How to get moving toward your RichLife with The Rule of 5

Current titles on the best-seller list such as Rick Domeier’s, “Can I Get A Do Over?” point to the Bureau of Labor findings that 67% of all American workers don’t like their jobs.

It makes sense that the career you chose at 20

might not be such a good fit at 40.

The question is, once you know what you want, how do you get there? Most career shifts occur between the ages of 35-55 when questions like stop signs keep you from going anywhere. How can I afford to take a pay cut? How will I make the mortgage payment?  How will I manage going back to school?

The good news is that The Rule of 5 can be applied to any area of your life where you want to see change happen, be it personal, financial, or career related.

Take action. Create momentum. Get results.

The first key to success with any endeavor is to begin now. Consider every step you take as an investment in your RichLife. The same principle that applies to compound interest also works when building the life of your dreams.

The more attention you put on what you want, the more those things begin showing up in your life.

Once you gain clarity about where you are and where you want to be, the establishment of goals and objectives are the vehicles that get you moving. To this end, I have adapted RichLife Advisor Ron Broussard’s Rule of Five. Notice how each rule leads to the next, creating momentum that leads to change.

·      Rule #1 Write it down. Put your goal in writing where you can see it. Spell it out and be specific.

·      Rule #2 List How Much and By When: Each goal must be measurable. For example, don’t write: “My goal is to work from home.” Write: “My goal is to be working Mondays and Fridays from my home by January 31^st  at 8:00 a.m.” In the area of Finance, don’t write: “My goal is to make a lot of money next year.” Write: “My goal is to be making $100,000 by December 31^st, 12 midnight.”

·      Rule #3 Take Action: This is where most people get stuck. They look at where they are and where they want to be, and they get overwhelmed.

Once you have identified the big picture, focus on the small.

Break it down into bite-sized pieces. Identify 2 – 3 things that you can begin doing now.

·      Rule # 4 Take small, consistent steps. In some cases, these steps need to happen every day. In other cases, once a week is more appropriate. The key here is to be consistent. Treat it like an appointment. For example, if you are developing a new skill, show up at the same time on the same day, for example, every Monday at 7 o’clock.

·      Rule # 5 Check-in and give yourself Feedback. It’s important to be realistic when starting out. Some days you might be able to do more than the assigned goal, but it’s the long-term that matters most.

If you can’t maintain the pace, you’ll drop out of the race. 

After one month, take a look at your track record and see how you are doing. Give yourself permission to change your schedule if that what’s you need to keep your momentum going. 

WARNING: there are 2 things to be aware of when goals setting

1.      Keep in line with your definition of a RichLife. Don’t allow the growth in one area to come at the expense of another. It’s all about keeping balance.

2.      Don’t become so attached to the goal that you lose enjoyment for what you are accomplishing. If you are striving to secure 8 new clients a month, and you only get 4 in the month of July, that’s still 4 more than you would have had the goal not been in place. Keep at it!

Enjoy the process. Remember you are paying the price today to have the life of your dreams, your RichLife.