“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world” – Buddha

Though spoken more than 2,500 years ago, the words have stood the test of time and ring as true and clear today as they were when first uttered.

The focus of your thoughts determines your reality.

It’s something we don’t spend very much time thinking about, but the Successful know and understand the importance of visualizing in thought the goals and objectives they have set for themselves, even if for only one day, or the success they plan to achieve in the coming days, months and years.

• Be aware that if you wake up with half-hearted thoughts about the things you need to accomplish later in the day, you can be assured that you will most likely have what you consider a miserable day, but if you wake up and focus instead on what a gift your life is, you’ll increase substantially the likelihood you will enjoy a great day.
• Also, understand that if we let our attention randomly jump from one thing to another, we will most certainly have a busy, fractured and probably unproductive day. Yet, if we center our focus entirely on one task, we might completely absorb ourselves in that job, but it will not only be the most productive thing we do all day, our accomplishment can be very enjoyable.
• If we focus our thoughts on being tired, doing nothing, and wanting to chill out in front of the TV, we will get a lot of television watching done. If, however, we focus on being healthy and fit, we will become healthy and fit through exercise and good eating.

Although this might seem simplistic, it’s completely true, and is the magical power of focus to improve different aspects of your life.

“One reason so few of us achieve what we truly want is that we never direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people dabble their way through life, never deciding to master anything in particular.” – Tony Robbins

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I’ve been researching saving habits of the Successful extensively over the last several years in my quest to eliminate debt, increase my savings and increase financial security for my family, and the I think everyone will agree the biggest problem for many of us, is that impulse spending, on eating out, shopping and online purchases, is a big drain on our finances, the absolute biggest budget breaker for many, and a sure way to become mired in dire financial straits. The Successful are able to develop their financial and saving habits through strong focus and clarity of purpose that are critical components of their vision of the goals they have defined and set for their success including some of the following.

Stop paying interest. Some people pay thousands of dollars in interest every year and I’m happy to say that I now pay zero in interest, after becoming debt-free several years ago. Remember, the key is to stop getting into new debt, and to pay off your old debt as quickly as possible, paying off your credit cards the priority, paying off car loans and purchase vehicles using cash. Again, this is difficult for many and not for everyone, but I highly recommend it for those who can make the changes and adjustments, and manage it.

Stop buying unnecessary items. This is a toughie, but if you’re really serious about saving, you’ll at least consider it, and if you make a list of monthly expenditures for small items and you stopped buying the things you identify as unnecessary, at least for a little while, you’ll notice a pretty sizable savings.

Stop traveling. If you travel several times a year, or even just once a year, you could save thousands by not traveling. Learn to enjoy yourself from where you are, and you can relax and take a break from work without having to leave home, as each trip can cost thousands, depending on how far and long you travel, so this is a huge potential savings for some people.

Slash your entertaining and entertainment. Entertainment expenses can really add up, so if you spend a lot of money going out to entertainment including movies, theater, dining out, drinking, clubbing, etc., you can curb this habit and save a lot of money, and the key is that you don’t need to spend money to have fun.

Cut out all subscriptions. Each little subscription you have is a small-ticket item, but together can amount to over $1,000 for many families, and some people that have even more subscriptions and can save thousands.

With less stress worrying about many needless costs and expenses of living, the Successful will then focus their energies on reaching the goals and objectives they have been able to carefully plan for with a clear vision of the accomplishments they will reach.

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The Successful credit their financial success to habitually saving (even more than investing) and it goes without saying this isn’t the easiest habit to learn, because it’s in your DNA to value today’s purchases more than those you put off until later, whether tomorrow or next year, and that’s why most saving is accomplished automatically, which means whenever you get paid, make sure money automatically moves into your discretionary savings or retirement accounts.

With the economy continuing to under perform as far as the eye can see, many people are looking for ways to save money and get on more solid financial ground.

If you have not been able to save any substantial amounts, you might have to make some difficult lifestyle changes like many have been able to accomplish the past couple of years, so I’ve put together a list of ways you can make big changes, at least for a little while, and who knows, maybe over the long term if needed.

Of course there will be some objections, especially from people who don’t think they can change their lives this much, or who just flat refuse to, and that’s fine, as these changes will prove too difficult for many to accomplish voluntarily, but know that you can live with less, and with the right mindset, you can find happiness without needing to spend money, as the key is to find your contentment while living with less.

Move to a smaller home. For many people, housing is in fact the biggest expense in their annual budget, therefore representing the greatest opportunity for them to save, since living in a smaller, less costly home, you can save a lot of money all at once.

Now it’s obvious this isn’t a quick change, so you need to stay alert for a good opportunity to make the change, and you start by looking for smaller homes closer to the places you need to go including work, grocery store, schools, etc., so in addition, you can save on transportation costs, and this change alone can save thousands each year.

Sell a car. Many families are starting to adjust to relying on fewer cars, with carefully arranged schedules, be sure and take any cash you get from selling your car and use it to pay off some of the loan for the car you keep if needed, or use it to pay off higher interest debt you might have.

Get a smaller, used car. Whether you already have only one car, or you decide you absolutely need two or more vehicles, you can downgrade your car so that it costs less, and again, potential savings of thousands each year.

You must understand that just like any goal, getting your finances stable and becoming financially successful requires the development of the good financial habits the Successful have been able to weave into the tapestry of their state of being, and of course the creation of habits takes time to make the decision, establish and understand achievable goals, and define your course of action to start down the path you visualize for yourself.

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People who live from paycheck to paycheck normally keep close ranks socially, they tend to stick to family and close friends, while the Successful open their circles to anyone including neighbors, colleagues, and friends of friends, anyone who might be an ally financially or in business, and that means not only joining the appropriate groups, but putting yourself out there as a Leader.

It is part of the human DNA in each one of us that we connect with others, and most of us feel strongly that things happen for a reason, many are sure of it, sure of it because in their soul they know that we are all connected. The Successful understand that yes, we are individuals, responsible for our own judgments and in possession of our own free will, but nonetheless we are part of something larger, and the more connected among us are part of something even larger again.

Some might call it the collective unconsciousness, while others have labeled it kindred spirits or life force, but whatever your word of choice, the Successful gain confidence from understanding and knowing that we are not isolated from one another or from the earth, and the life on it.

Successful Entrepreneurs understand well that this feeling of Connectedness implies certain responsibilities, and as we are all part of a larger picture, we must not harm and seek to take unfair advantage of others in business because we will be harming ourselves, we must not exploit because we will be exploiting ourselves, any success quickly fades, and our awareness of these responsibilities actually creates our value system.

The Successful understand that being connected requires commitment and being proactive – it’s all about building and maintaining relationships, Connectedness is being non-judgmental, being of and delivery excellent service to others, keeping one’s own negative thoughts under control, rejecting any need to be ‘right’, recognizing and valuing diversity of opinion and culture.

Many successful Entrepreneurs fully understand and easily develop and maintain their market Connectedness as the most significant linchpin and driving force in the success and growth of the valuable relationships, without which their entrepreneurial and personal success would remain elusive and unattainable, and as we move forward into the Age of Connectedness which seems to grow more complex and difficult to unravel its secrets, we only need to see with a simple vision to understand and find success and elusive happiness.

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