I recently had a long-time friend visit from Los Angeles, where I was born and raised. She brought with her her new furry companion, Winston Churchill.

Winston.

Winston is a dog made by committee. The best guess is that he's English bulldog mixed with basset hound. Yes, it makes for a very interesting dog.

He looks full sized if you look at his body, but then when he stands up his legs are these little basset hound legs, and the front paws are splayed like a seal's flippers. Winston is 50 pounds, so he's no lightweight, and the combination is completely charming.

My friend volunteers for an organization that rescues dogs who are about to take that "long walk" in local shelters, and Winston was one of those that was rescued just before he was to be euthanized.

I also have a dog made by committee (cairn terrier with

Pepper Bross

something else), also rescued, and 16 pounds but with 100 pounds of attitude. I wasn't optimistic about their meeting.

I wish I could say they were instant friends, but that wasn't to be. I had Pepper on a leash, and Winston was also on his leash. We kept them apart, with a few growls but no dogfights. Phew.

So in this state of détente, my friend and I heard about the earthquakes in Los Angeles and the subsequent discussions of "the Big One." The expert was saying that the big earthquake would be happening sooner than people think.

Since I'm a native Californian and have lived there continuously until 2011, I know earthquakes and have heard about "the Big One" for years and years. But what caught my attention was the phrase "sooner than you think."

It reminded me of the many clients that initially call me with the attitude that they will never be able to turn their money lives around. Having this belief is one of the reasons they've used for not calling sooner.

I thought I would write the article below with a counter proposal. What if it actually takes you less time than you think? That's what my clients tell me, at least, after we've worked together.

On another note, I wanted to let you know that I have had several clients "graduate" in the last two months, creating openings in my practice for more client transformations. If you've been thinking about talking with me,

or referring a friend or family member, it would be an ideal time for it. I've got the time to spend on facilitating your transformation and helping it happen sooner than you think.

Please remember to "like" my Facebook page so we can continue the conversation

p.s. A special welcome to my new subscribers!  I sincerely hope you will appreciate my articles and insights!

sb  

If you've had difficulties in your money life for a while, you might think that it would take an act of god and tons of time to turn things around. That's not the case.

It does take work...there are no magic wands. But the key transformations can be in place in three months, and then you continue to fine-tune your progress from that point on until the changes are sustainably effective and second nature.

I had a client (who I'll call Bob) who swore to me that he couldn't see how I would be able to help him get out of the money mire he'd found himself in for years. He was a professional who made very good money, but kept finding himself struggling as though he were making a meager income.

After determining his objectives in his (complimentary) strategy session, we proceeded to do the work that was needed. Within 2 months he had paid off his previous income taxes because we had determined the tax percentage he needed to set aside from every deposit. And he had money for his vacation because of a similar practice. His bills were being paid in a timely and easy fashion, and his confidence about money had improved greatly.

Is Bob "done" after working on it for two months? No, but he has a game plan he can follow and repeat until his new habits are carried onward because of the benefits of doing it differently and better. He'll fine-tune and adapt this plan over time, and he knows how to do that.

In another example, I got a call from a client who I'll call Addison. She described to me a financial situation that was frustrating and confusing. She and her husband Caleb had been struggling under financial obligations and didn't see how they could get out of it.

They were both good earners. They had a home in a metropolitan area, their kids in private schools, and had moments when they operated synergistically in spending money because they could rationalize together the expenditure.

We had a strategy session (that free consultation that I offer new clients) which revealed that their goals were clear and their motivation strong. We talked about how they could turn all this around.

Then we hit another roadblock...how could it possibly make sense for them to spend money on turning this around? If they don't have enough money as it is, how could they possibly justify spending more?

You can probably guess that I've heard this before...spending money on saving money seems counter-intuitive.

In order to help them think this through, I asked them how much did they think they had already cost themselves in not turning this situation around. Costs such as interest on credit cards, lost earnings on unsaved money, interest and penalties on past-due taxes, just to name a few. Then, thinking forward, how much additional money would they lose to just such costs in the future.

Paying money to speed up a transformation that up to this time hasn't happened starts to make more sense.   Addison and Caleb made the commitment to work with me for three months.

They are graduating this month. As newly effective financial partners, they are having regular financial meetings that are free of blame or anger. They are paying down their credit cards, and able to plan for and then review their month's expenses.   Together they are re-deciding about whether expenses are still needed and bringing true value to their lives.

Are they done? No, they have many more times they will come together as collaborative financial partners to make their financial lives even easier. But they have the skills and plan for carrying it forward on their own.

Some of my clients check in quarterly after that. Some annually. Some just send me emails about their progress (which I love getting).

My expertise is in making this kind of transformation seem simple. I know how to guide clients through a formerly thorny area of their lives and create better outcomes. That's what I do. My clients are taking charge of their finances while I ease and facilitate the process.

I want to give them the tools they need to do this for the rest of their lives, regardless of their income level. There is great power in doing your financial life competently and consistently, and that is my goal for all my clients.