Russ Dalbey's Blog - Dalbey Education Institute

Dental health and goals for wealth

I really didn't want to brush my teeth last night.

It was late. I'd had a long work day, I was exhausted, and I didn't even eat dinner anyway. I just wanted to go to bed. I actually stared at myself in the mirror for a while, fighting myself on this.

Then I thought, "wow, maybe I can use this for my blog tomorrow!"

Let me explain.

I often hear people say that they would or could have done something but they just “didn’t feel like it.”  I know it can be difficult to stay motivated, especially when you’re tired, busy or stressed, but here’s the thing: staying motivated is the key to success in all areas of your life.

Ask any person who is successful what motivates them, and very likely the answer will be “goals.” Goal setting is extremely important to maintaining motivation and ensuring success. 

So how can you develop the internal motivation that really counts?

First, ask yourself: What motivates me?  What gets me excited, alert, or even angry? Why do I get up every day? Or, if you’re setting goals for something specific – like making sure you always brush your teeth daily – ask yourself why you’re chasing this objective. Remember, be honest! If you can’t show yourself that what you’re working towards is worthwhile, odds are you won’t ever get there.

Now that you’ve made it clear to yourself what you’re trying to accomplish, and justified to yourself why it’s worth the effort, move on to setting goals. Have you set big (but realistic) goals for yourself? Good!

Next, to really set things in motion, you’ve got to write your goals down. That sets the bar, makes the target real and holds you accountable (to yourself!). So - how do you make your goals a reality? 
In order to make your goals set into your brain, your psyche, to really take hold of your life – you have to restate them to yourself every day – at least twice a day. I recommend you do this once in the morning, before you get out of bed; and once in the evening, before you go to sleep.

You’ll need to state your goals to yourself – loud enough for you to hear it. Why? Because by hearing your goals aloud, you’ll be stimulating the aural centers of your mind to get them to really “take root.” Tense your body and clench your fists while you say your goals, and look up and focus your eyes on an imaginary spot above you – as if you were trying to look at the inside of your forehead. This helps activate the subconscious mind. Say your goals at least 10 times (that’s right, 10 times!) while you create physical tension in your body and focus your vision inward.  (For more tips on goal setting, refer to my previous blog entry, “One Minute Guide To Achieving Anything.”)

Motivation that comes from within really makes the difference, so give it a try. I know that if you do, you’ll feel better and more in control of your life. Since what drives you is uniquely yours, I can’t do it for you. It’s up to you to take the initiative and make it happen. I know you can do it!

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

P.S. Don't worry mom - I did brush my teeth.

My Top Ten Tips for Getting Out of Debt

Believe it or not, I’ve been in debt. BIG DEBT. I mean, there were times when I would look for things to sell just to pay the bills.

It was the worst feeling in the world!

I always had stacks of unpaid bills, creditors calling me and a real uneasy feeling in my stomach. And I wasn’t the only one. It seemed like everyone I knew had the same problem.

The truth is, debt has reached epic proportions in our society. Whether you're rich, poor, or somewhere in the middle, chances are you've got debt that's working against your dreams of financial independence.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, I want you to take some action today to start getting out of debt. You’ll be AMAZED at how much better you feel when you don’t have bills hanging over your head. (And you don’t have to win the Powerball jackpot to get out of even the most unbearable debt!)

I’ve been there, and now I’m debt free. Here a few tips I used a long the way:

1. If you're in over your head with multiple credit card accounts, you need to destroy your cards right away.  Just keep one card for emergencies. Remember, credit cards have compounded interest – so you actually get charged interest ON INTEREST! So, don’t use them unless you can pay them.

2. Pay more than the minimum payment every month – in fact, pay as much as you can.  Money in your account isn’t making you money as fast as your unpaid credit card debt is losing you money!

3. Pay off the credit card with the highest interest rate first and pay the rest in descending order. If you tackle the biggest money drain right away you could make a huge impact on your cash flow in a matter of one month.

4. After you pay off one credit card, don't let up. Apply the money you've been paying that particular company to paying off another credit card or another outstanding bill. Set a “credit pay-off budget” and stick to it as you pay down cards. Once you get to the last one, it will seem easy!

5. Don’t “rotate” your debts – pay every one every month. It’s easy to pay a few on time one month, and switch around for the next month. That just keeps you further behind.

6. If you own a home, consider taking out a home equity loan.  You could save hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars by paying off your high-interest credit debt by moving those balances into a fixed-rate home equity loan. 

7. Pay additional money towards your mortgage principal.  This can add up to tens of thousands of dollars!

8. Open a savings account or an IRA with some of the funds you were dedicating to a now-paid credit card. Special tax-protected investments like an IRA can save you thousands in taxes over the years.

9. Consider debt consolidation. It could help you to consolidate and pay your debt off more quickly. Beware of companies that make unbelievable promises about "fixing" your credit, though - at best, they can be very expensive. At worst, they can be fraudulent. You might be best off consulting with a reliable non-profit credit counseling agency first, such as Debt Counselors of America (DCA) - www.dca.org/.

10. If you need help along the way, contact the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (1-800-388-2227). They will help you organize and consolidate your debt.

I know you're focused on financial success and maximizing your wealth. Don't overlook how much your debt can undermine your efforts to get ahead. If you take even a few of these tips to heart, you'll soon be well on your way to a debt free, financially successful future.  I know you can do it!

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

P.S. This article is also available at the RepairCreditAmerica.com website. Click here for the link.

One Minute Guide To Achieving Anything

It’s about that time when we start to forget what the heck we even resolved to do this not-so-new-anymore year. I see it around the office. People who had big goals, like quitting smoking, are starting to give up.

“Oh well… maybe next year.”

NO! Give me a minute first.

Obviously, being the goal-oriented guy that I am, this kind of thing makes me a little angry. So, let me take a minute to stop your would-be abandonment of your resolution with a little bit of advice.

Listen – no matter how far you are from your resolution after a month and half, you DON’T have to give up. You just need to refine….

People ask me the same question all the time: “What’s your secret to success?”

And let me tell you… the answer is really darn simple!

I plan to succeed.

It sounds simple, right? Yet it’s often the most overlooked element to success. Since I caught you in time, you have a good chance to put that piece of advice on your New Years Resolutions – albeit just a little behind schedule.

Here’s the truth: Most people fail to follow through on New Year’s resolutions for one of three reasons:

1. The resolution isn’t specific and measurable.
2. The resolution is too extreme.
3. They have no plan to succeed.

Let’s look at those…

The resolution isn’t specific and measurable

Too many people say things like “I resolve to lose some weight” or “I resolve to make more money.” Good resolutions, but they leave too much open to interpretation. If you lose a pound, that’s some weight, right? If you get a $50 bonus at work, that’s some money, right? Make your resolutions – which are really just goals – specific. “I resolve to lose 10 pounds by June 1” or “I resolve to make $100 extra each month beginning in April.”

(HINT: For even better results, make your resolution POSITIVE. For example, “I will run in the big 10K race this May” is better than “I will lose 10 pounds.” Why? Because it gives you something to strive for – and a reward. Negative goals are HARD to fulfill because your focusing on depriving yourself of something instead of rewarding yourself.)

The resolution is too extreme

When we set a goal and fail, we feel bad. This can discourage us from moving forward. Break things up into manageable pieces. “I resolve to be a millionaire this year” is perhaps a good goal if you already have $975,000 in the bank. But it may not be attainable for many of us. Perhaps a better goal would be “I resolve to open a new savings account and have a $2,500 balance by December 31.” Challenge yourself, but don’t set unreasonable expectations.

They have no plan to succeed

This is the biggest problem of all. Sometimes I get the chance to talk to people who purchased one of our courses but never built a business. When I ask them why, it usually comes down to “I just didn’t do it.” You have to have a plan to succeed, even if you start small. If you want to write a book, plan to write at least 15 minutes each day. Before long, you’ll have page after page completed. Big projects – and resolutions for that matter – don’t get completed in one day. You have to plan to work toward your goal each and every day.

Try these three simple steps with one of your New Year’s resolutions (or any other goal you may have) and I think you’ll be surprised at the results.

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

Super Bowl Commercials create a long lasting effect

I’m not a team sports guy. So, this time of year my head isn’t spinning with Super Bowl afterthoughts or dreams of missed calls and dropped passes. But I did watch the Super Bowl. And I enjoyed it.

See, there is a not-so-obvious element of individual competition there that I like. In fact, it’s probably the part that most of us casual observers enjoy most – the commercials. While Super Bowl commercials may not be the most cost effective use of a marketing budget (they have singlehandedly sunk large companies into financial ruin) they do provide good lessons for entrepreneurs like us.

How?

Well, it’s hard to squeeze a message into 30 seconds. Near impossible. Yet, as a home business owner you MUST do it. And you must do it effectively if you want to leave a lasting impression.

“On whom,” you ask?

On anyone and everyone you meet.

So, I always recommend that every home-based entrepreneur come up with his or her own “30 Second Face-to-Face Commercial.” Word of mouth is your most powerful source of advertising. And it’s free. But what better place to take a cue from than the $2.6 million sound bites on Super Bowl Sunday.

In 30 seconds you don’t have time for detail. Instead, you need to communicate the key messages of who you are, what benefit you provide and how your customers should feel about you.

Some commercials do it… Take FedEx’s pre-historic slant on safe, reliable delivery.

Some commercials don’t… Remember the cat in the kitchen from last year. Good. Now, remember what they were selling? NOPE.

When you’re coming up with your personal commercial, consider these three points:

1) How do I describe what I do in less than five seconds?

If it takes longer than that, you’re confusing your customer. If you make lawns greener, tell your customer that. If you help people free themselves of debt, say that. Don’t bore your customers with details.

2) What is the number one benefit my company provides over anything else?

No matter what you’re saying, your customer is thinking one thing: “How does this benefit me?” So, don’t forget to tell them that. Volvos are safe. FedEx is reliable. BMW is the “Ultimate Driving Machine,” packed with speed and performance. What are you offering EXACTLY? If you can summarize your key benefit in one sentence, you’re doing well.

3) What should your customer do NOW?

This is the part most Super Bowl commercials forget. Tell you customer exactly what they should do next. Whether you want them to call you, have one of their clients call you, visit a web site or mail in a form… tell them exactly how you can help.

Maybe if the big spenders had listened to this advice, there would be a few less teary-eyed ad executives on Madison Avenue this month.

By the way, this years winners are…

FedEx…
GoDaddy…
And Burger King.

I think the Steelers might have won the game.

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

Welcome to the Dalbey Education Institute Blog!

Here at the The Dalbey Education Institute, we provide a simple, affordable and accessible vehicle for financial success. This newly formed institute is based on 10 years of proven success in wealth education, and it represents a groundbreaking level of guidance and support for home-based entrepreneurs. We pride ourselves on going beyond teaching  people from all walks of life how to make money – our methods also give our students practical and proven ways to be successful on their own terms.

The Institute specializes in “Results Education,” offering simple, real-life methods for achieving financial independence.  All of the principles we teach are founded by the belief that everyone should have access to affordable, risk-free financial growth opportunities.

Please join us with your comments and success stories as we take the journey of success together. We would love to add your input to our collective experience and knowledge.

Warmly,

Russ Dalbey