I have broken the aspects of my life into 4 phases. The Kaizen Challenge fitting neatly into the middle, has proven to be somewhat of a life saver for me.
All that this challenge represents and teaches has unfolded simplistically
over the past 49 days. This is not to say that I found it simple, but rather it reminds one of the need to be disciplined and goal oriented. The elements of success, I now see, are not all about financial improvement, as I believed it to be, but rather on improvement in all spheres of one’s life.
Phase 1: Where I was: In a good space. Spoilt by parents and then by an old-school husband who believed it was not necessary for a wife to work. I had no need of goals nor did I relish a desire for self improvement. Bless them, for they knew not what they did. And I should and do take all blame for my own ignorance, for which I paid handsomely some time later. But life was cozy and oh so rosy and nothing was going to change.
Phase 2: Transition: Ripped from my comfort zone by the untimely death of my husband and 4 young children to raise, I was nevertheless consoled by the fact that there was money and plenty of it. I just did not take responsibility for it and left it to the professionals and people I trusted. Such short-sightedness and stupidity proved to be my downfall and by the time I realized that these special folk were not on my side, the money and my security was gone into the pockets of others who did everything in my best interest, they said.
Phase 3: Where I am: In a bad space. Financially strained, emotionally drained and spiritually vacant. Remarried, but this time to a man who believes that one should work for a living. Little respect is earned for anything less than extremely hard work and death by exhaustion.
The Kaizen Challenge has come about at this phase of my life and I am grateful for it. I have read all the books and attended all the seminars on self improvement, but the Challenge has made me get up and do what needs to be done. The daily exercise of setting even a small goal has shown me the necessity for large goals and a manner to achieve them. I am not out of the woods yet, but I can see the road ahead and I am confident that the bends will be challenges that can be overcome. I can see the end in my minds eye and that is all I need to get there. Do I have the discipline to get there? I now know that I do and I am confident that I can pass these new disciplines on to my children, so that I can start a new legacy and break the old mode. I do not teach them to work for a living, but I do see the necessity to take responsibility for one’s financial, mental, physical and spiritual health. I believe it will hold them in good stead and I look forward to watching their growth as well.
Phase 4: Where I want to be: I plan to be independently wealthy. I plan to be able to support my children without assistance. I plan to be able to take time off when it suits me and to work when it suits me. I plan to set a better example for my children and never to be reliant on them for financial or emotional support. I now realize and have enjoyed the idea that life is also about physical, mental and spiritual wealth and have set long term goals in these areas as well. I do not plan to stop at 49 days, but will continue with the new disciplines that I have practiced thus far.
Of course, I have grown up with material comforts and the loss of it has not been a pleasant experience.
If you like this article, please click on the `Digg` image below. I'd appreciate it!
