Every year around this time, I do some brainstorming about what I want to accomplish throughout the year. It’s a goal setting exercise whereby I think about what’s important to me, the achievements I want to make and how they fit into my long term goals. Then, I spend some time figuring out how I’m going to balance my goals with other important things in my life like my education, travel, relationships, etc.
At this time last year, for example, I developed a plan to write a new personal finance book for young couples aged 25 to 40. My mission was to give readers the tools to grow their net worth. I’ve accomplished my goal and in March 2010 I plan to release my second book, Rich by Forty: A Young Couple’s Guide to Building Net Worth. In order to accomplish this goal, I had to find balance. Yes, there were many late nights where I hovered over my computer, BUT, I made sure that I did some travel, built up my personal finances, strengthened my relationships, spent time developing my career, balanced my budget every month and much more. Had I not struck a balance between these competing priorities, I’m sure I would have experienced a very unfulfilling year.
What follows are strategies on how to take the conflicting priorities for your time, money and energy and figure out what’s important to you.
Last week, I lost my business credit card. I was at a lunch spot and had paid for the meal with my Visa card. I thought the credit card had made its way into my purse. My purse, however, is an abyss of cards, make-up, wallet, pictures, to-do lists, my cell phone, books, snack bars and who knows what else. I figured my Visa card would surface when I did my weekly clean-up. The card never turned up. Turns out, I’d left it at the counter where I’d paid for my lunch a few days earlier. Even people like me, a person that keeps a close watch on her money, can lose track of their finances.
Even though the market has started to strengthen and the economy is picking up, employment is a “lagging indicator.” If pundits say the recession is over, many of us will still find ourselves at the receiving end of a pink slip. Recent Stats Canada reports showed that EI beneficiaries shot up more than 50 per cent (roughly 300,000 Canadian) since last October. In 
