There are general topics that most of us worry about much of the time; we often worry weekly, daily and even hourly. These issues can be overwhelming and the quicker we get to grips with our concerns, the easier they can be to manage.
Bills
Bills are relentless, or at least they are for me! Once a month, I used to brace myself for all my direct debits as they were about to leave my bank account, waiting with bated breath in the hope that I would have some money left afterwards.
Here are some simple tips around taking control when it comes to bills and making payments:
Create a budget and stick to it. This is hard because it involves discipline and sometimes you have to say ‘no’, not just to yourself but to your children or your partner, which in my experience can be tricky!
If you aren’t disciplined, things can quickly spiral out of control. So, in order to stay in the black, put your budget above and beyond everything else - this is how you are going to maintain your lifestyle and help with your healthy well-being.
Start by looking at you bank statements for the past year. There should be some quick wins - it’s the classic “nice to have”, over the “must-have” conundrum!
- Utility providers - shop around as there will be some cheaper options available.
- TV - this space is becoming more competitive by the day and the trend looks set to continue. Netflix, Amazon Prime and BT are all making sure other companies don’t monopolise the market, so reflect on what you watch and what you really need.
- Home Insurance, Car Insurance, Health Insurance – don’t be content with what you have, there will be better deals out there.
- Shopping bills can also be slashed - consider what you eat, what brands of food you purchase and what shops you buy from. Planning is the key; try to get in a routine and have a comprehensive list and you will make some great savings.
- Why not take your lunch to work - this could reduce your lunch cost by more than half which, over the course of a year, adds up to a lot of money.
- Loyalty schemes are plentiful on the internet - shop around and you’ll be able to get some great discounts.
Failure
I’ve been thinking about failure whilst writing this blog, “am I covering the right points?” It’s a rhetorical question by the way, but hopefully, you get my point.
Most of us are self-doubtful at some stage in our life, perhaps as often as every day. So, we need to manage this feeling because if we allow it to, the fear of failure itself can beat us. The alternative is to use fear to drive us to do better.
Whether you are questioning decisions you need to make at work, at home or in your personal life, you’ve got decisions to make. Do not let the fear of failure stop you, don’t be negative in your view and approach.
Yes, you must consider failure and all outcomes to make a well-rounded decision, but don’t let it hold you back.
If you make a mistake, that’s fine - we all make mistakes.
Failure doesn’t define you, but how you respond to failure does.
The Past
It is important to learn and reflect on the past to help you with your future, learn from your experiences to gain strength and be positive about the path that lies ahead.
Don’t let the past become an overwhelming burden that prevents you from moving forward. Standing still and not doing anything can be demotivating which can, in turn, can become a mental health issue.
Consider the past and create new goals, set targets that might include buying a new car, finding a partner, looking for a new job.
Other targets you may wish to consider in your personal life might include doing a local fun run or walk, helping the local school or church. From a health point of view, losing weight or stopping smoking are great actions you can take to feel motivated and energised about life.
Don’t be ashamed of past obstacles, bad decisions you’ve made or previous failures; use these experiences to drive you on.
Different life events are there for us to learn from and if we work harder next time, or approach something differently, we have the chance to great success again.
Think of working from home? Read Costs You Need To Consider When Working From Home.
