4 Tips for Staying Physically and Financially #FitforLife
Have you ever looked at the way you spend money and asked yourself how it defines you? Gym memberships, coffee, mortgages, Netflix...it all adds up. As I finish up my second pregnancy, I can't help but think about my purpose, what's most important in my life and how I want my life defined: For me, it's all about my family.
My passion and definition of a healthy life goes beyond physical/mental health and includes financial health as well. I recently read that 78% of millennials feel very or extremely concerned about having enough money to live comfortably in retirement, which got me thinking about how important and similar fitness and finances can be - especially early in our lives. It's easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of getting married and landing an epic career but we can't forget about the long term stability of our lives.
Living a healthy lifestyle takes dedication, planning and making good shot-term decisions to reach long-term goals. That same dedication and planning is required to protect my family's financial future.
We live in a world of instant gratification, and it doesn't always come naturally to create a long-term plan for fitness, let alone our finances. I remember the first time I really started to plan my family's financial future thinking, "How in the world am I going to plan for the future when I'm just trying to figure out how to manage our current finances?". But just like fitness planning, financial planning isn't as scary and overwhelming as it might seem.
What if you could lose 5 lbs by trading in your latte for a black coffee every day? And what if you could get a $1 million life insurance policy for less than those lattes cost you each month? It's all about the right perspective and taking baby steps in the right direction. And just like fitness takes more effort as you get older, things like life insurance get more expensive as you get older too.
I don't know about you, but I definitely want to be in charge of my future both physically and financially. Here are my top tips to get ahead of the game and be physically and financially #FitforLife:
1. Create a long-term vision. Most of us look for quick fixes, but the best things in life don't always come easy. Real results in physical and financial fitness require a long-term vision and plan. Not sure where to start? Allstate has this great website to help you easily pick the best life insurance coverage - a solid foundation of your financial plan -- for your family.
2. Set short-term goals. Striving to achieve weekly or monthly fitness goals will keep you on the path to your long term vision. Set realistic, attainable goals that you can reach to set yourself up for success. Whether it be putting aside 10% of your paycheck into savings, or doing 10 pushups in a row, set short-term goals to fulfill your long-term vision.
3. Commit. Just like fitness goals take a commitment, financial fitness requires the same promise - meaning you have to make room in your budget to take your financial health to the next level. Commit to your vision.
4. Meet with your trainer. A trainer will push you to reach new levels of fitness and educate you on various workout benefits/options as well as make sure you are sticking to your goals. Financial "trainers" or specialists can help you understand your options and choose a plan that works for you and your family.
To me, being #FitforLife means taking the right steps to protect the most important thing in my life, my family. The balance of physical and financial health go hand in hand. What does #FitforLife mean to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts and plans!
*Thank you to Allstate for sponsoring this post!
