant and making my own financial decisions. I work daily to increase my financial knowledge by reading books and listening to audio programs from a variety of authors. This gives me a well-rounded financial education with a variety of different viewpoints. Being educated allows me to prosper in any economic situation because I know how to adapt quickly to all circumstances that I am confronted with.
I successfully save at least 10% of my income. This is automatically transferred from my checking into my Fidelity account. With these savings I have been able to purchase at least ONE income-producing asset by December 31st. This asset flows monthly income of $500 or better into my pocket. My education and passion for investing has allowed me to be extremely successful. I feel safe knowing that my financial future is secure. All of my insurance protection and investments are structured in coordinated fashion. I feel safe and confidant knowing that my financial life is planned appropriately.
I use Mint.com daily. Each morning I have a financial routine that not only includes checking on my stock portfolio but also reviewing my budget. I take 5 minutes each morning to use the budgeting tool that makes my finances extremely easy to manage. I know where I am financially and it’s an incredible feeling!
I am living with an abundant paradigm. Being the master of my financial life, I see limitless opportunity in all things, knowing that there is a stream of well being constantly flowing into my physical reality.
