Create Action Blog

Time passes anyway: It’s time to work on your goals.

Life has a way of rushing past us, often leaving us feeling overwhelmed by the relentless passing of time. Whether it's finances, health, or personal development, the truth remains: time will pass, regardless of our plans. So, why not take control and channel that time into achieving your goals and dreams?

Many of us dream of financial freedom, yet we often put off budgeting, saving, or investing. The reality is that each day we delay is a day we’ve lost in building our future. Start small—set up an automatic transfer to a savings account or begin tracking your expenses. Even incremental changes leads to significant progress over time.

Similarly, our health should be a priority. The longer we wait to adopt healthier habits, the harder it becomes. Whether it’s committing to a fitness routine, eating better, or scheduling regular check-ups, taking action now can dramatically improve your quality of life. Remember, it's about making consistent, positive choices; not perfection.

Lastly, don’t forget about your personal growth. What skills and hobbies do you want to develop, what have you been putting off? Dedicate time each week, even if it’s 10 minutes at a time, to learn something new or explore your passions. This investment in yourself will pay off in both your personal and professional life.

Time is one of our most valuable resources. By consciously deciding to focus on your goals—you not only make the most of the time you have but also pave the way for a fulfilling future. So, take that first step today; remember, time passes anyway!

Change Takes Time

As much as we want it to happen overnight because, instant gratification, it takes time to dismantle old habits and build up new habits.

Making a commitment to change doesn’t only stick on the days where it’s easy. You have to keep pushing through on the hard days.

When things get hard it’s so easy to throw in the towel.
It takes determination and strength to stand up and keep moving forward.

After my stroke I struggled really badly with depression. Just when I was starting to feel like myself I found out I was surprisingly pregnant again.

While my pregnancy was fine I wasn’t immune to postpartum anxiety and depression again, but this time it was harder to recognize and that was tough.

A couple weeks ago I had enough. I was tired of getting eaten alive by depression and anxiety all the while trying to keep the kids on schedules, sports, working full time and my side hustle, and something had to give.

I committed there and then to put my health first. I made plans for getting help because obviously I wasn’t doing it on my own and I could not be happier.

2 weeks ago I signed up with a personal trainer who built a training program specifically for my with my injuries and physical limitations in mind.

I started going to the chiropractor regularly and working with a personal trainer that specializes in stretching and seeing my naturopath at regular intervals.

Was it hard to decide to do all this? Absolutely.
Do I feel guilty about taking the time and money to focus on myself? Also yes.
Am I seeing a difference in my mental health? 💯

It’s hard to get to the point of being ready to make change, but do it anyway.

Do it scared, do it afraid, just do it.

Change takes time, and you are worth it ☀️

I lose my words sometimes.

Not in the usual “Oh that was on the tip of my tongue, and I lost it” kind of way but in the I had a stroke and sometimes my brain freaks out and can’t keep up kind of way and what I wanted to say is completely gone. I have no idea.

Super. Lame.

I was at a networking function the other day and it happened, I stood up to introduce myself and I couldn’t spit out my practiced elevator pitch.

It didn’t stop me from walking around the room and talking to everyone after the introductions where through and I’m sure no one noticed anything other than what would be attributed to public speaking jitters but coming from someone who used to enjoy public speaking, it’s a little dis-heartening.

You see most people see me and don’t see any disability, so they assume that I’m 100% recovered from my stroke and most days I’d like to say I am, but I know it’s not true.

The side effects are invisible, and they linger, when I’m exhausted or sick the left side of my face is heavy and tingles, my left shoulder blade feels real weird and when I get an atypical migraine and see migraine aura’s I have to tell myself repeatedly “I’m not having a stroke, I’m not having a stroke, I’m not having a stroke” because quite frankly the fear of itis never really gone.

Invisible disabilities can be difficult in the workplace. On one hand I want to tell people sorry about the stutter there, I don’t normally do that, but I had a stroke so sometimes it happens. But I also don’t want to tell people that and have them look at me differently. My brain was injured, I spent a solid year focusing on recovery and have been to full time work for the past almost 2 years now so I promise it’s better!

Explaining brain injuries is weird, like yeah, I damaged the most important organ on my body, you can’t see it and sometimes it acts up but don’t worry I’ve built new neuro transmitters so it’s all good.

All that to say, sometimes I lose my words.

It happens to all of us, for some of us it just feels different.

Don’t be afraid to be different. My disability makes me feel small sometimes but most of the time, I feel like a d@mn warrior for surviving something that could have killed me.

#survivor #warrior #invisbledisability #workplace#strokesurvivor #strokeawareness #HOPE #HOPECoach #youcandothis

The Pretty Way

“Pretty way pease momma?”

Daycare is only a 10-15 minute drive but most days we take the long way. At some point my husband started taking a back road which around here means a dirt road, and it became our daughter’s favorite way to school.

On the dirt road we drive slower, we look at the stream, look at bunnies and birds as they cross the road, we look at the pond to see if the ducks are there and we wave to the few people we see walking their dogs. It’s slower, quieter, and more peaceful. Since we only go to daycare 3 days a week more often than not we take the long way to and from school. It’s the perfect calmness to start the day and to wind down the day and I love how much my daughter loves it.

To be honest I love it too and it’s become part of my routine. You see I don’t take as much time doing self care as I should. I always feel the pull to be doing something. Doing more. Being better. I struggle to slow down and honestly I need to get better at it. Since my stroke I’ve made it a priority to make sure I don’t get to that level of stress that makes my blood pressure spike but I’ve noticed that as I’m feeling more like my pre-stroke self I’m pushing myself more like I did then also.

Taking these mini breaks a couple times a week to take the “pretty way“ has been a great reminder of the need to slow down. Not everything is a race. Not everything needs to be. Sometimes we so our best thinking and our best work when we slow down and enjoy the view.

Enjoy the journey, it’s a long one.

#perspective #healthiswealth #doworkthatmatters #mentalhealthmatters #HOPE#HOPECoach #journey #financialjourney #wellness

Summer is here, but I can’t afford to do anything!

Happy July!

I can’t believe we are halfway through 2024, where did the year go?!

Phew…not to mention I am now a mom of 3. I swear it feels like yesterday I was pregnant with my first and the reality was that was 10 years ago.. but I digress.

Summer is here, and if you’re like me and have kids that ALWAYS want to be out and about and doing something you’re looking for ideas that won’t break the bank because let’s be honest. Life is really expensive right now. Especially if you have kids.

Being this is 4th of July week, lets check out some free Firework displays!

Here you can find information for Star Spangled Springfield at Riverfront Park, in addition to Fireworks there is additional entertainment including face painters, glitter tattoo artists as well as food trucks. Now, the additional entertainment and food isn’t free so make sure you have a plan!

I’ve found with my family that if we plan an excursion somewherethat has free admission but there are things that cost extra we need to have aplan in place otherwise we immediately overspend.

A few weeks ago we decided to go to the beach for a walk so we packed a picnic lunch, scouted out an area on line that was part of a state park (therefore free admission to residents) that also included admission to a local museum. As part of our excursion, we planned to take the kids to ice cream and by finding ourselves a small local ice cream shop we were able to spend only $15 for the day plus fuel.

By comparison, I planned an outing with family to go to the movies and did not plan ahead for food…for 3 people at the movie theater food was $85! And no, no one got anything extravagant. Each person got a snack, candy and a soda. That’s it.

Moral of the story is, it’s possible to plan family excursions without breaking the bank. If you are on a journey to diminish your debt you can still take the family out and have fun on a budget.

#budget #planning #planahead #debtfreejourney #diminishdebt#financialfitness #financialroutine #failtoplanplantofail #financialjourney #HOPE#HOPECoach #civilrightstosilverrights

This too, shall pass.

Holy cow...at 9 months pregnant just moving around had gotten to be laborious. The added weight from the baby, the constant pulling on my muscles and tendons never mind the inability to bend over because of the watermelon that’s blocking the way...

I just felt weighed down, not my normal self. Not to say I was a tremendously athletic person prior to this pregnancy but at least I could go for a few miles on a walk or a hike, throughout the course of this pregnancy it became harder and harder to get around and just plain be comfortable.

I felt very similarly when I was up to my eyeballs in debt, single mom, working 4 jobs to make ends meet. I felt like each footstep was like trying to walk through wet concrete, each step getting heavier and harder to make.

When we feel weighed down things start looking bleaker and bleaker. We can even stop looking for the light at the end of the tunnel because well, maybe it just isn’t there.

A few years ago, Tom Hanks was doing a round table conversation with a few other actors, and I only caught a part of it but what he said was to the extent of, this too shall pass. Having a bad day? This too shall pass. Having a great day? This too shall pass.

 This stuck with me so well because he wasn’t only talking about the bad days, he was talking about the cycle of life. When good things happen, we want to stay there forever but life goes on and we must go with it, same with bad days. They won’t last forever, as hard as it may be sometimes, we need to take those next steps and keep trudging through because this too shall pass.

Day to day activities can be so much harder when you are worried about keeping the lights on or wondering if you’re going to have enough to cover rent and groceries and trust me, hearing (or reading) someone saying “this too shall pass” probably goes over as well as a kidney stone. The point is, after having been through one of the worst times of my life living through that struggle I’ve learned a lot.

No, the anxiety and fear don’t go away overnight, but each day you push through is a new day. You have the opportunity to set new goals, make new dreams come true.

This too, shall pass.

#thistooshallpass #weigheddown #debt #fellingdefeated#tomhanks #HOPE #HOPEcoach #OperationHOPE #civilrights #SilverRights#FinancialLiteracy #financialfreedom #credit #savings #debt #debtfree#smartgoals

Is convenience actually convenient?

I have a lot of Dr. appointments. Mainly because I’m almost 9 months pregnant but also because I survived a stroke a little over 2 years ago, so needless to say I drive around the state a lot.

Most times after an appointment I will feel hungry or decide I want to treat myself because let’s face it, all these appointments are stressful. I spend hours in the car week in and week out so the convenience of a drive-through is kind of nice sometimes... until it’s not.

When I started working from home full time, I realized I had been spending way too much money on take out even when I packed my lunch because it seemed like there were better options nearby than what I had in my lunchbox.

Now if I stop to grab a coffee or a treat when I get to the window to pay it’s freaking painful. Did you know a single Panera breakfast sandwich costs $7?! I guess I’m behind the times because every time I decide to “treat myself” the financial cost of the treat vs. the actual quality of what I’m getting usually lets me down.

So why do it?

Habit, society, all manner of reasons. I think generationally we’ve been conditioned to find convenience in things because there are so many things draining our time. Travel to and from work, the workday, school/daycare drop off and pick-ups, store runs, cooking, cleaning, and the list just goes on and on.

So, there are drive-throughs everywhere. Stealing our money and most times healthy choices. And frankly, most drive throughs aren’t that quick anymore because they are so commonly used so is it really saving time to grab that coffee or lunch out rather than make it at home?

At this point in my life, I’m starting to realize that eating out, take out, drive throughs are generally not worth it except for a special occasion. While this is just my personal opinion, the fact is eating out can so quickly get so expensive.

Equally, finding the time to cook around a workday, travel and all the other things that pull at our time can be just as difficult so what’s a person to do? Weigh the options and decide what’s best for you and your family.

For us we have found that creating a meal plan for the week helps us stick to our grocery budget, maintain quick and easy to make meals and eliminate eating out to once a month.

What’s worked well for you?

#Budget #mealplanning #mealprepping #practicalpurchases#eatingout #convenience #dinein #financialliteracy #financialfreedom #HOPE#HOPEcoach #SilverRights #healthyhabits

The Spender, the saver and the…wait, where did my money go?!

Sound familiar? I’ve been all 3 over the course of my 37 years. It’s humbling to look at the changing economy, the family budget and spending and realize that “Hi, it’s me, I’m the problem it’s me”

I know I know, the lady teaching us about budgeting and saving is a spender?! Yeah, you got me I totally am. However my spending has changed over the years, yes I do love some shopping but I hate clutter so now when new clothes come in, old clothes go out. As soon as the kids outgrow something, we pass it on.

Now I don’t buy things for the sake of a dopamine hit like the majority of my 20’s, I buy things that are genuinely useful or necessary. Should I sometimes wait until the next week’s budget? Sure, I’m not perfect.

I’m also a BIG fan if the Buy Nothing community, have you heard of it? Check out some info here and see if there is a Buy Nothing group in your area.

It’s easy to feel nickel and dimed to death, a couple bucks here and a couple bucks there and then you’re standing there going holy $#*t where did my paycheck go?!

This was me for a long time, I’d get to the end of my paycheck and have a bill due and go…how do I pay that? This made my 20’s really stressful. By the time I was 30 I had a baby, was divorced, working 4 jobs to try and make ends meet, struggling with childcare and generally had no idea which way was up. Little by little things changed for the better with intention. I needed to slow my mind down and realize that running around like a crazy chicken wasn’t going to help anything! I made my money work for me, I changed jobs to focus on one career and in doing so was able to move into an apartment with my son, and our furry entourage (Spaz the dog and Penny the cat.) This was a HUGE step in my life and now I was once again responsible for all the things but this time I was the only one who had income coming in and was in charge of the money going out and my perspective on money changed drastically.

Now fast forward a few years, my husband is the ultimate saver and I like to think we balance each other out pretty well. He is the one who saves for a rainy day and makes sure all of our basic family needs are met on a larger scale while I focus on the day to day smaller scale things.

Money, like everything else in life, is a balancing act. When you bury your head in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong (when you know it is) you end up digging yourself a much larger hole. Owning where you are in your journey is the first place to start, when you own it you can look at it objectively and make conscious choices for your next steps.

Ever heard of SMART goals?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely.

This means that your goals are specific, you know how to gauge whether or not they are progressing, are they achievable and relevant to your journey and will they be completed in a timely manner.

Oftentimes we make these big goals also known as BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) with out having the proper steps in place to make sure we get there.

Setting big goals isn’t a bad thing as long as you can break it down to smaller baby steps along the way to ensure traction.

Knowing what I know now at 37, I 100% believe you can make changes. Will it be hard? Abso-freaking-lutely. Will it be worth it? Abso-freaking-lutely.

The biggest thing to remember is, you don’t have to go this alone.

#HOPE #HOPEembassador #SilverRights #financialfreedom #debtfreejourney #credit #moneymanagement #defineyourfreedom