Managing Thy Life Archives

5 Game Changing Tips to Have the Best Year EVER!

We should all be grateful for the fact that we have another year of opportunity and mistake. Another year of obstacles and optimism. I used to loathe the idea of a “fresh start” starting January 1^st but who is to say that we can’t have one? I don’t usually buy into the New Year’s resolutions. Although, I am all for the idea of starting fresh. Why not use this time to realign your goals with your actions? Why not get an action plan in place to help you make this year your best year yet? We are all just one hour, day, and month away from living the life we deserve. Life is about choices. Your choices closely reflect your circumstances. Who is ready to make new choices? (raises hand) I vow to make this year about me and be a be a finisher in this season.

I have a hard time prioritizing anything where it benefits only myself. I have a hard time showing up for myself. I realized that I don’t take my own goals and priorities seriously. being a mom, fiancé, supervisor (by day), sister, and a friend, I pride myself in my commitment to others. I pride myself in getting things done for other people. My identity has evolved around serving others both in and out of work. This year though! This year I will make my goals my primary priority. Use these five easy tips to take back your year.

#1. Set 3 realistic goals.

Don’t make the mistake of setting up an overwhelming list. Pick three areas that you want to focus on then put into words what those goals looks like. For example, one of my areas of focus is finances. My goal for 2019 is to pay down debt. I have a very aggressive and realistic goal to pay down over 15k of debt this year using the snow ball method. I could have just set a random dollar amount that sounds good and figured out if it was plausible later but instead, I calculated what is realistic and feasible.

We have a family of 5 and random expenses seem to come up. Select a goal and calculate an overview of how you can make this a reality. Setting goals allows you to acknowledge what you want out of your life. It allows you to set the outline and direction for your upcoming year. What are you three goals for the rest of the year?

#2. Get a planner

Get your (yo) life and get a planner. I am pro planner. I should get that on t-shirt. Planners are one of the only tools that I use to keep me focused and excited. Something about a new planner for the year that just tickles my feathers. I always end up buying 2-3 planners every year until I find the right fit. Now, you don’t need to be overzealous like me, you can get a simple planner to get the job done but if you are a little bit on the “extra” side get you a planner that speaks to you. I love stickers, colored pens, folders, etc. The key is to find a planner that you enjoy using so that you will actually use it.

#3. Be Consistent

You could spend the entire day setting the best plan for your course of action but if you don’t include movement you won’t get anything accomplished. It is easy to talk about what we want out of our lives but it is completely different to actually go after it. Don’t let another year go by without taking these next hours, days, and months to move yourself in the direction that you deserve. Consistency is essential if you want to build the life you envision for yourself. What do you need to change in your day to hold your commitment to yourself? How are you making the most of your day? I am not a morning person (by any means) but I have made an effort to incorporate getting up between 4:30-5AM every morning.

There are only so many hours in the day so I have to carve out a regimen that will allow me to work towards my goals. Is sleep more important than accomplishing the things that can change your life? I personally don’t think so. I am a nite owl but I also want to get up early. I am not at a place in my life where my body will allow me to have both so I have to force myself sometimes to wind down, put my phone away, and actually “sleep”. What bad habits do you need to re-evaluate and develop a new regimen to support your goals? Your goals are just words until you water them with consistency.

#4. Keep your goals visual

I have a hard time staying focused if I don’t have a constant visual of what I am working towards. If you write things down but never revisit them, what will keep you focused when derailment kicks in? Vision Boards are a great way to stay focused, considering they aren’t just sitting in your storage closet or under your bed. I decided to keep my vision board in my living room, where I spend most of my time. This way I am constantly reminded of what I could be doing to move myself along. Even if your 2019 goals are printed out and pasted on your home door. You have to do whatever you need to stay focused. What will you do to keep the momentum going well into the New Year?

#5. Be grateful

Sometimes in creating goals, we reflect on what could be better or improved that we forget to appreciate where we are. We can forget to be humble and grateful on our journey to improvement. Your current situation may be someone else’s goal. Remember that! Be grateful for what you have and don’t have. There is always a reason. Maybe you weren’t ready yet for your desired situation. I don’t believe that anything happens for no reason. Everything is for the betterment of you, including the good and bad. Take a moment to really appreciate the things and people in your life.

Take a moment and think about all that I have purposed. Write down your takeaways and get a new plan to have a more meaningful life. Sometimes we just need to forgive ourselves for not getting it right before. We need to forgive ourselves for whatever weighs on us regarding our past actions and experiences. We can only move forward. You are not yesterday…..just right now. Your past is a predictor of your future because we allow it to be. We can redirect our course of direction at any time. I hope you believe in you and much as I do. This year does not have to be like all the previous. It can be different. What is one thing you will do differently this year?

I originally wrote this to share with my email subscribers. If you would like to get helpful easy life tips sent to your inbox 1 to 2 times per month, Join 7,987 motivated women that subscribe and follow me (click here). You will also receive a free daily planner printable to help with getting thy life!

As always Fear Less, Love More, and Drink moderately.

Categories: Managing Thy Life

3 Strategic Ways To Increase Credit Score Fast!

What is “good credit”? Is it really as easy or difficult as people may think? A good credit score is portrayed to be this mystical concept to those who may not have a good understanding of it. Having good credit isn’t any more defining of your ability to manage your credit than having a degree measures your critical thinking skills. To increase your credit score doesn’t require a miracle. First, you just need to educate yourself on your current credit score and credit report. Second, it’s about understanding how your financial habits affect your credit. Finally, It’s about playing the game to keep your score as high as possible and maximizing your impact in all six categories. It’s about avoiding high-interest rates, security deposits, and paying unnecessary extra money. Utilizing these three key focus points will assist you in increasing your credit score. I’ve used these principles to help other people go from the low 500’s to 700+. Get your pen ready because we got a lot of information that will change your credit life!

1. You need to know your score and what’s on your credit report.

First, I recommend using Credit Karma to increase your credit score. Credit Karma is free. They send alerts when changes and updates occur on your credit report. It is your responsibility to know what is on your report. You need to protect your credit score. This number plays a huge part in your financial management. Consequently, you can’t fix your credit under the presumption of having “bad” credit. You need to know what is pulling your score down. Most things can only be reported on your report for seven years. Subsequently, if its eight years later then you most likely have no credit, not bad credit. You then need to understand how the FICO credit scoring works. I say FICO (originally Fair, Isaac, and Company) because there are many credit models that use the same information on your credit report to offer a score but most banks and lenders use FICO scores to determine creditworthiness.

Also, you want to make sure you check your report for accuracy. If you locate anything that is outside the seven-year timeframe or inaccurate information, you should submit a dispute through the credit bureau. You can also submit electronic disputes directly through Credit Karma. There are rules for the reporting of debts, which can be located in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The act states that most negative items must be removed from your credit report seven years from the original date of delinquency. There are some exceptions to the seven-year rule, which are listed below.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy filings (10 years).
Judgments (seven years or until the state statute of limitations expires, whichever is longer).
Money owed to or guaranteed by the government (unpaid taxes or student loans stay on your report indefinitely or until seven years from the date paid).

Click here to check out the article from Experian regarding the seven-year rule.

2. Understanding what actually affects your credit score.

Second, its crucial that you understand what affects your credit score. For example, most people will not see their monthly rental payments on their credit profile unless it’s a mortgage. Considering this is most likely the first bill you pay, it can be surprising that it’s not reported on your credit report. The information from checking and savings accounts are not reported, either. I am not talking about unsecured or secured loans acquired at a bank. If you have ever received an overdraft fee, this will not be reported on your credit report.

Your timely utility payments are also not reported. This is important information to know. If you ever hit hard times in your life and need to do damage control this may come in handy. For example, if I had to choose between paying my credit card minimum and paying my electric bill. I would pay my credit card. Late credit card payments can be reported on your report for up to 7 years. Nothing like a seven-year reminder of a tough month to bring things in perspective. I would rather pay my credit card and plan for a late payment for my utilities. Your utilities do not report unless you completely stop paying and they sell your account to a collection agency. Understanding what affects your credit score is good information to have as you maneuver through all transitions of your life.

3. Maximizing the impact on all six categories that make up your credit score.

Lastly, this may be the most important tip. There are six categories that make up your total credit score. Your job is to understand what each one is and do your best to maximize your impact in each category.

Credit Card Usage-(high impact)- The initial goal is keeping your credit card usage below 35% of your available total. For example, if your total available credit limits add up to $1000, then you should not exceed $350. For the best impact in this category, you should not exceed 10% ($100) of your available credit. You should also request a credit increase every 6 months. The higher your available credit the easier it is to keep your utilization averages low.
Payment History (high impact)- The percentage of payments that have been made on time. The goal is to make sure everything listed on your credit report is paid on time. Remember, late payments can stay on your credit report for up to seven years. Late payments lower your percentage. For example, if you have a total of 100 payment activity reported and 20 payments were late. This would give you an 80% percentage of on-time payments. The goal is to get as close to 100% for this category. Set up auto pays to ensure timely payments. I have found that opening a separate account just for bills helps to limit any potential confusion.
Derogatory Marks (high impact)– This is all collections, tax liens, bankruptcies, or civil judgments on your report. The goal here to have zero for this category. Derogatory marks can stay on your report for 7-10 years. If you have any items in collections, remember that these debts were sold to collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. I would negotiate to have them report the bill as paid in full. I would start with an offer for 20% of the debt and negotiate from there.
Credit age (Medium impact). This is the average age of your open accounts. The keyword is open accounts. Therefore, it’s not the best idea to close your oldest credit card. You will lose those years of longevity on your credit report. There is no quick fix for credit age. One trick is to be added as an authorized user to someone’s credit card who’s in good and long-term standing. Keeping in mind, only time will age your credit and it is important to keep your accounts in good standing. Based on Credit Karma, 9+ year averages get the most impact for this category.
Total Accounts (low impact)- This is the total number of open and closed accounts. Lenders typically like to see that you’ve used a variety of accounts responsibly. This means having installment accounts, credit cards, auto loans, real estate, and other loans (personal loans etc).
Hard inquiries (low impact)- The number of times you have applied for credit. This isn’t a high impact category, but several inquiries can set you back quite a bit. They also stay on your credit report for two years. I worked in a bank for several years. One thing I learned was the benefit of soft inquiries. Soft inquiries are when a customer would come in to open a checking account and was pre-approved for a credit card. The member didn’t apply for a credit card, so this would be considered a soft hit. Soft hits usually are not reflected in this category. If you selected the offer, you would just see the new credit card listed on your credit report. It’s something to keep in mind when the opportunity presents itself. You get the credit card you may have wanted anyway, and you save yourself the points deduction in that category.

Bonus* Ask for credit increases every six months.

When you are building or repairing your credit, it’s important that you increase your credit line. I think it’s an essential part of the process. If you are repairing your credit, you need to start establishing good credit. That would mean getting a secured or unsecured credit card. For example, if you get approved for $300 credit card. You need to follow the credit utilization tip that I provided above. You don’t want to exceed 35% of your available credit but I would recommend staying under 10%. This would mean not having a balance of more than $30. You want to request a credit card increase every six months. This will help in increasing your available credit line. It does not affect your credit score by requesting credit line increases. You want to show that you can be responsible even as your credit line increases. I mark my Google calendar to request timely credit card increases for each card. This tip is critical in helping repair credit.

Understanding and implementing these three tips will help transform your credit and get you the score you deserve. These tips are essential to increase your credit score. Credit isn’t complicated but it’s important that you are informed. Credit drastically impacts all of your important life decisions, including housing, employment, auto loans, and interest rates. Why pay extra if you don’t have to. It’s the difference between paying $283(5%) per month or $409(21%) per month for a $15,000 auto loan. This is the same car but the latter price is the penalty you pay to have bad credit. What could you do with an extra $126 per month? That could go towards your cell phone or utility bill. Make the most of your income by increasing your credit score and getting better interest rates. Do you monitor your credit? How often do you check your credit? Do you have credit goals in place with action plans? Comment below and let me know. 🙂

I originally wrote this to share with my email subscribers. If you would like to get helpful easy life tips sent to your inbox 1 to 2 times per month, Join 7,987 motivated women that subscribe and follow me. You will also receive a free daily planner printable to help with getting thy life!

As always Fear Less, Love More, and Drink moderately.

Categories: Managing Thy Life

7 Easy Ways to Practice Self Care & Love as a Mom

Life will take everything from you if you let it. It will suck all the energy out of your day. It can exhaust all potential of completing our to-do lists, exercising, and self-care. I’m not sure about you but I can definitely relate. Sometimes, I look down and have to remind myself that I have fingernails. Even with the best intentions, I just don’t have time to pay attention to myself on top of the busy duties of being a mom and just a breathing living person. I have 3.5 kids, including a set of 4-year-old twins, a nine-year-old, and a 32 yr old fiancee. My mind becomes exhausted being everyone’s calendar, alarm clock, maid, doctor, and secretary. I vowed to take better care of myself. I can’t be anyone’s anything if I don’t take care of me. It isn’t anyone’s responsibility to take of you but you. Use these ways to implement self-care and self-love on a regular basis in your life.

1. Self Care Tip#1- Me time!

You need time to think, write, breathe, and refocus alone. You need to carve out time in your daily schedule to have to yourself. Even if that time is used doing nothing but deep breathing or staring at the wall. Whether that means getting up 30 minutes early or staying up 30 mins late. You need time for yourself. If you are anything like me, it may help to schedule your me time on your calendar. I add my scheduled time into my Google calendar to ensure I make it a priority.

2. Self Care Tip#2 Make those doctor appointments.

It so easy to know exactly when your kids are due for their dental checkups but forget when the last time your visit was. The responsibility of having children is a heavy one that shouldn’t be taken lightly but we can’t forget our responsibility to ourselves. Make sure you are up to date on all annual visits and check-ups. Your health is so precious. If we are lucky, we will have these bodies for nearly a century. We need to make sure we are keeping up with our health.

3. Self Care Tip#3- Sleep!

Your body can’t function without it. Make it your business to get to bed. Your body, skin, and mind will thank you. I am a regular member of the insomnia club. It can be very challenging for me to get to sleep and stay asleep. One thing that I have noticed is the food I intake plays a part in me sleeping well. When I eliminated certain things from my diet, I slept through the night like a newborn baby.

4. Self Care Tip#4- Exercise!

Maybe you are one of those wonderful women who have a steady fitness regime then kudos to you or maybe you are like me and go through phases of fitness. I really do have the best intentions. I’ve learned that fitness doesn’t mean a million reps and miles on the treadmill. Fitness means parking your car further from the entrance to the mall. Fitness means taking walks after work. It just means moving more. I use to love spending two or more hours at the gym when I was in one of my “fitness phases”. This was before the twins. Now I feel like I conquered the world when I make one mile per day. Getting your body moving! Your body and mind will thank you later.

5. Self Care Tip#5- Realize what you can and can not accomplish.

Don’t beat yourself up for not doing enough. Our job is hard enough. We don’t get the appreciation that comes with the job description but there’s no job that I would want more. Do your best to stay organized. Organization will take some of the stress away when you have a plan. Get a planner or a new planner for you planner addicts(raises hand). It gives a million things running through your head a place to go. This is my favorite planner of all time! I am a raving fan of the Big Happy Planners. They are awesome! You can get so many accessories to make organizing fun. The covers are also interchangeable. This one below comes with colored pens. I love good writing utensils. I will hide/hoard certain pens because I love how smooth they are.

6. Self Care Tip#6- Don’t lose focus on your dreams and goals!

We take on this role of being everything for everyone else. It’s so easy to lose focus on what our own personal goals are. Make sure your checking in every week during your alone time about staying on track with your goals. It’s never too late to do anything. Today is the day! Get back on track. It doesn’t have to happen overnight. Just make sure you are consistently watering your goals. Remember, Rome was not built in a night. I recommend using a journal to keep all of your ideas and thoughts in one place. Use your journal as the central hub. A place to get everything out of your head and on to paper. If you don’t have a journal. You need to get one yesterday. Click on the journal below and grab yours.

7. Self Care Tip#7- Last but not least, Laugh!

No matter what season you are in. Maybe you are in a great place in your life now. Maybe this has been one of the toughest years in some time. We all have been there. We won’t all be in the same place at the same time. It’s life. It’s how it all works. Hopefully, you have some people in your life who can help you through those tough times. Laughing is a necessary ingredient for enjoying life. You need to laugh. Surround yourself with people who make you happy and keep you laughing. Life is hard enough. We need to find joy in the small things. The tough times are when you are growing at an exponential rate. Find solace in knowing you are becoming a better version of yourself. You need to not take yourself too seriously and find joy in the ride, even the rough rides. Laughing is the remedy that helps you get through it all. I try to find humor and smiles in everything. It might be what someone else needs to get them through their day.

Take care of yourself!! As always Fear Less, Love More, and drink moderately.

Categories: Managing Thy Life

5 Best Ways to Prevent Negativity From Taking Over?

One day you wake up and things just don’t seem right. Things just don’t seem to line up right. You find yourself constantly in the middle of your own pity party? You are always thinking of the worst outcome. Are you aware of how your perspective on anything can literally change the trajectory and outcome? You can literally talk yourself out of the positive things that are meant for your life. I am naturally a half-glass full type of person. I never realized the extent of that until coworkers would say, “You can always count on Carisa to see the positive side of something” I really believe EVERYTHING is for something. Nothing really happens for no reason. Maybe this difficult job that you have now will give you the skill set you need to get to the job of your dreams or maybe this job will be the straw on the camel’s back for you to start that business venture that you have been putting off.

It’s all cultivating you into a better version of yourself. Sometimes our perspective will kill any optimism that may be waiting to be watered. You really have to force the positive things in your life where your life may be void of them. It is hard being positive when it feels like life is constantly finding ways to kick you down. It’s hard to think of the better person you will be from a dark situation that you are currently in. Sometimes, It’s very difficult for you to see past your current situation but believe there is victory, happiness, strength on the other side. Life is too short to not live in positivity because positivity is where the overflow lives. I repeat “Positivity is where the overflow lives”. Chose to live in the overflow. Chose to live in abundance. Use these 5 vital tips to help you reclaim joy and positivity in your life again.

1. Protect Your Peace!

I literally need this on a t-shirt. If I could scream this from the mountain tops I would. Don’t give energy to people or things that can jeopardize the most valuable intangible thing in the world, which is our peace. Peace is a necessity we all deserve. Now let’s define “energy”. Energy is a host of things. It is continuing to engage in interactions from people who, for a lack of a better word, suck the life out of you.

It’s continuing to allow someone to make you feel angry, frustrated, or invaluable. It can even be allowing yelling in your home. Energy is anything that alters your mindset in a negative way. You have to learn where to draw the line. Life is not meant to be spent around people or things that take your energy. Life does that already so we don’t need any help in that department. Don’t allow someone else’s burdens to become yours. Protect your peace!

2. Reprogram your mind to think positive!

The theory that new habits can be built in 21 days is true but only for very simple tasks. If you have been a pessimistic person for most of your adult life. 21 days is not a realistic timeframe to reprogram your thought process. We have had these negative thoughts/friends in our head for years. It’s hard to give them an eviction notice and not allow that familiar face to revisit you again. You need to constantly be aware of your thoughts and retrain your brain to think positively. Plant positive seeds in your daily thoughts and they will blossom into positive longstanding trees. Find positive affirmations to help cultivate the person you want to be. Positive Affirmations can really redefine your life and help eliminate the limiting beliefs you currently have.

Here is a list to get you going 🙂 If you have any positive affirmation that you use comment them down below and let us know.

- I love and respect myself.
- I am exactly where I am supposed to be on my journey.
- I will think positive so positive things can happen.

I deserve to be happy and loved.
I am a person of value and I will surround myself with other supportive and loving people of value.
I will sow positive seeds to help others find happiness.
I am at peace with my body and hair.
I am doing MY best and it is enough.
I will continue to grow and learn so that I may be the best version of myself.
Negativity is a choice that I will not choose.
I have something to offer the world that no one else can.
Being kind to myself is not an option but a requirement.

3. Surround yourself with positive people

Surround yourself with people who have a positive outlook on life and can help you redirect your thoughts. Surround yourself with those who can help put things in perspective for you. Thinking negatively is exhausting because it never just stops there. Mix negative thoughts with a couple of tablespoons of anxiety and you have a recipe for disaster. Be aware so you can make the necessary changes. Gravitate towards the people who think the way you would like to. People who optimism inspires you.

4. Acknowledge your feelings

This is not to tell you to never feel sad or angry and to remove those feelings altogether. You need to allow yourself that moment to feel whatever it is that you are feeling. Acknowledge that you are angry but don’t stay there. Allow yourself to feel disappointment but don’t stay there. Do not allow your thoughts to invite you into a pity party. What are you doing to do to get the results you want next time?

Remember life is hard. We spend so much time making it look great or only displaying the positive things. It is easy to feel like you are the only one who feels the way you do. We live in an age of fake and phony. No one wants to show their vulnerability, myself included. Remember to allow your blessings to blossom with positivity. Its okay to feel not happy but don’t punish yourself by staying there.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase I may receive a commission at no cost to you. You can read my disclosure policy here.

5. Use a Journal

I am a very big advocate of writing things down. Sometimes, you need a place to put your thoughts. Particularly, if you are an overthinker like myself. You need a place to evict those negative thoughts and to reaffirm positive ones. Writing things down allows you to analyze and overwrite the things that you tell yourself. It allows you to track your progress. I didn’t realize the importance of writing things down until I got into planners, notebooks, and journals in my later twenties. Below is a journal to get you started through Amazon. Who doesn’t love Amazon?

So…let’s recap. To live a life where positive people and things find you will require work. It won’t happen on its own. You need to constantly take time to work on and put out what you want for your life. Misery finds misery. Lets review on what we need to write down in our journals and start to work on.

Protect your Peace(at all costs)
Reprogram your mind to think positive-Use some of the suggestions for positive affirmations listed above and say them daily
Surround yourself with positive people
Acknowledge your feelings
Journaling is therapeutic. Give it a try 🙂

As always Fear Less, Love More, and Drink Moderately 🙂

Categories: Managing Thy Life

Can I EVER Acknowledge My Own Needs??!

So yesterday I was at Target to get supplies for my daughter’s science project. In normal Target fashion, I came across some nice Target pieces that I couldn’t resist. I found a pair a great pair of gauchos dress slacks and a nice tank top to match. I also saw three Elf fancy makeup brushes that I felt I needed to have. The total pre-calculated total for my stuff came up to $63.00. I stared at my cart for over 40 minutes. I have a hard time justifying purchases for myself. It’s like my income is reserved for my family only. I have to prepare a great mental argument for me to rationalize making purchases for myself. HOW DARE I? What need could I possible have? I am a significant contributor to this household! Yet why is it so difficult to spent money on myself. I was in great need of this work outfit and makeup brushes. It sometimes feels as though the money I work for is reserved for everyone except me. Do you ever feel guilty buying things for yourself even when you feel the majority of your income goes to serve your family? I ended up buying my purchases but I did return some over priced masking tape and sticky letters to offset the total cost. I know I am not the only mom that struggles with purchases for herself. We need to nourish ourselves too. We have needs too……some needs and some wants. We are even entitled to the things we dont need. Cheers to all the moms who have wants and needs too!!

As always Fear Less, Love More, and drink moderately 😉