This year has been a good year. I’ve come tantalizingly close to a neutral net worth.
I’m not there yet, but the breakdown is something like this: Payroll & Business Debt: $8,000, Consumer Debt: $0. Education Debt $24,00 Tax (mostly Ohio) Debt: $30,000.
Based on the rate I’ve been paying debt down, I’ll probably be healthy in April. Maybe sooner if I catch some of the breaks I expect.
All of these numbers were higher at the beginning of the year. And, they are listed in the rough order I’ll be paying them off. When I started writing on BHB, I was more than a quarter million dollars in non-real estate debt. Staggering now that you think about it. That’s a whole house, nice in most areas and really nice in the Midwest. We sold our home, walked away from our lease-option (leaving thousands with the owner who was still underwater). We went into bunker mode, where we lived (all 4 of us) in a two bedroom apartment.
That helped cut expenses which helped create a business–and helped me be able to fail with less risk. Because getting caught up on basic needs was just a table waiting job away. Living cheap reduces pressure and increases options. I recommend it to all parties. If you have a wife that lets you do that NEVER LEAVE HER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.
Anyway, it’s time to up the ante, and we’re gonna be “behavior based” in lieu of outcome based. It’s well and good to have goals with outcomes. But behaviors lead to outcomes. And good definitions of “done” is what’s done.
So I’m going to do 5 things each day. This will make up the majority of my day. Other things matter, but not as much. The definition of success matters as well. This should take about 10 hours out of me. Do this, and all else works.
Workout: it’s not enough to get to the gym and be listless. Intensity is key. So, the workout needs to be as follows: 90 minutes total cardio (60 minutes intense) & a weights routine as mandated by Joey (former trainer, we’re launching a membership site where you can buy workouts.) The cardio will be as follows: 30 minutes in the morning, right after I get up; 15 minutes (hard) before and after weights. 30 minutes at night. That will make me continue the progress my body’s made. This is needed Monday-saturday.
Eating Right: Write down what you’ll eat the next day and what you did eat today. Follow a plan (for those that wonder: egg whites & spinach for breakfast, 3 protein shakes/day, veggies and meat for lunch and 400 or fewer calories of whatever the family has for dinner). This has been a struggle, especially with Halloween. This will have to be right to validate the part above.
Writing: Again, when I churn content and guest posts, I make income. I get clients. I get to help people. I need to finish a “how -to-” oriented post every day. I need to make 1,000 words of usable copy….and have something shipped. It generates leads in the form of blog comments, subscribers and opt ins. Not doing this hurts. 1k words minimum is usually 1 post and one half.
Phone Work: I need to do 90 minutes AND talk to 8 existing/7 new people every day. That’s self explanatory, but every day I do it I sell at least once. Having each day be a time thing makes it hard. Others call it cold calling. I don’t.
That’s pretty much a full day’s work. I have someone that handles the administrivia. I do this and I hit my major goals. Day 1 is today. I still have time to grind out the phone work.
How ’bout you?
Teri Lussier says:
I finally, *finally* understand the importance of tracking my numbers. Not only is there no guess work involved, there is no emotion involved- it’s just numbers and those can be improved.
One of the numbers I’m tracking is warm calling over the phone and I must get over my phone fears. To do that I must know scripts cold so they become my words, my inflections. I can’t help anyone if I’m stopped, stuttering “Uh-Uh-Uh” into a phone. It’s so unprofessional. 🙂
November 2, 2010 — 2:57 pm