BLOG postings: (link to Achieving Success BLOG for all posts and PDF downloads)

Discipline to Success:

The Components of Well-Roundness

So they committed themselves to the will of God and resolved to proceed.
William Bradford of Plymouth Plantation, 1620.

continuation from BLOG post: part VI.f

Last week:

We placed all five character attributes in the model to compare total energy and total impact on motivation (the structure forms an inverse pyramid). The model answers the question which character attribute to develop first.

You begin with the physical attribute because it requires less x(n)-units of total energy but returns the most y(n)-units of motivation and self-confidence. You can then use your increase motivation and self-confidence to shape the other character attributes. We continue our discussion here.

Q: Won’t energy and motivation levels differ among people?

The numbers and energy levels presented in the model are examples. Time and energy will vary among people and can change frequently under different circumstances. What the model illustrates, however, is the total time and energy to develop and strengthen the physical attribute is generally less than the other four attributes.

Once you complete your physical exercise for the day, for example, it’s over. There is no more action required until the next day. The education, social and spiritual attributes, on the other hand, may require continuous action from you all day depending on the kind of development that you are making.

Character changes that require more total energy are harder to achieve than character changes that require less total energy. That is why you should develop first those character attributes that require less total energy. This will differ among people. Some of us are more socially inclined and may find that developing our social attribute requires less total energy than developing our physical attribute. But if you are unsure of your strengths, I suggest you develop and shape your physical character first before developing the other character attributes.

The required energy to make a physical change, both internal and external, is less than the other four attributes. Energy is the force that plans the jogging schedule, the force that wakes you each morning, and the force that moves your legs down the jogging track. And at the completion of each run, you become motivated by your action. Motivation becomes the force that prompts you out of bed each morning. It’s the force that encourages you each day to complete your physical development goal.

Motivation increases as you notice a positive physical change. Motivation propels you to greater speeds. You begin to build self-confidence. Increased self-confidence translates into increased physical discipline. Motivation, self-confidence, and increased physical discipline work together to give you the strength to shape your other character attributes and to achieve your goals for success.

Q: How would you summarize the concepts in this chapter?

Discipline is the foundation of all goal planning. Without discipline, your goals will never get accomplished. You can increase self-discipline by overcoming your character weaknesses and strengthening the five attributes that make up your character.

The five character attributes include our physical, physical temperance, education, social and spiritual attributes. Some of us may be strong in one or two of these attributes but weak in others. This makes us awkwardly shaped.

Awkwardly shaped characters have a more difficult time achieving their goals. Rounding your character will help you accomplish your goals more efficiently by increasing your self-discipline. You can round your character by developing and strengthening each attribute — much like shaping a saucer on a potter’s wheel.

You begin rounding your character by strengthening one character attribute at a time. The key to this development is to select a character attribute that requires the least amount of energy to achieve, but impacts in greater proportion your motivation. The physical attribute requires less total energy and impacts motivation at greater levels than any of the other four attributes. The physical attribute becomes the first character attribute to develop and is the subject of our discussion in the next posting.

———-
Read more about achieving success and become something grand: subscribe to our RSS feed

This article is the first in a series of occasional articles discussing the purchase of a second home whether for vacation or investment purposes.

If you are in the market for a second home, you know — that beach or mountain house you always wanted — 2008 is shaping up to be a very good year for you to make your move.

Although some homeowners are finding it difficult to even keep up with their monthly payments, a significant number of consumers are looking at expanding their real estate holdings by purchasing another home.

Home Prices Have Declined

What is fueling the demand for second homes? Answer: the recent decline in home values has suddenly made buying a home at the shore much more affordable.

In the April 2008 issue of Money magazine, Your Money & Your Life columnist Jean Chatzy shared her desire to buy a home on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. This popular summer beach destination has seen home prices increase by as much as 25% annually until last year when the market reversed course, sending prices down by 13%.

Know Your Housing Market

Of course, the drop in prices in one vacation market doesn’t translate into an across-the-board decrease everywhere else. If you are searching for a bargain, then you’ll need to do your homework before investing:

• Obtain real estate comps (comparables) for homes in your desired market. A knowledgeable real estate agent can get this information to you and provide valuable information about local market trends.

• Read up on the area that interests you. Let’s say that you want to buy a home in Kure Beach, NC. Google the town and find articles discussing the town’s future, taxes, building rights, etc. Visit the town’s website for additional town news.

• Visit again and again. You may like a certain community in the summer, but not in the off-season. If you plan on spending time at your second home in the winter months, will there be enough for you to do to avoid boredom?

• Talk with a mortgage lender. You may be in terrific shape financially, more than able to meet your current obligations, with plenty of cash left over. Visit a mortgage broker now to see just how much home you can afford — financing rates for second homes have dropped in recent months.

Shop Around For Your Second Home

Finally, if you have decided that a second home is right for you, then shop around. With home values down in many areas, you could shave tens of thousands of dollars off of the asking price for some homes that an owner all to willing to quit. Your mortgage pre-qualification letter will come in handy at this time, just the right tool to help you make your best deal in 2008.

Resources

Buying A Home

Home Purchase Loans

Mortgage 101

Tags: beach home, beach house, mountain property, refinance, second home, shore property

Short term interest rates have dropped by 2.5% since last Fall thanks mostly to the Federal Reserve Bank pushing its discount rate down to some of its lowest numbers in history. Although at 3.25% the discount rate is above the all time low of 1.00% reached in 2004, the result should be much lower consumer rates across the board.

Except when it comes to credit cards.

Curiously to many consumers, credit card rates haven’t dropped as fast as some would have hoped. Instead, some cardholders have been rudely awakened and are now paying rates that are higher than ever before.

Credit Card Rates Increase

Bankrate.com, one website that tracks this sort of information has said that credit card interest rates have decreased by about 1.4% since last October. On the other hand, some issuers have hiked up their rates to the chagrin of cardholders.

Reasons For The Uptick

There are several reasons why consumers are paying more for their credit cards when they should be paying less including:

• Some cardholders had promotional or introductory rates. When the promotional period ended, the new higher rate kicked in.

• Banks are worried about their mortgage losses and see credit cards as one way to bring in money. If you don’t carry monthly balances, then credit card interest rate changes have no impact on you.

• You were late…with something. You’ve been paying your credit card statements on time, but you’ve been late with a utility bill, car payment, or some other consumer invoice. Guess what? Creditors share this information with each other. Your credit card company is looking for any excuse to jack up your rate and they found one.

If you are dissatisfied with your credit card, call the issuer and ask for a lower rate. If you do not receive a lower rate, consider shopping around for a new card.

Time To Switch Credit Cards?

If your credit is good or excellent, then getting a new card shouldn’t be difficult for you. However, if your credit is fair or poor, then a new credit card can cost you more in interest rates and other fees. In this case it would be better to simply not use your current card(s), and work diligently to pay off your debt.

Resources

Manage Credit Card Use

Smart Money Tips

Time for a New Card

Tags: charge card, credit card statement, Credit Cards, debit card