Category: goals

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People Share the First Thing They Worked Hard for to Save Money to Buy

It’s always a big deal when you’re young and you work hard and save that cash to buy something that you’ve been wanting for a long time.

I remember when I bought my first really nice, flat-screen TV that I’d been saving up for. It was great!

And I still have it…I think it might be time for an upgrade…

Do you remember the first thing you worked hard for to save money to buy?

Here’s how folks on AskReddit responded.

1. Gotta have it!

“A TV for my bedroom.

I wanted one when I was 13, and my parents said that was fine as long as I paid for it myself, so I got a job picking strawberries at a local farm.

Yes, I got my TV, but I was so sick of the sight and smell of strawberries that it was at least a year before I could even think about eating them again.”

2. Sounds cool.

“This huge animal encyclopedia. My mother was very poor but she still let me earn a bit of money by doing extra chores around the house. There was this big animal encyclopedia at a local book store.

It was $150, way too much for even a present so I saved up all my chore money for a very long time. I believe around a year. I still came up short. (I would still buy candy here and there) in the end my mom paid the rest of it.

I spent days reading that thing. I kept it for years in the end I gave it to my younger brother. I don’t know where it’s at now.”

3. You should be proud.

“My first car. I’ve been working since I was 17, minimum wage, and I just bought mine at 19 years old. It cost me $5000, and I was able to pay for it all at once.

I was super happy and proud of myself. It’s a 2012 Ford Focus Sel Hatchback, and I love it a lot.”

4. A great accomplishment.

“My education.

I worked CRAZY hours (60+ hrs/wk, 6 days a week) every Summer while I was in college to cover housing and food while I studied.

It was effort well-spent.”

5. Freedom!

“70 years old here …

A $25 J.C.Higgins 24-inch bike.

It was the embodiment of freedom.”

6. A night to remember.

“My prom dress.

I got a part time job as a sign spinner in the the weekends in high school to pay for my homecoming and prom dresses because I knew my mom couldn’t afford them.”

7. You do you.

“Breast augmentation.

I was pancake flat chested, and was bullied as a child and young adult. I was even made fun of by my own mother, frequently. That really messes with a kids head. So in my 20’s, I left my home state and moved 500 miles away.

I worked 2 jobs for 6 months straight, with 1 day off in 6 months. I scrimped and saved up enough money for surgery, and a week off for recovery.

My self esteem has improved so much, that I am literally a different person That was 25 years ago, and I haven’t regretted it for one moment”

8. Wow.

“My dad told me to earn $3k for my first car and he would match it.

I did. He got me a $6,000 car and told me to keep the money.

He just wanted to see me earn and save it.”

9. All yours.

“A pair of Doc Martens.

My Indo-Canadian parents would never have bought their daughter a pair of combat-esque boots so I saved up from my tutoring job and bought my own.

No regrets!”

10. That’s cool.

“Our French class in high school was going on a field trip to Quebec, It was about $800 or so. I didn’t wanna do any of the fund raising and was 17 at the time delivering pizzas after school.

So every day I’d come in with my previous night’s worth of tips which was about $30-$70 dollars and gave it to my French teacher until I had enough.”

11. A wicked axe.

“In 1998, I bought a B.C. Rich Warlock from a pawn shop on layaway.

I’ll never get rid of it for this reason alone.”

12. A good life lesson.

“A 700 dollar camera. I cleaned and organized garages and sheds for months and months. Totally worth it.

Iwas about 13 or so and I’m very proud I achieved that. I will carry that mindset for the rest of my life.”

13. Sounds amazing.

“A trip to space camp. I saw a commercial for it, copied the address, wrote to them to ask for a brochure.

Told the mailman to hold it for me until I came home from school and to not let my parents see it. Got a job at 14 and worked as many hours as they would let me. Opened a passbook savings account and saved my paychecks, my allowance from chores, my babysitting money, birthday and Christmas money for an entire year.

I even had a jar of change that I had found on the sidewalk. I saved over $1,000 and then asked my parents if I could go. They said no, it was too expensive. I handed them the passbook that said I had more than enough. They couldn’t say no and I went to space camp!

My grandmother even chipped in an extra $200 for spending money. Best 10 days of my young life! I am SUCH a nerd! “

How about you?

Do you remember the first thing you worked really hard to be able to buy?

Tell us your stories in the comments. Thanks!

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Relationship Memes That Give Us All Something to Aspire To

All of us are out here trying our best to form lasting and meaningful relationships. It’s not always easy, especially when we have this vision in our head of what everything is supposed to be, or supposed to feel like. That kind of idealization can get in the way sometimes. Other times, it can clarify what we want and what we need.

And then there are memes.

I don’t know if these relationship goal memes are helpful, hurtful, or just stupid, but they sure do give me something to aspire to.

10. Ride on

This is either adorable or deeply kinky or both.

9. Serving looks

Find you a man who looks at you like Drake looks at everybody.

8. Alienating love

Yeah I’m your soulmate, you’ve just got a weird soul.

7. Love me through the phone

These iPhone sizes are getting out of hand.

6. Monkey business

Why were you sleeping in confetti though?

5. Lasagna love

Without you, it’s a constant case of the Mondays.

4. Order up

Yeah I’ll have uuuuuhhhhhhhh fulfillment.

3. Sleep with me

Say no more, I’ll bring my own pillow and everything.

2. Street style

I think I’ll just park myself right here for a while.

1. Fry do

I hear wedding bells and Taco Bells in equal measure.

If I didn’t know what I wanted before, I certainly do now. And it’s fries. I want a bunch of fries.

What are your relationship goals?

Tell us in the comments.

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WOOP Is a Research-Backed Method to Help You Achieve Your Goals

All of us could use a little boost when it comes to hitting the goals we set for ourselves, right? A lot of folks out there have tried all different kinds of plans and methods to motivate themselves, but it’s just not easy.

Luckily, there is one that is backed up by research, and you might want to consider implementing it into your own life.

It’s called WOOP, which stands for wish, outcome, obstacle, plan. It’s a mental strategy meant to help you realize and achieve your goals. It’s also been called “mental contrasting.”

Here are the four, easy-to-follow steps to WOOP.

1. Identify your wish.

Your wish or goal could be something big like getting a new job or something small(ish), like going to the gym four or five days a week.

gym

2. Identify the best possible outcome if that wish came true.

Ask yourself how you would feel if you achieved that goal. What would the best possible outcome be from the situation? If a new job would relieve the stress in your life, maybe feeling calmer in your everyday life would be the best outcome.

Roman Cab

3. Recognize the obstacles that currently keep you from achieving that goal. 

Ask yourself this question: what is holding you back from achieving your goal? And, in turn, from feeling the best possible outcome? Maybe you don’t feel like you’re good enough for a new job? Maybe you don’t have any connections that could land you an interview for that new gig?

Manon a Job Interview

4. Make a plan to reach the goal.

How can you start to overcome these obstacles? Maybe you could start emailing or reaching out to a few people every week to make the connections you need to get your foot in the door at a new company. Maybe you can completely re-do your resume and send it out to all your friends and former co-workers, expressing your interest in getting a new job. You should also ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” to try to put your fears to rest.

Smile

As I mentioned earlier, WOOP doesn’t have to be for huge, momentous decisions. You can use this method for smaller things, like cleaning your house or exercising more. The folks behind WOOP say that it can “support all areas of behavior change. It is for people who feel stuck and don’t know what to do. It is also for people whose lives seem just fine but who feel they can do better. And it is for people who face a particular challenge or transition.”

And the research doesn’t lie. Study participants who followed WOOP doubled the amount of exercise they did over a four-month period. They ate 30% more fruits and vegetables over a two-year period. And WOOP helped people with diabetes improve their self-care.

And those are just a few examples of how it was effective.

What do you think about WOOP? Have you tried it? Did it work for you? Maybe you have some other methods for reaching your goals?

Tell us what works for you in the comments!

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New Year, New You – 8 Ways to Start Actually Enjoying Exercise

Just about everyone has struggled with their weight at some point. It’s an ongoing struggle for most of us, and one of the biggest hurdles that people can’t get past is that most of us hate exercise! It’s just not as enjoyable as sitting under the covers and binging your favorite Netflix shows.

Wouldn’t life be so much more enjoyable if exercising wasn’t a chore? I think so. If you do, too, then check out these 8 tips for turning yourself into someone who will actually stick to those resolutions – and not hate doing it, either.

#1. Take notes on your progress.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Motivation is far easier to find when you can easily see how you’ve improved, whether or not you’re feeling great that day. Track distance run, weight lifted, sit-ups or pushups or burpees accomplished, etc, to see how far you’ve come.

#2. Know your excuses.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Acknowledge ahead of time all of the things that get in your way when it comes to keeping your commitment, and punch them in the face before they can hold you back.

#3. Allow yourself time off.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Even a whole week, if you’re going to be out of town or super busy with a deadline or something similar. It’s okay to give yourself a break – in fact, you’ll be more likely to keep your goals if you do.

#4. Save your Netflix binge for cardio time.

Image Credit: Pixabay

What better motivation to hop on the treadmill than the next episode of whatever show you never have time to watch otherwise?

#5. Don’t make your goals about weight loss.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Make it about your clothes fitting better, or you having more energy or better muscle tone, etc. It’s easier to maintain and also, weight truly is just a number.

#6. Evaluate your lifestyle.

Image Credit: Pixabay

A workout routine is only going to stick if it fits with your other lifestyle elements – if you’re going out drinking four nights a week there’s no way you’re getting up early to work out every morning. Change only happens when you can incorporate it into your everyday.

#7. Don’t worry about looking silly.

Image Credit: Pixabay

This is great advice for everything you do in life, tbh, but it goes double for those classes at the gym you’ve always wanted to try but don’t because you worry you’ll look dumb. Who cares? Have fun and get fit in the process – anyone who would make fun of you is showing their own insecurity and nothing else.

#8. Make your goals weekly, instead of a giant one.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Say you’re going to exercise 3 days a week instead of “lose 20 pounds by Memorial Day,” etc.

Here’s hoping it takes!

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How You Can Be One of the 8% of People Who Always Reaches Their Goals

According to recent studies, a full 92% of people don’t reach the goals they set for themselves. The secret to the success of the 8%? It lies in their ability to set clear, correct goals at the outset.

For a few example,s you can apply to your own life, read on!

First off, use the acronym SMART when setting your goals. It helps you remember that they should be:

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Specific: Instead of saying “start working out” say “do one exercise video” or “jog one mile.”

Measurable: Quantify your goals. If you want to lose weight, specify how much and in what length of time.

Achievable: There’s nothing wrong with dreaming big, but you’re more likely to meet a goal that has a number or time-frame attached to it – “earn $20k more than last year” is better than “earn more money.”

Relevant: Make your goals so that they fit into your life so you’ll be more likely to attempt/accomplish them. Instead of making it a goal to simply meet other people who enjoy the things you do, say that you’re going to join a book club or hiking club or take a cooking class – whatever applies.

and Timebound: This should be obvious, but we’re way more likely to meet goals that have firm time limits attached. You want to learn German by your 28th birthday and your reward is a trip to Germany. Etc.

For a different tact, you can try these 12 proven steps by Canadian life coach Brian Tracy. Many of the underlying principles are the same, but steps work better for some people when it comes to conceptualizing and execution.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

  1. Get a burning desire to reach your goal.
  2. Convince yourself it can be done.
  3. Write it down.
  4. Write down the pros or benefits of accomplishing your goal.
  5. Make a timeline – where are you starting and where the finish line is.
  6. Set a deadline to accomplish your goal.
  7. List out possible obstacles so you can head them off as best as possible.
  8. Research – do you need any training/information that will help you on your way?
  9. Find people to help/mentor you.
  10. Make a to-do list that is as detailed as possible.
  11. Spend some time visualizing how you will feel/what it will look like to reach your goal.
  12. Make a decision – right from the start – not to give up until you get there.

There are other methods out there if you’re still not sure these will be easy to implement, but we’ve gotten you started! The bottom is line you have to have a clear, strong vision of what you want to accomplish, believe that you can get it done, and then set a solid path with a marked finish line to help you get there.

Good luck!

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