You may have noticed that learning to play the guitar has been on my list of 100 goals to complete before I die. Not only have I been taking guitar lessons from a teacher locally, but I have also really enjoyed the lessons that Nate Savage from GuitarLessons.com puts on his site and on YouTube.
Recently Nate sent out an email to his newsletter subscribers (you can subscribe to the Money Q&A newsletter here) about meeting an incredible guitar player and one of his heroes that inspired him to strive to become a better guitar player. His video (seen here) got me thinking. What inspires you to become a better saver or investor?
You should and need to be inspired. For many people starting to save or starting to invest is a hard proposition. Far too many people think that they simply can’t save for retirement. They face living paycheck to paycheck and feel like they can’t get off of that rut.
But, you can. You can get inspired to save and invest. Starting is often the hardest part. Below are ten great ways to inspire yourself to start saving and investing, and if you are already saving and investing, hopefully these tips will inspire you to keep going and boost your financial wellbeing.
Ten Ways To Inspire Yourself To Save And Invest
Meet Someone Famous – Like Nate Savage meeting a famous guitar player, I meet Gary Vaynerchuk at a book signing back when he was promoting his book, “Crush It!“. It was incredibly inspiring to meet him, listen to him talk, and get to ask him a few questions. I was on cloud nine for weeks and weeks, full of aspirations and inspired like never before.
Read Books – A recent study found that a majority of millionaires read at least one non-fiction book ever month. If you are a salesman who depends on commissions to make a living, how many books on selling or closing a deal have you read? Finding a great book may be a great way to inspire you. If you are looking for great personal finance books, check out my list of the top ten personal finance books that should be on everyone’s nightstand.
Pay Off A Debt – There are very few things that can inspire someone who is struggling with his finances more than paying off a debt. You can build on your success and turn it into a debt snowball.
Find Someone To Talk To – Do you have a coworker who loves to talk about finances? If you are looking for inspiration to figure out how to finally start investing, maybe you should consider asking that coworker to share some of his or her knowledge with you. Do they have a recommendation for a mutual fund or a discount brokerage.
Read Blogs – One of the biggest reasons bloggers write is to inspire people. How many blogs are you reading? There are some great blogs out there that inspire you to do more, strive for greater things, etc. What are some of your favorites?
Set Goals – Everyone needs goals in their lives, both short-term and long-term ones. You also need goals for your savings and investing. Do you have them? You should set them now that it is a new year.
Plaster Your Goals – Once you have your goals, you should post your goals all over the place, at your home and at work. I am a big fan of putting my number one goal up on the mirror in my bathroom because I look there first thing every morning. It serves as a great reminder and motivator.
Reward Yourself – Hopefully your goals have smaller sub-steps involved to help you reach your big, ultimate goal in the end. Don’t forget to reward yourself when you reach those smaller goals on your way to the main goal. This will inspire you to keep going and achieve the tough ones.
Teach Friends – Teachers are always one of the first people to point out that if you want to truly know and understand a topic, then you need to teach it to someone. Having to pass on knowledge to someone who is depending on you to be a subject matter expert will quickly make you realize that you need to become that subject matter expert.
Write About It – Are you struggling with your finances? Maybe others around you are struggling to? Have you ever considered starting a blog? Have you ever thought about writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper? Getting your thoughts down on paper is quite inspiring.
How do you get inspired? Do the same things that inspire you to succeed financially also inspire you to reach your non-financial goals? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks!
*** I have NOT been paid by GuitarLessons.com in any way, but I just think that Nate’s website, videos, and DVDs are awesome! ***
I’m saying this kind of tongue-in-cheek, but you can also watch tv. It’s similar to your experience, except with out the actual meeting part.
To be honest, I don’t really know what inspires me, other than being able to give back to those who supported me as well as being able to help others. I guess those are good enough reason to draw inspiration though.
I just look at the flexibility I’ll have when I don’t have debt payments to make and my next paycheck is going to make or break my finances.