70 days to go...

Okay, I admit it. I am a champion procrastinator. I am an expert in putting things off to do later. And this often means that I never get around to doing it, or only when the pressure gets unbearably high.

I see this as one of my biggest stumbling blocks to move forward with my life. It’s a weakness I have to deal with, a self-created obstacle. I want to come to the point where I enjoy tackling a task head on, and right away.

The Eat the Frog book by Brian Tracy (see my Dao and Wine blog) has taught me helpful lessons about prioritization. I have endless to do lists, but often the majority of listed tasks doesn’t get done. I enjoy writing them, but I don’t get around to doing them. I know this is partly because I enjoy thinking and conceptualizing. But I have no wish to analyze the problem further now. I just want to get on with tasks and results in what’s important for my life.

Today I got cracking on the financial side. I have decided to revamp my finances, and set up new accounts for savings and investments, with another bank. I was browsing in the bookshop today, and came across the works of David Bach. I bought one of his books to work with: The Finish Rich Workbook. That's what I need is work, no more theories, but work.

I found that Bach offers some good advice. First, he says that when we receive income, we should pay ourselves first, before paying anyone else or any utility. What he means is that we should save and invest before we do anything else. And his second point is that if we don’t turn this into an automatic payment, we’re setting ourselves up for missing the boat altogether. Pay yourself first, David Bach says, and set up an automatic scheme to make it happen.

This advice is now engraved in my mind, and I will do it. I didn't put it on my to-do list and I won't, but I’ll follow his advice anyway. I have decided that I want to see my money grow in stead of flying out of doors and windows. I will take David Bach’s advice on how to do it. Cultivating my finances is a critical part of my preparation for rebirth at 50.

Photograph: David Bach’s book.