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Goal Setting & Financial Planning

Short-term goals:

Paying for the expenses you anticipate in the next few years requires a cautious plan. You should focus on minimizing the risk to your assets and preserving your wealth. Make sure the money you’ll need in the near future is both secure and accessible.

Common short-term goals:

Buying a car
Making a down payment on a home
Taking a vacation
Returning to school for extra education and degrees
Getting married
Establishing your own business
Paying off credit cards, student loans and other debts
Possible investments for achieving short-term goals:

Savings accounts
CDs
Money market accounts
U.S. Treasury bills
Short-term bonds or short-term bond funds
Mid-term goals

Think about the next ten years, concentrating on what you hope to accomplish and the expenses you anticipate these goals will cost. Planning for mid-term goals means carefully balancing investment growth and financial security.

Common mid-term goals:

Paying for children’s education
Purchasing a larger home
Buying a second home or vacation home
Buying a boat or recreational vehicle
Traveling to a special destination
Possible investments for achieving mid-term goals:

Stock in a variety of companies
Stock mutual funds
Exchange traded funds tracking a diversified range of indexes
U.S. Treasury notes
High-rated bonds or bond funds
Zero-coupon bonds with appropriate maturity dates
Long-term goals

It is never too early to begin financial planning for the major financial goals you want to achieve more than ten years down the road. Realizing your hopes and dreams for the future calls for a persistent and growth-oriented investment strategy.

Common long-term goals:

Living comfortably during retirement
Affording travel and hobbies
Continuing to support your children
Financial security for long-term health care
Providing an inheritance for your heirs
Creating a legacy
Possible vehicles for achieving long-term goals:

Stock in emerging and developing as well as well-established companies
Stock mutual funds that invest in growing companies
Exchange traded funds tracking a diversified variety of indexes
Long-term bonds
Zero-coupon bonds with appropriate maturity dates
Re-evaluating Your Goals Over Time

Your financial goals will likely change as your financial circumstances change. That’s why it is important to reassess your goals periodically — and at least once a year. As you do your annual financial check-up, ask yourself the following questions and be prepared to make any changes you think are needed.

Are the goals on my list still the goals I care about?
Are there other things that matter more to me now?
Have I made financial progress since last year?
If not, what could the reasons be?
Am I using the best investments to meet specific goals?
What other choices might provide stronger results?
Am I giving each goal the attention it deserves?
Do I need to change my investment strategy on any of my goals because of a change in time frame?
List Your Financial Goals

Make a list of your primary short-, mid- and long-term financial goals, the approximate date when you hope to achieve them, how much you have saved already, approximately how much you’ll need and where your savings are. This list can serve as benchmark for evaluating your progress. Remember that it’s perfectly normal for your goals to change as your life changes.

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The Influence of The Subconscious Mind In Learning

How do you feel at the moment of learning something new?
Are you enthusiastic approaching a new task, confident that you will eventually overcome any initial mistakes and errors as you develop your ability? Or is your feeling about your ability to learn new things something quite different? Recent, major scientific discoveries are shedding new light on the influence of our subconscious mind on our ability to learn. More importantly, these discoveries reveal how we can successfully manage our subconscious.

The Role of The Subconscious Mind

Your mind has two components each with separate functions. There is the conscious mind, which is 12% of our mind, and the subconscious mind, which is the other 88%. The conscious mind is the one we readily identify with; it is our “doing state” that we use to perceive the world and make decisions, such as “I need to study chemistry tonight”. The subconscious mind is responsible for storing our memory, habits, beliefs (“I always have difficulty understanding chemistry!”), personality, self-image. It also controls our bodily functions (notice you don’t have to consciously think about doing these things).

The subconscious mind is important because the body retains a primitive mechanism which has the ability to record and remember every incident that it experiences. This is called “conditioning”. It forms part of the way we learn and it enables us to perform actions habitually (without thought). Therefore if you experience enthusiasm and satisfaction while learning a new task, this mechanism will record those feelings and associate them with that task. Feelings of frustration and stress while learning are associated in the same way. When you next do that task, the subconscious association which was previously formed is automatically recalled, and re-experienced emotionally. Previous feelings of happiness and satisfaction are translated into enthusiasm, while feelings of stress, frustration give rise to reluctance, doubt, fear or anxiety.

Let’s now consider an example which illustrates the above points. Say for instance you think you are not a good learner and find it hard to study for exams. Because you find study difficult you are less likely to study and revise regularly throughout the year, because it is not an enjoyable thing to do. By avoiding regular revision you inevitably find yourself having to “cram” in the final weeks for your exam. Cramming for a subject invariably creates considerable stress, frustration and uncertainty about your true ability to pass the exam.

The subconscious mind has recorded this entire experience of study as a “remembered stress”. This “remembered stress” can accumulate and is experienced as a greater reluctance to study which constantly needs to be overcome. This is why some students who consistently place themselves under this kind of pressure find themselves unable to “face their books” or study anymore. The very thought of study subconsciously brings forward theassociated feeling of this “remembered stress” and anticipates it being experienced again. This can then lead to an inability to study effectively.

A person may have a conscious desire to perform a task, but will experience an overriding subconscious fear or reluctance to do it.

Although we can become aware of our subconscious reluctance towards learning, we often have difficulty in changing the feelings that we experience. This is because our conscious desire (“I want to study”) comes up against our existing habit and belief (“I find learning chemistry frustrating!”). Therefore 12% of your mind is battling with the other 88%. If you make this a battle of conscious will, you experience stress as you fight to discipline yourself to study, enduring much pain and suffering. This is why most people procrastinate over studying.

The conflict between the conscious and the subconscious mind is fought on an emotional level. It is a conflict which you can avoid if you understand how one mind can control the other. The student needs to learn:

A more effective method of study.
A conscious ability to motivate oneself and rebuild motivation as needed.
A method of “neutralising” subconscious blocks.
A method of reprogramming subconscious responses to learning.
In the Life Skills Seminar the ability to overcome subconscious blocks to effective learning is taught by learning and practising:

The ability to relax and release stress anytime, anywhere.
The ability to focus your mind so that it does not become distracted.
Using the whole brain developing links and association for improved learning.
Using colour and mind charting for effective learning.
Developing an awareness of self talk.
Mind/body exercises to overcome subconscious blocks to learning.
Mind/body exercises to develop greater self confidence in your learning ability.
The ability to program new responses to negative emotions experienced while learning.
Proof that you are able to perform these skills through the use of bio-feedback equipment.

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Female Release And Coupling Positions – Tips For Men To Keep In Mind

Some men have an unfortunate misconception that can cause a feeling of insecurity or even frustration in the bedroom: Women should release from penetration alone. According to the available research, this occurs in only about a quarter of women. Most require external stimulation in order to reach the big finish. Along with not pressuring oneself to get her there – and, of course, not pressuring her to get there – men can inform themselves on things they can do in bed to increase her enjoyment. Combining certain positions with external stimulation may not only bring her to release, but make the pleasure even more explosive. Since coupling is an important component of male organ health, a man will be doing himself a favor as well. Consider the following to encourage a female release.

1. Learn about her other pleasure zones. While most men know that women tend to enjoy coupling even if it doesn’t result in release, they may not realize that there are areas within the female organ beyond the G-spot that can deliver great pleasure. And for some men, the G-spot itself is a mystery. Let’s learn more about each pleasure zone.

The G-spot is located 1-3” within the female organ on the anterior wall. Its sensitivity varies from woman to woman, but it is generally recognized as a common erogenous zone within the female organ. There are two more pleasure spots called the anterior and posterior fornices. The posterior fornix is located above and behind the cervix, while the anterior fornix is above and in front of the cervix. Some women go wild when one of these areas is stimulated, but it’s important to ensure that one’s partner is such a woman before thrusting deep. Some women find cervical stimulation painful, and therefore do not enjoy this move.

2. Learn how to stimulate the posterior fornix. How can a man tell if a female partner likes posterior fornix stimulation? A good indicator is if she gravitates toward from-behind positions and deep thrusts. A man can feel his tip slide past the cervix; this is when he’s in contact with the posterior fornix.

To encourage an intense release by stimulating this area, a man should make sure he or his partner is able to manually stimulate her external area at the same time. He may be able to do this with his hand in standard or standing doggie style positions (unless the couple prefers these positions with the woman’s thighs squeezed tightly together, in which case it may be possible but a bit more difficult). They can also try the spooning position with her knees spread apart – this affords either partner easy access to the outer zone.

3. Learn how to stimulate the anterior fornix. If a woman loves deep-penetration missionary, she’s likely a fan of anterior fornix stimulation. A man can simply lift his body away from her enough to leave room for her hand; the couple may also place a soft vibrating object between their bodies in this position, providing stimulation for both.

4. Learn how to stimulate the G-spot. There are many positions that facilitate both G-spot and external contact, including:

• Woman-on-top, leaning back slightly
• Reverse cowgirl
• Doggie style with shallow thrusts
• Modified missionary with pillows beneath her rear, her knees bent and feet on his chest

Once a man has learned more about what his partner likes, he can incorporate both internal and external stimulation into the mix for more enjoyable coupling, and possibly for more female releases. Along with this education, a man must make sure to keep his male organ in good condition. A male organ health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil) with L-arginine for healthy blood flow and Shea butter for soft, supple skin is a good choice. Apply daily after a shower and see how it feels.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common member health issues, tips on improving organ sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy manhood. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men’s health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.

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