Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published a special insert called “The Best Online Tools for Personal Finance.” I have shared a few tools on this blog in the past, but wanted to make sure I pass along a few more gems from the article for your financial management arsenal.
(The Best of) WSJ’s Best Online Tools for Personal Finance:
- Mint.com – I’m a broken record on this. Read why I’m such a fan girl here, here or here.
- Wesabe.com and Geezo.com – Financial tracking with a social networking component
- Simplifi.net and PlanwithVoyant.com – Tools to help you create a financial plan
- CakeFinancial.com – helps track investments and portfolios
- SocialPicks.com and Covestor.com – track investments and compare portfolio’s performance to others
- CreditKarma.com (another favorite of mine) – free credit score and advice for how to improve
- ZimpleMoney.com – Social finance community for loans; tracks and monitors social financial agreements (like loans between family members)
Article: Best and worst advice for recent grads from prominent experts
A personal favorite not listed in the article: Kiva.org – Kiva allows you to finance micro-loans for entrepreneurs around the globe (for as low as $25). When your loan is repaid, you can either get the money back or reinvest with someone else. A brilliant system if you ask me. (See my previous post: A Lesson in Micro-Credit and Loans that Change Lives)
Am I (and by proxy, the Wall Street Journal) missing any good online money management tools? Let me know!
“Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. The more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it, and the more important it is to the growth of our soul.
If you didn’t love the project that is terrifying you, you wouldn’t feel anything. The opposite of love isn’t hate; it’s indifference.”
-Steven Pressfield, The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
From time to time I post notes on this blog from special books that I believe will really help people think about their lives in a new or different way.
I heard about The War of Art while reading Chris Guillebeau’s E-Book, 279 Days to Overnight Success. I saw the title and subtitle and without reading a single review or even the book description, I bought it. I was that desperate.
I hadn’t worked on my book in months, and it was eating away at me. As Pressfield describes it, “A low-grade misery pervades everything.” I thought I needed to figure myself out before continuing to write. After reading this book, I realized that while self-reflection is helpful, there are times that it is just plain procrastination wrapped up in a pretty bow. Or in my case, a complicated one.
What I loved about this book was the way it helped me frame my resistance, a sneaky form of inner critic that can seem very helpful at times. While this book is focused on writing, it applies to a much broader spectrum of efforts and touches upon procrastination, self-doubt, professionalism and fears that arise as we strive to fulfill our true purpose.
I believe we are all meant to be creative (check-out The Artist’s Way for the definitive book on this topic). To be creative is to be human, to be fulfilled. Pressfield helps break-down some of the common obstacles to creativity – he helps you get out of your own way.
Just like my last round of book notes, I preface this with a GET READY FOR A LONG POST! disclaimer. This book may not speak to everyone the way it spoke to me – but I hope that those who do read the full notes will come away with something truly valuable. Want to share books? Add me on Good Reads.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Steven Pressfield
Book One: Resistance – Defining the Enemy
There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: it’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.
To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit. It stunts us and makes us less than we are and were born to be.
Does Resistance have to cripple and disfigure our lives before we wake up to its existence?
Any act that rejects immediate gratification in favor of long-term growth, health, or integrity will elicit Resistance.
Resistance is Invisible: We experience it as an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.
Resistance will tell you anything to keep you from doing your work. It will perjure, fabricate, falsify; seduce, bully, cajole.
Rule of thumb: The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.
My younger brother, Tom, turns 23 today, and in lieu of a fancy present I am writing him a note on this blog. I hope it’s not too embarrassing for him. :::big smile and a wink:::
First, a little context
Tom just graduated from UCLA with big dreams of playing football in the NFL. He signed with an agent, but got injured during the first event of his 49ers tryout. I believe that dream is still possible. But instead of waiting around, letting the circumstances get him down, or furiously treading water to stay afloat while looking for an entry-level office job, my brother took the road less traveled.
Tom is starting his own company for an idea he is passionate about (which I can’t wait to share when the time is right). Through his alumni network he found incredible business partners. He filed paperwork to get a business license and become incorporated as an LLC. He has a business plan, a break-even analysis, a logo and sample products in production from manufacturers in LA and China.
I am blown away, more every day, by how real it is. It is not just talk. It is the ultimate pre-emptive strike against the woes so eloquently described by Pamela Slim in Escape from Cubicle Nation (a must-read for other entrepreneurial office-dwellers).
With that, my Happy Birthday note
T-Bone,
I am so ridiculously, incredibly, unbelievably proud of you.
Your optimism, spirit and drive are amazing.
Your attitude toward life is inspiring.
You had an idea and you went for it.
You did not let a single fear hold you back.
You built relationships with people who want to help you.
You make people laugh. All the time.
The qualities that make you great at football – strength, speed, discipline, instinct and the ability to quickly process information – will serve you very well in business.
You are smart as a whip.
You make me proud to be a Blake.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
-J-Bones
Now that's what I call FROSTING! (Photo courtesy of Flickr)
Last week Ryan Stephens published his list of Top 10 Gen Y blogs. You – readers, friends, fellow bloggers – voted me #6. Number Six!!! I was jumping up and down like a school girl when I saw that. I would have been excited about an honorable mention. Heck, I was excited to be on the ballot in the first place. I called my parents and friends as if I had one the lottery.
More than ever and long overdue, I am compelled to express out loud the gratitude I feel every day.
Thank you.
Thank you to those of you who subscribe via email. Every time I see your name on my subscriber list, I smile and send you lots of happy thoughts.
Thank you to those who read in a feed reader - even though I do not know exactly who you are, I know you are out there! I’m honored to be among your (ever-expanding, I’m sure) list of blogs worth reading.
To those reading this blog for the first time – today, right now – welcome, and I look forward to getting to know you better!
Thanks for your insightful comments and your emails. Every one is like a little present in my inbox.
A special note to everyone on Twitter - you make every day exciting. You never cease to fill it with connection, humor, intelligence and resources. I hope I am able to do the same for you. I am always so thankful for all of the @replies, conversations, re-tweets and the #followfridays. Non-Twitter folk, have I lost you yet? If so, read why I think you should join the fun!
Thank you to those who have joined me and Jamie on one of our crazy cupcake tweet-ups, and to those who haven’t – either head out to SF or hopefully we will soon be at a city near you! (Read a great write-up of our most recent cupcake tweet-up by BrokeGradStudent.com)
Even before the Top 10 Gen Y Blogs nod, this post was inspired by a similar one at David Cain’s blog Raptitude. Thanks David, for your compelling writing and for such a sincere note to your readers. After reading it, I really felt I couldn’t have said it better myself.
This blog is my playground. A fun, energizing place that is helping me “live the dream” of creating value, sharing it, and (hopefully) making people’s lives better one little step at a time. Thank you for being great readers and great friends.
This is a guest post by Carlos Miceli. He is a young Argentinian that likes to question everything.
Editor’s Note: Carlos is one of the most charming, friendly, intelligent and engaging people I have met on Twitter, and English isn’t even his first language! I am thrilled to share his work on my blog.
“We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
What do people mean when they say that someone “has potential”? What do they see in someone when they say that person will “get far,” whatever that means? Is it about having innate and undeniable abilities, like intelligence and charisma, that make an impact? Or is it about people betting on and predicting your future based on superficial first impressions?
The thing about potential is that it is never precise. Bosses, friends and acquaintances see people with potential as having “a bright future,” but it is often based more on gut instinct than anything else. Because there is no way to be sure – to know exactly how good a person will be, or what life decisions he or she will make. No way of telling how much of their potential will be fulfilled.
When you think about getting places, it is not potential that matters. It is capacity. It is your capacity that will give you results if you put it to work. But other people don’t always know what you are capable of, so they assign you a predicted level of “potential.” And until they really get to know you, the level of potential they see in you is a guessing game.
You have more control over other people’s impressions of your potential than you think. Why does it matter? Because if they think you have potential, they will support you. They will mentor you, fight for you, and give you opportunities.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “fake it until you make it.” No matter what your capacity or level of experience is, if you can show potential, doors will start opening for you.
So how do you show potential?
By standing out, being different. Sound hard? I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s actually easy. Really easy. These are my personal tips:
- Be inquisitive. Ask questions. Lots of them. This is “Standing Out 101″ since most people don’t do this. Asking means “I don’t know everything, but I want to.” It shows ambition, which helps demonstrate your potential. Some people will be happy to answer your questions, and will be glad to have met you and supported you. Others will be resentful; they are the ones who you will probably leave behind faster.
- Be controversial, wisely. When you think differently about something that everyone else agrees with, take a risk and speak up! Be open and leave room for being wrong, but be vocal too. Being willing to speak up when you are the odd-one-out is a huge step towards showing potential, because it forces people to notice you, to listen to you. But be ready to lose the argument; remember, it’s not about being right, it’s about standing out.
- Be confident! Stand up for your uniqueness. For people to bet on you, they must believe in you. And they won’t if you don’t believe in yourself. Being confident is another way of saying “I’m a sure bet.”
- Be a rockstar. Go above and beyond what is asked of you. Be an essential part of the team. But don’t try to be the PERFECT employee, because being perfect means fitting in perfectly. You can’t stand out without having an edge. Putting yourself out there. Doing things differently.
- Be unique. It’s not up to me to define what is unique or not. Maybe writing poetry, maybe dancing salsa, maybe having a blog. Having a life outside of your mainstream activities will make people ask questions about you, therefore creating the mystery that makes you stand out. Potential is all about making people wonder about you, in a good way.
When you are alone, thinking about succeeding in life, always remind yourself that you have to give your best, that you CAN get where you want to, and that you are the master of your life. But when it comes to potential and people’s opinions of you, market yourself accordingly. “Godinize yourself.” Live on the edges. Be weird. Because being weird kicks ass.
This post corresponds to a 40-minute recorded teleseminar. To skip the background and jump straight to the call notes, click here.
I recently did another promotional call with my good friend Jenny Ferry for the iThrive Experience workshop for women in Scottsdale, Arizona this Saturday. I’m really excited about the workshop – I will be giving a one-hour talk on personal finance called “How to Demystify and Gain Control of Your Money.” I’m in great company with a handful of experts who are also speaking at the event, including Pam Slim, author of Escape from Cubicle Nation. If you have a female friend in Arizona, we’d be incredibly grateful if you sent her this link – it’s not too late to sign up, and the event is a steal at only $59!
For the last few months, Jenny has been hosting conversation-style calls about various topics with speakers from the workshop. You may remember my previous guest spot, “How to Rock Your Personal Finances.” Our last call was “Work-Life Challenge: Stop Forcing Balance and Find Your Flow” – a topic I’m sure many of you can relate to. I actually laughed out loud when Jenny asked if I thought this would be a good topic. ME?! Work-Life Challenged?! BAH. The reality: this topic is near-and-dear to my heart, given that I am juggling a full-time job with what (gratefully) feels like a full-time blog, trying to also make time for friends, family, relaxation and all the other things that make up a full, rich life.
You can listen to the call (approximately 40 minutes) by (or right-click to download). Note: the first minute and a half is chit-chat which you may want to skip! I have included a high-level outline of the call below and a fully transcribed version in a Google Doc.
