Creating Your Future Starts Today...an article I wrote in 2009

http://voices.yahoo.com/creating-future-starts-today-3603507.html?cat=5


Creating Your Future Starts Today


How to create your future in the present time?


Many people these days are wondering how to create the future they want. Well, maybe some have not really thought too much about, being content with things as they are now in their own lives.
But really the old sayings about failing to plan leads to not much.(paraphrased).



It is my personal opinion that to plan or set goals is something that all of us should do.
Because when we do this we make our life more interesting, and we create a hope of a better future for both ourselves and our children.


Also when we reach our own personal goals that we have shared with others, we encourage others to work towards their own goals. Sometimes it takes a long time to reach a particular goal and we can become discouraged, when something we desire takes a long time.


Okay, so saying that, how do you create your future in the present time?


Well first you need to consider your health. Do you have any health problems, or do you have the potential to have a major health problem in the near future due to your lifestyle choices?



These are questions that you need to ask yourself. If you have answered yes to any health related correctable or preventable problems your first goal needs to address these areas in your life. You will have a very unpleasant future if your health is completely gone or in serious condition later on.



So first get a health check up if at all possible. Next begin a regular routine exercise program to build endurance and strength. This can help prevent accidents and injuries as you get older.



If you have not exercised in a while you'll need to begin slower than if you have been exercising. If you have been exercising and are in fairly good health, I would suggest enrolling in a self-defense class, something like martial arts for example. And plan to continue this long term.



This gives you both flexibility and strength, endurance, and makes you less of a target as you get older. Also lessens your risk for many health problems because that you will increase your oxygen that is circulating through out your body, your body needs oxygen to operate well, and needs to have good circulation in order for you to stay healthy.



When you do not have good circulation or good oxygen flow through out your body, it makes it easy for your body to begin to shut down due to minor illnesses becoming major.
It takes longer for your body to heal when the antibodies in your own body are not able to move fast enough to strengthen your immune system, which means a minor problem can get a stronger foot hold in your body. Then you need more medication in order to help your body fight off an illness or injury.



All medications have side-effects so this is something that is a concern. A healthy body has less need for medications. This means that you will have less side-effect from medications, and it means that you will have to spend less on medications.


Medications cost a lot. You don't want to have to spend your hard earned retirement fund paying for various life sustaining medications if at all possible. There are things to spend money on that are a lot more interesting and fun than medications.



Okay, I know I just spent a lot of time on health matters and your future. But the reason for that is because without good health your future will not be very pleasant. So today while you're thinking about it you need to make your physical health a high priority.



Next, you will want to have some kind of savings for when you are old. So you need to save a little money every week. If you have a paycheck with direct deposit have your money divided as it goes into the bank, with a percentage of each check going into savings. Also put the highest allowable deduction into your 401k account every week, if you have a 401k account. I believe most companies have these now, some may not.



Also ask if your employer will deduct a certain amount each week to go towards the purchase of savings bonds, if they will do this, then every few weeks you'll have a savings bond that you can put back. These earn interest for up to forty years, but after that you'll need to cash them in. I believe it takes about five years maybe a couple more for a savings bond to double in value, so this is a long term investment. This is worth it in my opinion. Because it teaches you to put something back.



Next live well below your means. If you can afford a thousand dollars a month for a place to rent or purchase, look for something that is a lot less. Even if it is a small trailer, then put what you would of been spending into savings. If you can put back a hundred dollars every single week, that is 5200 per year saved, not counting interest, savings bonds, and 401k, also if your bank offers it a RothIRA is a good idea. Put as much as you can into that each week or month.



Even if you can only put a little back each week put something back. Small change mounts up, and you never know when you may need some funds for an emergency.



It is very important to have your financial house in order in my opinion. You don't want to enter into retirement with no savings, and many unpaid bills. Saving the maximum you can every year will be a help to you in your old age. Making it much easier to do many things you may want to do later on like traveling for instance.



I forgot to mention you do need to also make sure that you pay all of your monthly bills on time, every time.


Because a good credit rating is very important. If you must have a credit or debit card, make sure that the monthly bill is paid in full every month. To avoid late charges, next you need to always know what is in your checking account and keep a close eye on that. So you can avoid overcharges, or bouncing checks. Because it is pointless to have a checking account to pay bills and then have so many bounced check fees every week or month that you end up paying more out than you make.
Your future can be well planned if you put things in order of importance. The first area would be physical, mental and spiritual health. The second area is to live well below your means. Then third have a savings plan of some kind that you can stick to every week. Fourth is to keep all of your bills paid on time if at all possible. Also don't go into avoidable debt, in order to have a pleasurable time now that will take many years to pay off.



You may live many years in your retirement, those years can be full, and exciting and fun. But it is unlikely they will if you do not maintain or restore your health to the best possible condition. Also if you fail to save, you may find yourself working just in order to meet your daily needs. Which means instead of having time to do many things you may have wanted to do during your golden years, you will be kept to someone else's schedule for you. And someone else will decide for you when you can take a vacation and for how long.



Retirement can be a time to spend with family, friends, to travel, to become more involved in your community and world. Or retirement can be a time of dependency and confinement.



You create your future today by the choices you make. If you choice a sedentary lifestyle then when you get old you may find your life one of confinement. If you choose an active and healthy lifestyle today you may find more opportunities in your future than your sedentary neighbor, then if you have saved well, your retirement may just be the best time of your life, the time when you can enjoy all the things you could not when you were kept to someone else's schedule.



Last always remember to be kind to everyone you meet whether they deserve it or not, because one day the person your speaking to may be the one caring for you in your old age. Treat every individual as you yourself would desire to be treated.