Ending January.... My Quest Towards Financial Fusion

January has officially come and gone. It was quite blissful. I enjoyed the warm Oklahoma winter weather, I discovered a new addiction for popcorn sprinkled with red chile powder & I put forth all of my efforts into improving myself and seeking opportunity to make life a little bit sweeter.


Back at the start of the month I wrote about my plan for stackable resolutions. Having this plan for 2012 has actually provoked a lot of ideas and reflections to the way I approach my day-to-day life and my future. I'm looking forward to each month and making 2012 amazing through new ideas and approaches.


I have to admit- January's resolutions were the least exciting to me of all. I think this is because they have the longest turnover for results and success, which is why this goal ultimately needed to be first. Though I haven't yet felt the impact of my actions it does feel good to have gained clarity on my finances and to now be more purposeful and proactive with how I am spending my money. Here is a recap of how January, my month of Financial Fusion, panned out:

• Create a budget and stick to it: I actually am still sorting out what this looks like but I found a few great apps for the iPhone that are helping me be strategically plan my budget and be accountable for my spending and my actions. I also found in the past that mint.com is a great tool for taking control over your finances. I like the support of a very structured system and I also like tracking my spending and progress to my goals (in this case my budget). I've enjoyed setting up these tools and using them & I'm looking forward to continuing this. 
• Make a plan to be debt free by December: Dave Ramsey is a financial genius. I spent time reading one of his books this past month and what I really appreciated was recognizing that I am not alone in my financial standings. Hearing about other people's situations (who in most cases were much more severe than my own) and how they overcame them helped me become more optimistic and empowered about my controlling my fiances. I highly recommend you check him out, he has a radio show, several books and work books, and a few other learning experiences. In addition to reading Dave's book and I set a goal for what I'm going to start saving my money for and what I'll be able to do once I'm completely rid of my debt. Doing that has invested me even more in my efforts. 
• Spend only the money I posses, no more credit cards: It simply took the act of naming this goal to commit to it. I'm also going to start only using cash, and then I'll be able to do the $5 Savings Plan.

• Journal gratitude every night, depend less on materials: This is a ritual I have actually been doing for a while, but I was writing down gratitude for all things in my life, even the materialistic things. By being conscious of this I am now only listing things that did not require money to obtain. I have found that I am even more blessed and fulfilled by identifying these things and now materials are less valuable to me than before. I have begun discovering happiness and gratitude in places that I have neglected for far too long. This has been a very eye-opening practice for me.
• Give generously: This is my greatest opportunity for growth. I've given when the opportunity has found it's way to me, but I have yet to proactively seek opportunities. I want to give generously to something that I care about, something that aligns to my values, and to something that my donation will be of true value. I'm still in search of this so if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them. I also don't  believe that this act needs to be in the form of just monetary donations. 

All-in-all I found great success in January and feel even more invigorated to hold steady with my goals as I move forward towards approaching my February goals. One thing I did learn is that the more clear I am with how I will meet my goals the more successful I am. Tomorrow I plan on sharing my methods & clarity for February...

"It doesn't cost a thing to smile, you don't have to pay to laugh..."

pennies, poise & poodles-