Life Archives - Making Sense Of Cents

Thinking You Can’t Do Something And Making Excuses

September 15, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 3 Comments

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A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~ Karen Lamb

Excuses are what holds a person back. I know this because I hear excuses nearly every single day, and I have made many of my own as well.

I've made excuses for why I couldn't leave my day job, why I can't stop eating junk food, why I'm too busy to do something, why I don't have the experience to do certain things, how it's unfair that some people have certain privileges, and so on.

See, after my father passed away when I was only 18, I felt especially vulnerable and made lots of excuses for things. It felt like everything was very unfair since the person I loved the most had passed away.

I made excuses to skip classes, for why I had no time to do anything, why I was upset, why I shouldn't look for ways to make extra money, and so on. I told myself that other people have help with everything and that I was all alone – and for some reason I thought it was okay to make these excuses since my dad had passed away.

This went on for several years. When things were good, I was happy. But, when things were bad, I would just blame it all on how my life was difficult and that I didn't have a parent to help me get through it.

Please head on over to FITnancials.com to read my guest post How To Take Control of Your Life and Stop Making Excuses.

Oh yeah, quick note: We are currently hosting Our Favorite Books and Kindle Giveaway. You can enter here.

For Those Who Want Life To Speed Up – Are You Dreaming Too Much About Tomorrow?

August 21, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 54 Comments

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Are you dying for time to pass? Many people are. The future is important, but being happy in the present is as well. It's all about a healthy balance.

“First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now I am dying, and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.” – Sustainable Human

I recently saw this quote and it really made me think.

Pretty much everyone, myself included, is guilty of wanting to rush through life instead of trying to live in the present while also preparing for the future.

When I was younger, I wanted to be older so I could have more money, a bigger house, etc. I wanted to rush through high school, college and so on.

I dreamt of the future and spent much of my time dwelling on that. [Read more…]

9 Ways to Live an Extraordinary Life

July 19, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 59 Comments

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“Your life sounds like so much fun. You're so lucky that you get to live an extraordinary life.”

Do you want to live an extraordinary life? If so, here are my tips on how to live an extraordinary life and reach your dreams! That is something I’ve gotten pretty used to hearing as I travel full-time and get to be a digital nomad.

However, it's not just luck.

Just a few years ago, I never thought that I would be living this life. I never thought I'd be my own boss or that I'd be traveling full-time. It's funny how much can change in just a few short years!

For me, this is extraordinary, but everyone has a different version of what living an extraordinary life means.

And, no matter what your definition is, if you want to live an extraordinary life, you can do it!

Perhaps you want to travel, retire early, start your own business, have a homestead, volunteer more, or something else.

Having an extraordinary life can be whatever you want it to be.

All you have to do is aim for it! [Read more…]

My Search For A Better Work Life Balance

July 5, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 53 Comments

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As I talked about in How I Made $979,321 in 2016, my top goal for 2017 is to have a better work life balance. I am by no means complaining about anything at the moment, but I know that I could do better.

As a full-time blogger, taking a break from blogging can be quite difficult. It's easy to work 24/7, and as your own boss, you know that every minute is an opportunity to improve your business.

Plus, it's can be very difficult to disconnect because as a blogger, you can work from your phone, laptop, on vacation, and more.

If you’re like me, it is even more difficult to unplug when you love what you're doing.

But, that doesn't mean it's healthy.

Finding a good work life balance means taking breaks from work to enjoy life, and it’s important that you aren’t glued to a screen 24/7.

You need to enjoy what's going on around you, be present in the moment, and have a life outside of work.

Even if you are enjoying your work, a break is good. A bad work life balance can make you irritable, stressed, impact your relationships, and affect your health. [Read more…]

15 Habits That Are Hurting Your Happiness

June 30, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 79 Comments

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“Happiness is a habit – cultivate it.” – Elbert Hubbard

Today, I have a great article written about how to reach happiness in life by my good friend Natalie Bacon from NatalieBacon.com. Enjoy!

There are habits you may be doing that take away your happiness in life – that you may not realize! Here are habits that can prevent you from a happy life.

There are habits that you may be doing that negatively affect your happiness in life – and you may not even realize you’re doing them!

Here’s a list of 15 habits that can sneak up on you and steal your happiness in life.

1. Making negative judgments about someone

When you make a negative judgment about someone, you hurt yourself without even realizing it. The negative comment about the other person may or may not be true, but the negative energy you experience because of your negative thinking is felt all over.

Not only is it bad for you internally, but when you say negative comments out loud, people associate them to you, not to the person you’re talking about.

So, hold your tongue despite what comes to your mind first. The more you say that’s positive, the more you’ll think positively, and the happier you’ll be. [Read more…]

5 Great Benefits Of Being An Early Bird And How You Can Change

June 12, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 50 Comments

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Most people say that they are either a night owl or an early bird. Personally, I go both ways, but I do think that for me, waking up early is better.

Successful people are usually early risers. Waking up early has many benefits and it can lead to you being much more productive, all just by rising early. Here are my waking up early tips so that you can learn how to wake up early for more motivation, to workout, and more! Some of the early birds I know may laugh at this because I know many who wake up at 4 a.m., and I'm definitely not one of those people.

You don’t have to wake up at 4 a.m. to be an early bird, unless you really want to. I'm just talking about waking up a little earlier in the morning, instead of waking up in a rush for work or regularly sleeping in until the afternoon.

Now, some of you might think I’m crazy for telling you to wake up an hour or two before you're supposed to leave for work.

I used to be a night owl and absolutely haaaated waking up early, so I completely understand.

When I had a day job, mornings were the absolute worst. I would wake up right before work and head out the door. Or, I would sleepily type away at my computer trying to get my side hustles done. Side hustling in the morning was enjoyable, but I still had a very rushed morning. [Read more…]

28 Money And Life Lessons I’ve Learned

May 22, 2017 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 55 Comments

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I always think it’s a good idea to reflect on the past life and money lessons you’ve learned. While it helps me see what mistakes I have made, it also reminds me of the good decisions I’ve made. I’ve learned a lot of valuable life lessons from both the good and the bad.

Over the years, I have learned a lot of life and money lessons. And, I realize that I still have much, much more to learn. I usually just let my birthday fly by, but I realized that my birthday would be a good time to think about the lessons I’ve learned and share them with you.

Last year, I published the first of these posts, 27 Money And Life Lessons I’ve Learned. That’s one lesson for every year, and now I can add one more lesson, which I plan on doing for each new year ahead of me.

I really think self-reflection is a good idea, because we can learn so much from the past, both the good choices and the mistakes we’ve made.

And, I've made mistakes, but I've also made some great choices. I've learned a lot of valuable life and money lessons, and now I am happier than ever.

While I am not perfect and don't have a perfect life, life is good and I am very fortunate. I have great friends, a great family, a happy marriage, wonderful dogs, a business that I love, a life of travel, and more.

Here are 28 life and money lessons I've learned in the first 28 years of my life. While some may seem obvious, others may not, but everything below is what makes me who I am today. Plus, you may learn something new or something may just click after reading my list. Enjoy! [Read more…]

1. Making negative judgments about someone

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