Telltale Signs You Need to Make a Lifestyle Change

Telltale Signs You Need to Make a Lifestyle Change

by Inner HealthLife ChangesLifestyle

It’s easy to get caught up in the rat race of life and find yourself stuck in a rut that doesn’t resemble what you had dreamed of doing or becoming. In order to live a happy and meaningful life, sometimes, it’s necessary to alter it’s direction significantly.

The moments that make you stop and reflect are usually the most prominent signs that it’s time to alter your course. Read on to learn some of the most common symptoms that should show when you need to make a lifestyle change.

It’s Hard to Get Up In the Morning

Most of us dislike when the alarm goes off in the morning. But, if you find yourself seriously despising the idea of getting out of bed and facing another day, take note that it’s time to make a lifestyle change.

You Feel Unmotivated

When you feel overwhelmed and dispassionate about your life, often this can manifest into a desire to avoid doing just about anything. Retreating home and feeling unmotivated to do much else means that your body and mind have become somewhat numb to your lifestyle, which is never a good way to live.

You Feel Negatively About Everything

Feeling cynical about the world around you, whether it’s your job, your finances, or engaging with the people you meet day to day, is an indication that you’ve reached a severe level of dissatisfaction within your life. When you can’t find anything positive to say, a change of direction is a must.

You Don’t Put any Effort into Yourself

Taking care of yourself should always be your number one priority. After all, you’re the most important thing in your life! When you stop putting any effort into improving as a person, you begin to stagnate. When you stagnate, it can become very easy for negative feelings to take over, which can eventually turn into a form of numbness.

You Continually Feel an Immense Amount of Stress

Stress is a normal part of life, but feeling an immense amount of it on a constant basis is dangerous for both your physical and mental health. If you’ve been just barely able to cope with the amount of pressure that life is throwing your way and your mental health is suffering as a result, this is one of the most important signs to recognize when it’s time to make a change.

It’s hard to make major changes to your life, especially if you’ve been in a similar lifestyle for a long time. That said, it’s much better to take the time and effort to alter the course of your life than to stay complacent. While we often trick ourselves into thinking we are comfortable, comfort is something you should never settle for. We all deserve to live our best life, and with the right motivation, support, and willpower, it is something we can all achieve.

Family Estate Planning

Avoid Family Estate Conflicts with These 5 Strategies

by Estate PlanningInheritanceLife Changes

It’s every parent’s dream to be able to pass along their legacy and leave something substantial and meaningful behind for their family. However, if you don’t tread carefully when creating your inheritance plan, you could end up inadvertently causing resentment between siblings and altering the family dynamic. To ensure everyone is happy and that you’re remembered exactly how you want to be, avoid family estate conflicts by using these five strategies.

Call Family Meetings

A simple way to avoid catching your family off guard with your inheritance decisions is to hold family meetings. Talking directly to your children about your plans and asking for their preferences can help prevent any surprises that may leave people feeling hurt or angry. Opening up the communication channels will allow your children to at least negotiate amongst each other. This could make it easier for you to distribute your belongings without causing any conflict to begin with.

Create Detailed Instructions

The majority of family arguments center around how the personal property is distributed when a parent passes away. You can avoid causing family drama over your belongings by creating a detailed list of instructions. This should outline in detail who will inherit what and then add it into your estate plan so that your executor can appropriately carry out your wishes once you are gone.

Adjust for Gifts and Loans

If you loaned money to one of your children to help with their tuition or a business, you should adjust for this when you plan your inheritance. If you don’t, one of your other children who didn’t need support may become upset feeling as if they’ve lost out.

Appoint a Mediator

Even when you’ve tried your best to please everyone, emotions run high during times like these. If there was a previous dispute between siblings or if this is your second marriage (or third) it may be wise to hire a third-party trustee who can mediate if a disagreement arises or conflict breaks out.

Have a Professional Create Your Estate Plan

Having a well thought out and strategically-formed estate plan ensures that your wishes are appropriately expressed. This allows you to provide adequate support and financial stability for your family in the manner you desired. When you work with a financial advisor, you’ll receive advice and solutions that help maximize your estate’s value, distribute your assets as planned, and minimize any taxes so that your beneficiaries receive the intended amounts. They’ll even help you leave a lasting legacy that you’ll be remembered for.

The best time to plan your estate is now. If you’re looking to create an estate plan that will create the most value and avoid family estate conflicts, we at The Beacon Group of Assante Financial Management Ltd. can help you. We’re here to help you understand how the decisions you make today will impact your estate in the future.

Why Major Life Changes Are Good for You

Why Major Life Changes are Good for You

by Financial PlanningLife Changes

Change is inevitable. Even when you try to avoid it, there will always be unforeseen challenges and less than perfect conditions thrown your way. However, you shouldn’t fear these situations; significant life changes can be beneficial for you in many ways. The life lessons you learn during these difficult times can help you to be more prepared for the future and teach you how to deal with change more effectively. To show you how this works, here we feature a few of the ways that a major life change can benefit you and what you can do to be better prepared for the bumps ahead.

Fosters Growth

When you experience a major change, you’re often faced with challenges you’ve never had to deal with before. In most cases, your belief system is tested and you’re pushed beyond your limitations – but this isn’t always a bad thing. When you go through a life-transforming event, you’re forced to step outside of your comfort zone and grow. With each step, you become more skilled, confident, and eventually more successful as you begin to see things in a new light.

Makes You More Adaptable

Some people fear the idea of change, but in reality, change is inevitable and something we need to get used to. We can’t always prepare for a significant life transition to occur, but we can learn how to cope with one. Experiencing a significant life change can be useful for you as it can push you to be more flexible in your approach. As you drive through the challenges, you learn how to change plans and adapt to circumstance. Best of all, you build confidence to take on new situations and become better equipped to deal with other obstacles that may arise.

Teaches You To Be Prepared

It’s impossible to forecast everything that will happen in your life, but you can at least be prepared financially for any unexpected circumstances. Major life changes can be costly, especially if you lose your job or undergo a divorce. Experiencing a life change can teach you why it’s essential to have a backup plan in place to make sure you protect yourself.

Changes can be jarring, no matter what area of life they affect. The best way to deal with these uprooting events is to know that in the end, you’ll always come out on top a different person. The changes you go through will shape who you become – embrace them!

4 Things to Consider Before Selling Your Business

4 Things to Consider Before Selling Your Business

by BusinessLife Changes

Have you been thinking about selling your business? There are some things you should determine first before you make any decisions, or you could risk selling for the wrong reasons or the wrong price, which can jeopardize your future wealth and security. Here are four things to consider before deciding to sell your business.

Is the Timing Right?

Timing is essential when you plan to sell your business. To determine if the timing is right, you need to look at the current state of your business and the overall market.  For one, you want to sell at the top of your game, not when your business is on the decline. When you’re profitable, not only will you become more valuable to a buyer but you will also have the power to set yourself up for financial freedom. Market timing is also important. If the market has been declining, you should likely wait until things begin taking a turn to sell.

Is My Business Valuable?

Buyers are not going to be interested in a business that has decent revenue but zero profits. If you’ve pumped your company full of tax write-offs or are highly leveraged, you will likely appear less profitable to a potential purchaser. Before you decide to sell, make sure you take these factors into consideration and spend time structuring your business to be more attractive to buyers.

Do I Have a Tax Strategy?

By the time most business owners decide to sell, it’s far too late to implement a tax strategy. Without one, you could end up paying hefty taxes to exit your business. To avoid any tax repercussions and maximize your sale proceeds, it’s best to set up a well-thought-out tax strategy ahead of selling your property.

Are There Alternatives to Selling?

If you’re not sure whether selling is right for you, or if you’re feeling pressured to sell because of poor performance, you should evaluate your other options first before selling. You may be able to leverage some of your capital, pass on ownership through employee stock options, sell as an asset and retain ownership, or take on silent investors. Regardless, it’s wise to talk to an advisor who can help you make a better-informed decision that is right for you.

At The Beacon Group at Assante Financial Management Ltd., we provide practical solutions designed to help you make smart choices about your business to gain wealth and prosperity now and into the future. Contact us today if you’d like some advice on your unique situation.

Our Tactics for Finding a Better Work Life Balance

Our Tactics for Finding a Better Work/Life Balance

by Inner HealthLife ChangesLifestylePhysical Health

With technology making employees accessible 24 hours a day now, striking a healthy work-life balance can seem next to impossible to achieve. This, combined with the compounding stress of a rising cost of living, an exacerbated competitive job market, and the occasional 50 hour work week, can create some damaging effects on your well-being. Finding balance in life will differ for everyone. The key is to determine how you can find your balance, even when it seems impossible. After all, your happiness and health depend on this! To help you master this balancing act, here are a few of our tactics for finding a better work/life balance.

Learn To Unplug

Sure, technology makes your life more convenient, but it also consumes much of your time, while creating a standard where you’re always expected to be accessible. If you’re always accessible, it doesn’t leave much time for enjoying those precious moments in life, like your child’s soccer game. Start by disciplining yourself to unplug and switch off electronics when your work day is done. If you need to stipulate this to your clients and co-workers, then do it. Having quality time with your friends and family and being able to kick back and enjoy life is important. Otherwise, what’s the point of working so hard?

Prioritize Self Care

The reality is we make time for things that we prioritize. If you’re struggling to find a better work-life balance, it may be time to reassess your priorities. While you’re doing this, make sure to add exercise and mediation towards the top of your list. Exercise not only keeps you fit and feeling great, but it also helps to reduce stress. It releases endorphins which literally make you feel good. In addition to exercise, meditation or yoga are very beneficial practices that help calm the body and mind. Spending a few minutes every day focusing on your own self-care is well worth it.

Stop Trying to Juggle It All

Many business owners and overachievers can quickly get sucked into habits of perfectionism. As you wade through life, there can be many obstacles, changes and unforeseen events that can occur where this idea can get abruptly tossed out the window. Trying to juggle everything with strict standards for yourself can become a severe recipe for burn out. By learning to delegate tasks, you can lessen your responsibilities and create more time and space for life.

Ask Someone to Help

It’s okay to ask for help. The reality is, even though it’s easy to read about ways to strike a better balance, it’s always harder to implement. So, ask someone close to you for help! Having people who care for you and support you through these efforts is how you’re going to succeed in accomplishing them.

Using the Longer Days to Build a Better You

Using the Longer Days to Build a Better You

by Life ChangesLifestylePhysical Health

Becoming a better person doesn’t mean reinventing yourself altogether. Change happens gradually by focusing on altering one habit at a time. After all, it’s our habits that define who we are and what we do each and every day. With the longer days upon us, there’s no better time than now to utilize those extra hours of daylight to focus on building your strengths and getting your life in the shape you’d like it to be. Let us show you how you can use the longer days to create a better you and achieve your goals for future prosperity.

Focusing On Your Goals

Now’s the time to dig deep and reflect on your values, wants, and goals. Utilize the extra daytime hours to understand where you are today in your life and where you want to be in the future.

Adjusting to Life Changes

A sudden life change or surprise circumstance can significantly impact your life. Use this time to reflect on recent life changes that may be causing you and your family emotional and/or financial burdens. Taking the right steps now to address the situation can get you back on track and help you to reduce any future impacts that may arise.

Get Active

Having an active lifestyle might be the single most important part of living a balanced, healthy lifestyle. When it boils down to it, we will forever be living within our bodies, and our bodies need constant movement in order to function the way they ought to. Whether you choose to take a brisk walk every evening, go to the gym three nights a week, or run for 30 minutes every couple days, it will benefit every aspect of your life!

Practise Your Creativity

There seems to be a common misconception about creativity that you are either born a creative person or are not. We couldn’t disagree with this more! While it’s true that some people are naturally more creative than others, that doesn’t mean the rest of us are doomed! Being exceptionally creative is an acquired skill, just like being an active listener or being a great writer.

Just like any other skill you might learn, you need to practise continually in order to improve! Learn to think out of the box, approach problems from new angles, and don’t give up trying! You’re more creative than you think – you just need to work at it.

Try Something New

Trying new things, whether they are more related to your personal or professional life, can be daunting either way. As we continue to grow up, we get used to who we already are and what we are good and bad at, but we pigeonhole ourselves be doing so. Trying to develop new hobbies, skills, or learn about new things that interest you is a necessary part of bettering yourself as a person. You shouldn’t ever stop learning – no matter what you’re learning about!

What are You Missing in Your Life?

What are You Missing in Your Life?

by Life ChangesLifestyle

Feel like there’s something missing in your life? Chances are it could be something that you could solve somewhat easily. If you don’t really know what you need in order to make yourself feel fulfilled, then how are you supposed to achieve happiness? The answer is by being open and willing to explore new things about yourself. By being open to change, you get to learn and discover more about your personal values, your potential, and what you need in your life in order to feel fulfilled.

Here we offer some simple ways to achieve this and gain a greater understanding of what might be missing in your life.

Learn What You Truly Want and Desire

So often we get caught up in comparing ourselves and our accomplishments – or lack thereof – with others. But by doing this, you automatically set yourself up for failure by provoking feelings of failure and self-doubt. When self-doubt is dominating a good portion of your everyday thoughts, how can you expect to explore your actual potential? You must learn to acknowledge your own individual needs and accomplishments without comparing them to others.

Maybe having more time and energy is more important than achieving a high-paying, stressful career. If you’re trying to fool yourself into doing something that really isn’t in line with your values and wishes, then you can bet you’ll end up feeling like there’s something missing, even with a fancy, successful career. Ask yourself more questions to determine what you truly want and then start to listen to yourself!

Be Open to Change

You can’t expect to achieve a different feeling and result if you’re not trying something different. Exploring a different approach and being open to change is crucial for really learning more about what’s truly important to you. If you don’t like something once you try it, then whatever! That’s the whole point of trying new things – discovering what you do and don’t like, or what does and doesn’t work for you. When you find something you don’t like, your narrowing down your identity for yourself, which will make it easier for you to change yourself for the better.

Determine What Your Values are

Everyone has a core set of values that dictate a lot about how we live out our lives, but many of us are unaware of the specific values that we live by. And the reality is that often, the values we hone in on can contradict each other and end up preventing us from achieving a level of happiness and fulfillment that we want. For example, if one of your major values is freedom and another is intimacy, you can see how these two would present some challenges and conflicting results. Being unclear about your values is what often leads to feelings of unfulfillment. So whether it’s love, success, security, intimacy, freedom, or good health, get to know what your hierarchy of values is by writing them out and adjusting them as necessary. Values guide most of our decisions, so if you’re unaware of yours or if you have conflicting ones, they could be preventing you from leading the life you truly desire.

Finding out what’s missing in your life can be achieved by getting to know yourself better. Let go of comparisons, be open to change and new opportunities, learn what your values are, and start to really listen to yourself. It’s all for a better, more satisfied you!

Decluttering After the Holidays

Decluttering After the Holidays

by Life ChangesLifestyle

After all of the gift-giving and festive parties have passed, the holidays can end up taking a toll on the state of your home. With the new year just around the corner, there’s no better time than now to get rid of the excess junk and start with a fresh, clean, organized home. When you take on the task of decluttering after the holidays, use these tips to help you stay committed to your goal to get back to being organized.

Get One, Toss Two

This is a simple and helpful habit to get into – when you receive an item that you already have, you toss two (or donate) in return. When you’re organizing your holiday gifts that you’ve received, start to put this habit into action. For example, if you’ve received a DVD, add two old ones to the “out” pile. The same goes for just about anything – clothing, kitchenware, makeup, kids’ toys, and so forth.

Pay It Forward

When you’re sifting through your items, don’t forget to pay it forward and donate. Create a pile or have a bag on hand to place items to drop off at a local charity so you can pay it forward and provide others with items that you no longer need.

Take on One Room at a Time

The best way to declutter after the holidays is to take on one room at a time. That way you can avoid feeling overwhelmed, which can force you to toss in the towel and give up before you’ve really started. Chip away at your home by only focusing on individual rooms at one time, starting from the top and working your way down to the basement.

Have a Designated Area to Store Items for “Out”

As you move along throughout your home, create an area – either in the corner of each room or maybe just a corner of your basement – where you can place and organize items that are marked for out. This helps keep the decluttering process organized and easier for you to see the progress that you’ve made.

Toss What Hasn’t Been Used in the Past Year

To help you determine what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself each time what you have and have not used over the past year or so. If the answer is a definite no then the item should definitely be placed in the “toss” pile, if there’s no sentimental value attached to it.

Getting organized and clearing out the excess junk is not only great for your home, but it’s also an effective way to help clear out any mental clutter as well.  Get started with your decluttering project to help you stay focused and committed to having a clean, fresh home this coming year.

Surrounding Yourself with Positive People

Surrounding Yourself with Positive People

by Life ChangesLifestyle

Having the right kind of people in your life can make an enormous difference for influencing the quality of your life. It’s important to choose those whom you hold dear carefully, as they help foster your environment, your experiences, and even your emotions. If you find that the people in your life are holding you down with negative emotions and tendencies, then it may be time to declutter your social circle in order to make room for more positive influences.

By surrounding yourself with positive people, it can make a lasting impact on your life in some of these simple and essential ways.

 

Absorb More Positive Energy

We often absorb other people’s energy through their direct mood and attitudes. When we take in their stress, anger or negative emotions, we can easily end up emitting that energy back onto others. Wouldn’t you prefer to be attracting and sending out positive energy to the people around you? Of course you would! And you can easily achieve this by simply spending more time surrounding yourself every day with optimistic people that have happy and positive energy to share.

 

Mirror Healthy Goals

We become a lot like those who we spend the most time with – mirroring their goals and ambitions. For instance, if you surround yourself with healthy, active people or those with positive outlooks on life, you can’t help but feel influenced by their energy to engage and share a value in leading a healthier lifestyle as well. So instead of surrounding yourself with negative and self-destructive people, find others you admire and can look up to in order to help improve and enrich your life.

 

Get Rid Of Negativity

Negativity can affect every aspect of your life – from your relationships to your work, to your overall wellbeing. No-one wants to be around a person that is always complaining or putting others down. You can quickly rid your life of any negativity that exists by making the decision to no longer accept it in your life.

 

Foster Growth

When you have more renewed energy from the positive vibes around you, there is more time and energy to foster growth in your life. Those who don’t waste time complaining and instead focus on how to be productive and solve problems for the greater good, can help uplift your spirits and get you motivated to take on life in a new and improved direction.

 

Move Forward

When you are feeling negative, it’s easy to enter into a slump by dwelling on past experiences and emotions that serve no purpose in your future. By surrounding yourself with more positive people, you can begin to move forward in your life and learn to alter your thought patterns to focus on creating a positive future.  When you begin to do this, you get to enjoy a renewed sense of motivation, energy, and excitement for what’s to come.

Surrounding yourself with positive people is more important than you may realize. The people that you see and interact with the most are the people who end up influencing your thoughts, your habits, your focus and essentially, your quality of life. Remember to always choose wisely; if you have people surrounding you who are bringing you down with negativity on a constant basis, it might be time to filter them out to make room for more positive influences instead.

Woman sleeping in her bed

How to Improve Sleep Hygiene

by Inner HealthLife ChangesLifestylePhysical Health

Obtaining a healthy and restful night’s sleep on a regular basis helps to improve productivity and overall quality of life. However, many of us simply fall into bed when it is convenient or don’t implement lifestyle adjustments that allow for a healthier night’s rest. Here are some ways you can improve your sleep hygiene and feel more refreshed each morning.

Avoiding Stimulants, Fats, and Sugars Prior to Bedtime

That last cup of coffee or nightcap can disrupt the effectiveness of your sleep cycle, particularly during the second half of the night when your body begins to process alcohol, caffeine, and sugars. Cutting them and fats, spices, and carbonated beverages out of your evening ritual can help to enhance overall sleep hygiene, and it doesn’t hurt to make it a rule to brush your teeth a little earlier so as to avoid temptation.

Put the Phone Down

The light emitted by your smartphone’s screen can cause for a horrid night’s rest fraught with discomfort and irritability if you’re not careful. Laying in bed and scrolling through social media news feeds until you pass out is going to do you no favours in regards to a restful sleep and refreshed body — in fact, it can sap your energy even more quickly and cause you to get up n the wrong side of the bed in the morning. If you absolutely must check that final email before bed, however, enable your phone’s blue light filter to minimize eyestrain and better simulate natural lighting.

Limit Daytime Nap Length

As we get older, we fall into the habit of taking catnaps to compensate for inadequate nighttime sleep. However, sleeping for hours during the day can wreak havoc on our internal clock and mood, making it more difficult to properly sleep at regular hours. Naps are all well and good, but set an alarm and limit them to half an hour long. In fact, naps of 30 minutes or less can help to boost alertness, overall mood, mental stimulation, and even performance. Don’t waste the potential of a nap by lying down for half the day.

Regular Exercise

While it should be embraced by middle-aged people either way for various physical and health benefits, practicing regular exercise helps to promote high quality sleep. Even as little of ten minutes of aerobic exercises — such as a walk or bike ride — can make a major difference. Bear in mind that this should be approached in moderation, however, as working out strenuously close to bedtime will have negative effects on your sleep cycle. The overall effects of regular exercise vary from person to person, so try different approaches and activities to see what works best and helps you sleep most comfortably.

Good sleep hygiene promotes good mental and physical health. Feel less drained in the morning by encouraging a healthy night’s rest, and you’ll be refreshed and comfortable every morning, ready to handle each day.