She now had enough knowledge to make decisions and take actions that could make her financially independent over next few years. Karen couldn't believe how simple it was!

Your Financial Future - Who's Responsibility?

Unfortunately you cannot leave your financial well-being in hands of anyone else except yourself.

Of course, you can seek advice from professionals in that field like accountants and financial planners; however, it really is up to you to lead way …to be proactive!

Having attended many seminars, spoken to wealthy people and to financial professionals (many of whom aren't independently wealthy themselves), and read many books on topic of wealth creation, I have found you cannot rely on any one person to delegate your financial affairs to. You need to be proactive and take control of your own life.

How to Take Control of Your Financial Future

Get your finances in order first: You need to know what you spend, what you earn, how much you owe and how much you own…Not in your head but in writing. What you think your situation is and what is reality, will more than likely be two totally different scenarios.

If you know where you are right now you can then seek out appropriate solutions to your specific financial needs.

How to Get Started

Speak with your accountant on best way to set up your recording system. Ask them how you can increase your wealth. Ask your accountant and/or your financial advisor how they have created their wealth. What do they invest in? Talk to people who are wealthy. Ask them how they accumulated their wealth. Question everything. Read books and attend seminars on wealth creation…the more informed you are easier it is to make sound decisions. Don't believe everything you hear, see and read, particularly if person advising you reaps financial benefit from you accepting their advice. Only listen to people who "have rungs on ladder".

Once you've have done some research (and this can happen in a matter of days or weeks, depending on your efforts) then:

Take action The Final Word

Looking after your financial well-being should be a top priority. It's about having choices in your life. Do you really want to work from dawn to dusk to support lifestyle you and your family have become accustomed to? Wouldn't it be great to go to work because you want to, not because you have to?

If financial freedom is something you want in not too distant future (and it doesn't happen overnight), you have to take action sometime... like right now!

Have a great week! Lorraine Pirihi

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's Personal Productivity Specialist, Leading Life Coach and a dynamic presenter. She runs her own business The Office Organiser specialising in working with Small Business Owners and Managers helping them to dramatically improve their productivity, reduce the stress and the mess and have more time for living life!

I'm sick of being jerked around by large corporations who make it impossible to reach their corporate offices who are only interested in SALES and could care less about SERVICE."

Then there is my own personal experience with Nextel. My company was spending a substantial amount of money with Nextel and we loved phones. However, customer service was non-existent. I once spent four hours on phone with six different "representatives" and was hung up on when I asked to speak to a supervisor.

No answers were received to my faxes or letters. Voice mails to my local salesperson went unanswered. Even letter from our attorney was never acknowledged. Needless to say we now have another cellphone provider.

These examples point to an alarming trend. Businesses are focusing on gaining new customers and failing miserably to turn these new clients into loyal customers. They have lost their civility, not only with their customers but with their employees as well.

What can you do? If you believe like I do then take these beliefs and make a difference. Acknowledge that people that you come in contact with are living breathing persons and treat them with goodness and respect. If you can't do that in your present position then its time for you to make a change. As President Bush continued, "Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe In ourselves, but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves". Let's resurrect "Miracle on 34th. Street"!