No Auto Plan Means No Auto Plan – Part 3
What should you put into your own auto plan? How will you evaluate what needs to go in your auto plan?
It’s time to take the gloves off and get to work. I think I’ve been taking it too easy on you. It’s time we took this message to the extreme just a little. Remember, normal won’t work so we need to try a new, but different approach.
When do you evaluate what’s in your auto plan?
While most normal people are inclined to put things off until there is a defined starting point, I’m not going to allow that to be your excuse for procrastinating. Think about this, when your friends say something like they’re going to start exercising or begin a new diet, why is the start date always in the future? It’s either tomorrow, this weekend, or the most popular one, next week. For my friends and family, my response is always, let’s start today, right now. Why in the world are we waiting? The same is true when it comes to planning, don’t put off the starting point until a later time. Let’s do this thing now.
You’ve heard it said that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years again and the second best time is now. The best time to plant a tree is years before you want to see the results you desire to see from the tree and the second best time is when you had the desire in the first place and the default time must be now.
My ideal execution time falls at the beginning of a year.
Planning can be done anytime, but you may not be able to execute until a later date. That’s okay, but you can never get to this point or even know until you begin putting the plan together. Pamela and I have a goal to execute as much of our plan as possible at the end of the year. That means we must begin the plan far in advance of New Year’s day.
Why the beginning of the year? It’s at the beginning of the year when most people have an increase in their earnings. If that’s true, and for us it is, then we want to go into the new year with a plan for what we will do with any increase we may receive. So we go ahead and give this unnamed money a name. You see it is harder to change the name of money that already has a name and been claimed.
Now that you’re planning and establishing some clearly defined execution dates, let’s talk further about the evaluating process.
What do we evaluate?
What most normal people don’t do is talk to themselves enough. You need to get comfortable with talking to yourself. You need to start asking yourself questions. If I were in your shoes (glad I’m not mine are enough for me), I’d ask some questions. Here are a few questions, I must ask:
- What do we need to do regarding automobiles this year? Does my car(s) create a problem for me that I no longer what to live with? What can I do to improve my current auto related situations?
- What would we like to do regarding our automobiles? Is now the time we focus on paying off the auto loan? Are we making the best use of the accounts used for paying the loan? Are we behind on making payments, but want to get ahead?
In the evaluation process, you must start with your needs first and then your wants. Your needs come first because they are the mandatory items. Then you can move to your wants.
Here are a few other ideas to help you evaluate and help you open the box to this type thinking:
- Are your car repairs being done by un-certified mechanics and you desire to take your vehicle to better places for auto repairs? Been there and done that. There’s nothing like having the assurance of a reliable automobile.
- Do you desperately need a new car, but think there’s no way to get one? Planning will be your friend in this situation. You at least need to evaluate what’s possible and what’s not.
- Do you continue to pay the minimum amount due on the loan or pay more? What’s your plan telling you? If you are planning to rid yourself of an automobile loan, how much do you need to pay each month to reach your goal? You can’t do this stuff without a plan.
Stop fooling around with your auto needs. This is your life and it’s your business. It’s time to act like it.
Today is Friday!
Regardless of the situation you’re in or the decisions you need to make, begin with a plan. Once you name the plan, you know which direction you need to turn and that step, while it sounds small, isn’t insignificant. It’s huge. It’s your life, your business, what auto plans do you need to put in place?
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