Picture Your Prosperity summary

Alright, so a prosperity picture is nice but how do you make it a reality? The first step is to prepare your brain for the future you desire and that means believing it’s possible. To achieve this it’s necessary to use visualization, because simply visualizing your goals will bring them closer.

How?

OK, so visualizing your goals can help you realize them, but not without the money necessary. So it’s also key to start planning.

While most people don’t like to consider finances, success depends on getting them under control. That’s because without making financial considerations and plans, living the life you want will be an impossibility. For instance, the parents of Jim, one of the author’s clients, had a classic picture of retirement: they were going to sell their house, buy an RV and head out on the open road.

OK, now that you know your current financial state you’re ready to plan a path to your prosperity picture. The first step is getting rid of your debt.

We all know that debts can accumulate in all sorts of ways from mortgages to car payments but one of the most pernicious debts is that from credit cards. That’s because they can creep up on you and the option to spend now and pay later can make big problems.

Even if you earn an above average salary you might find yourself with not much left to spend at the end of the month. Well, you’re not alone. But you can change this situation and boost your net worth. It all begins with controlling your spending.

Start by writing a spending plan. First determine your net income, everything you earn after taxes. Then make a list of all your expense and organize them into groups. For instance, healthcare, housing, transportation, education, children, personal, entertainment and so on.

So, you’ve got the tools to accomplish most dreams but not all dreams are small and time is not always on your side. Don’t want to wait 25 years to reach your goals? Don’t worry. Just use short-term investment strategies.

That means going beyond savings accounts and considering other options. For instance, certificates of deposits are an investment tool that require you to commit to keeping your money invested for a fixed time period, generally five to six years. While they afford you less flexibility than savings accounts they pay higher interest which increases the longer your money stays put.