#84 February 15th, 2023

CPA thoughts of the newsletter: It's a big decision to sit for the CPA exams, but it's also an incredibly rewarding one. Here are a few reasons why studying for the CPA exams is worth your time and effort:

- Career Advancement: A CPA license is a valuable credential that opens doors to new opportunities and higher salaries in your career. The CPA certification can increase your marketability and credibility.

- Professional Recognition: Achieving a CPA license is a significant accomplishment that sets you apart from your peers. It demonstrates to both your current and future employers that you have the knowledge, skills, and dedication to succeed in the competitive world of accounting and finance.

- Personal Growth: Studying for the CPA exams requires discipline, focus, motivation, and perseverance. By taking on this challenge, you'll be developing essential skills that will serve you well in both your professional and personal life. It’s not just getting the certification, it’s who you become along the way.

Create a study plan, set achievable goals, and stick to them. Surround yourself with supportive people who will encourage and motivate you. And most importantly, believe in yourself and your ability to pass the exams no matter what obstacles come up. You got this!

How To Stick To A Budget - Financial Motivation Tricks

Financial goals can be some of the biggest goals that we have; they are years or even decades in the making. So how do you stay dedicated and committed to working toward those goals for that long of a period of time? A lot of the advice here is consistent with other articles on how to work toward a goal, but this is specific to financial goals. I like the idea of creating a unique visual to track progress toward your goal, whether it’s something smaller like saving for a beach week or something big like a home mortgage. We know you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so of course we need to be around others with similar mindsets toward personal finance. Break the goal into smaller amounts and milestones, and track them along the way. Also make sure to think about the vision of that future you’re shooting for to inspire you. Think about?how great it will be to have finally reached the end goal and be experiencing that financial outcome you’ve been working toward.?

How to freelance with zero experience: A guide to getting started

Have you been interested in starting a side hustle of your own, but one that is more based on your unique skill set as opposed to the traditional ones like ride sharing or delivery services? This article can hopefully help you with that. It starts with questions to ask yourself to identify strengths you have that also align with your interests and areas where you can bring value to others. I also like that the article emphasizes getting that very first client. It’s a big world out there, and if you can get one person to pay you can get a ton more to pay. You will probably have to tweak your business offer as you go to make sure it’s communicating the value you bring by the problems that you solve. Focus on what you can do for your target audience, not on how great you are. The article also has advice on pitching emails and on pricing. This is all a process that will involve lots of time as well as trial and error. Don’t start along the path unless you know you can stick with it for years. You have to have realistic expectations as you get into it, and that everything about your new business is probably going to change a lot from your initial vision. But you can choose to be excited about the prospect of getting to figure it all out, rather than discouraged!?

9 Negative Social Habits to Quit Today

None of us are perfect, and we’re all going to have those times where we’re not exactly our best selves when interacting with others. This article has some of the common mistakes people make. None of them are colossal errors that would automatically end a relationship, but if you’re constantly engaging in some of these behaviors it could start to wear on your relationships over time. I think there’s a clear theme to make sure you’re actually focused on the person you’re speaking with rather than any number of other distractions around you, such as your phone, what’s on tv, or even your own thoughts planning what you’ll say next. Another theme is don’t demand extra attention and make it all about you, such as downplaying what others say or leading the conversation in a way so you’re always talking about you. Like I said no one is 100% immune from making these mistakes, we just need to make sure they aren’t too regular.?

How To Be Positive With 8 Positive Thinking Exercises

Einstein said the most important decision we make is choosing to live in a friendly or a hostile universe, and I think that idea is related to this article of choosing optimism or pessimism. If you’re negative you won’t work for a better life because what would be the point? If you think the outcome will be bad no matter what you do then of course you will not putting any effort or work. Positive people believe that they can reach the future they see for themselves. Being excited about that future helps you not get hung up on the past. The article then finishes?with tips on how you can build more positivity and optimism into all of your days.?

The Opportunity of Lent

This author describes what they have learned through the process of giving up things for Lent every year, but you do not have to be a religious person to gain the benefits that can come from intentionally depriving ourselves of something. Having to do without something by our own choice can make us truly appreciate it if we have become too dependent on it. We can also gain empathy and understanding for other people and the every day things that they would say are non-negotiables for them. Maybe you’ll be able to add something new and exciting to your life because of the space created by pausing the old. By intentionally not having something that brings you joy or happiness you are also exercising your ability to have self control and not be mastered by your wants and desires. It also can show you the true difference between a want versus a need. If you think you could not live without something for 40 days then maybe that reveals what habits have grown to have an unhealthy influence on you.?Objectively, you should be able to survive without most of your things for 40 days.?

Let me know if there are other topics you'd like to see posts about!