This weekend, it was 82 degrees in Southern California. Summertime in January! Every weekend I go for a 20 mile bike ride around the park. Beautiful weather brings out everybody, so it was crowded on the bike path. When I pass, I warn people that I am coming up on their left to let them know I am there for their and my safety. In California a bicycle rider must follow the vehicle code. I am obligated to pass on the left. They are supposed to ride on the right. Yes, the right, this is not Great Britain! That is true for the walkers as well. I came on a few riders and walkers and warned them I was on their left, the rider did not move to the right. He proceeded to curse me out and call me an old man. I am old, but I was going faster than him, so it was not even slightly warranted. I don’t know what was bugging him. Was he being just self-absorbed, selfish or worse? As a society, we expect everyone to follow the rules. We need everyone to stop at a red light or stop sign. Anything else is chaos!
So what was that all about? Just blowing off steam? Well, maybe! Life is a journey with rules, opportunities and pitfalls. Just like my ride there are rules to follow, if you want to be successful. Savings (including investments) is the number one rule. It is the difference between rich and poor. Savings provide choices. It may mean a good retirement, money for a vacation, your child’s education, or owning a home. Savings is part of living within your means! What does that mean? It is as simple as living on less than you earn. This is true no matter how much you earn. Part of living on less than you earn is staying out of debt except for a home mortgage.
How can you earn more? To earn more, you need education or training. Formal or informal training or education is the number two rule to succeed. A high school diploma is not enough to succeed in life. There are a lot of choices, but the difference between a good life and a life where you will struggle is that additional training. Remember the training can be informal such as learning various skills in a kitchen to eventually become a chef or go to culinary school and receive formal training. After graduation, you will move up much faster to become a chef. Going to college is a choice for some, but it does not teach you to be president of a company. College shows you learned certain skills to prepare you for a career. Now it is up to you to gain the experience to become successful.
How do get what you want? Setting goals and establishing a plan is the third rule. To be successful in life, this rule is one of the most important! Everybody says they want to be rich and happy, but they do not know how to get there. Using SMART goals is a good start to establish goals and a plan to reach them. This works for anything you want, whether it is professional, personal or educational goal. Goals can range from reading a 400 page book in 20 days to saving money for a down payment for your first home.
These are not the only rules you have to watch out for on life’s journey, but they are the important ones. Success is the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Achieving success means following these rules and avoiding the pitfalls. Pitfalls can be huge debt, insufficient training and no goals. Look out, follow the rules and avoid the danger ahead! What are you doing to make your life better?
Photo by: chego 101
I am trying to make my life better by actually thinking about what I want. My life has been all about the kids, and now I need to think about me a little bit. I am exercising more, going out with my husband more, and socializing with friends a little bit more. Nothing earth shattering or even remotely interesting to anyone else, but it does help me. I am sure I may sound a big self-centered right now, but don’t worry, the family is still being well taken care of. 🙂
The goals are not mutually exclusive! Life can be better for everyone
I have to disagree with you on one point. While it’s true you can’t get ahead financially if you’re spending more than you’re making, savings are not the difference between the rich and the poor. Investments are. Rich people did not get rich by putting money in savings accounts and collecting low bank interest. They got rich and stayed rich by spending less than they made and making smart investments, such as their own companies, or stock in other companies, etc. Of course, this goes to your second point – education. They educated themselves about investing in general or at least about the industry they invested in.
There is no disagreement! When I refer to savings, I am including investments.
Being rich starts with a state of mind. Most wish they were rich, but don’t want to put in the effort.
Most people leave it as a wish too! It takes goals and a plan to reach it. If it were easy, everyone would be rich!
Shouldn’t pedestrians walk on the left of the road unless they have a sidewalk? It’s what makes sense to me, since you can see the cars coming, and potentially jump out of the way should some crazy driver go into the shoulder toward you.
Some people are just dicks on the road sometimes, even me. Can’t sweat it too much. 😉
When I lived in New York and New Jersey, that was the law. In California, I believe the law is to walk with traffic (same direction). I agree it would make better sense for the walker to face traffic.
I was thinking the same thing. Here you have to walk on the side of the road towards traffic. 82 degrees???? It’s like 20 here
Atleast that is my understanding! It is down to the low 70’s for the rest of the week. More typical, yet a little above normal.
If there’s no sidewalk and you’re walking int the street you walk facing oncoming traffic in CA too.
In this particular circumstance, it was a bicycle path. The walkers need to walk on the right along with traffic. If they do not, they will block the whole path. It is my understanding that the bicycle path is similar to a road each faction represent traffic in a particular direction. The metaphor was intended to add interest to the rules.
I certainly agree that goal-setting is among the most important things one can do to position oneself for success. There must be a plan, and I love SMART goals too! BTW, I’m jealous of the weather.
I really feel the plan or execution is key in achieving goals. Don’t be too jealous, it is cooling down to the low to mid seventies! Along with the great weather, you get a sky high cost of living and miserable traffic.
Hmm how old was this guy? If he’s of the younger generation, then that might be just the way he was brought up. I think kids these days are self-centred and occasionally rude.
I feel so old for saying that!
My guess is he was in his late twenties or early thirties. It doesn’t bother me, it just struck me as odd that he says this as I am passing him!
I had a similar incident on one of my business trips a couple of months and it bugged me for a while too. A young woman wanted me (and ultimately everyone) to get out of the aisle and let her off the plane first because she had a tight connection. I declined because I also had a plane to catch in 20 minutes and she started making a big scene and saying she was going to get fired, and I was rude, etc.
The funny thing was she was on my next flight as well.
In a strange way, doesn’t that give you satisfaction? BTW, good for you for standing up to her.