Click on the video below for a special holiday message to you and your family.

Many of you are spending the last few days and even hours before you hit time off for the holidays. Can you believe that this year is all but gone? Time sure flies!

For a minute, think back to the goals that you had for this year. Have you achieved them? Some? Any?

Next year is just around the corner. Before it gets here do these five things to make sure you are successful in your goal achievement for next year.

1. Reflect – Look back on the goals you set.  Were you successful?  What prevented you from accomplishing your plans?  Determine what you will do differently in 2011.
2. Plan – Identify the areas where you are setting goals.  What are your desires?  Why are they important to you and/or others around you?
3. Write Down – Get your goals down on paper.  Be specific in what you are to accomplish and, if you can, break them up into manageable tasks.
4. Set Target Dates – For every goal and/or task make sure a date of completion is set.  When do you want to achieve this goal?  Realistically how long will it take?  What other goals must be complete before other goals?  Get dates down and manage to your dates.
5. Celebrate – When you are successful on a goal – celebrate.  reward yourself for the good job you did.

Take some time now, before the business of the holidays, and set goals for what you want to accomplish this next year.  Before you know it, 2011 will be over too.

When I have people referring paying clients to me, I reward each one of them a gift card for their referral.  Unless I know of a specific “desire”, I will typically give that person r family a Visa or MasterCard gift card (not to be confused with a credit card!!).  For many of you this Christmas has you wanting to give that special gift.  The only problem is – you have no idea on earth what that special gift is or could be.  In desperation or to avoid desperation – you buy them a gift card.

Unfortunately, it may not be what they wanted.  You know, grandma really does not shop at Abercrombie and Fitch and has not in years.  What is she going to do with that card?  Honestly, my mother does not go to Best Buy or Fry’s often (if ever) and a gift card there would be wasted.  Believe it or not, but many out there do not use iTunes and do not desire a gift card. (See the statistics at the bottom of this article)

Do you know what still works when you do not know what to buy for that special one?  CASH!  That’s right, cash works just about everywhere.  In fact, I can not think of a place that will not use cash.

As I think about it, I can not remember anyone ever complaining about the cash gift they received.  Maybe you have, but cash typically crosses generational, gender, and ________ (whatever, you fill in the blank) lines.

Just like I encourage in your monthly spending – USE CASH!  It is really magic.

Christmas is just a few days away.  I hope you are ticking to your plan!

Here are a few gift card statistics from a recent Fortune Magazine article (12/6/2010):

• Merchant Issued Gift Cards (total value estimate): $73 billion
• Sales of gift cards from supermarket and drugstore kiosks: 10% or $7.3 million
• Percentage retailers earn form kiosk sales of gift cards: 74%-81%
• **72% of consumers spend more than the card’s value – 56% more on average!
• You can sell your unwanted/unneeded gift card for about 80% of the card’s value!

Three weeks from tomorrow is arguably the biggest and best holiday of the year. It is that one day that most of the world pauses to reflect a common holiday – the birth of Christ.  It is the season for friends and family to gather and renew relationships.  For many of you the days leading up the to holiday are full of stress and that stress prevents you from truly reflecting and enjoying the day.

With the time left before the big day focus on these three things:

1. Stick to the plan you created for shopping, staying within your allotted cash, and complete the task this weekend.  Get it done and behind you.
2. Remember it is more blessed to give than receive, but you do not need to nor have to buy something for everyone. This holiday has turned into a gift exchange and has lessened the true meaning of giving.
3. Say “no”. You cannot do everything. There are only 24 hours in a day and only a few days left in the Christmas window. Do not feel obliged to commit to everything you are asked to do or be part of.  Leave some time for you.

Christmas can be an enjoyable time – if you allow it to be.  Merry Christmas!

Again this week I have been part of situations with my clients that seem bleak to say the least.  Over and over people have allowed themselves to get into bad financial situations and then begin to blame others.  Whether their current or former employer, the bank or mortgage company, the business climate, friends, family, and even spouses that have done them wrong.  The reality is we must all recognize some personal responsibility.

Several years ago a man sat in my office and pounded on my desk saying that he was “mad at God for this financial mess” he and his family were currently in.  After he vented, I politely reminded him that God does not carry, let alone use, a Visa, MasterCard or Amex.  He smiled as he began to recognize the personal responsibility.

There is so much more to the financial rat race you are in.  However we are in, in deep!  It is time to get out of the mess that is taking you down.

If you want to get well, you have to get serious.  One of my clients shared this we me in the last week.  He has found that in his life and in the lives of those around him that he is trying to help.  If you were sick and went to the doctor, would you take the doctor’s prescribed remedy and lay it on the nightstand?  While I hope you would not, many do just that.

A new year is just around the corner.  If you want to get well, you have to get serious.  Are you ready to get serious in the new year?

This is a time of the year when we all are thinking of giving.  While many are shopping to find that perfect gift, others are struggling with what they can afford to give.  However, when you think about it we should be giving year round.

Whether it is the person who has recently lost their job, the single mom trying to make ends meet, or the disabled person who just needs some financial help – there are always opportunities to give to people who are truly in need.

While all those people and more can use your help, are you in a position to help or are you strapped with your own “needs”?

Money is only good, truly, for two things – to live and to give.  In most of our cases, our definition of living is way bigger than it needs to be and it robs us what we truly could give.  Until you are in a position to understand what giving feels like you never can feel the real joy.

What do you have to give away?