Wow, What a YEAR!!
I find myself wanting to wrap up 12 eventful months here and you may enjoy or understand more about me and my services by reading it!
January 2010 - Started off with terrible news that Uncle Steve in Florida was sick with Cancer. Another family tragedy was on the horizon. A couple days later, I paid off the last $4,000 of my Home Loan. It was a bittersweet time in life.
February 2010 - We drove to Ohio to pick up Cousin Tera!! She Moved to Princeton, YAY! This was a family milestone and with the tragedy of losing her sister, we all wanted to be near her and show her a bunch of Kansas family Love! We also planned a visit to Florida. I was starting to live life completely debt-free. Had my first month with NO house payment.
March 2010 - Signed up for Dave Ramsey's Counselor Training using my Tax Return money and extra dollars that were piling up everywhere from not having any payments. My Sisters and Brother-In-Law and I visited Uncle Steve and enjoyed our time with him and Nancy at his home in Florida. That was my first drive to the East Coast and our Road-Trip itself was pretty fun! 2800 miles on the Trooper!
April 2010 - We lost Stephen R. Nichols. The Memorial Service and family togetherness started feelings brewing inside of me. Steve was a great adventurer who'd accomplished so much. I started to question my own drive to succeed... Then I attended Dave Ramsey's Counselor Training Program in Nashville. I had a blast and was Inspired to help others with my newly gained knowledge!
May 2010 - I had emotions boiling inside me. The combination of being debt-free, wanting to help others and feeling that I was spinning my wheels had me at a cross-roads. I began to wonder if a career change and complete fresh start was in order... I was also working with several families and individuals to tighten up leaky finances and solidify their foundation for a fantastic financial future, those moments felt GREAT!
June 2010 - An epiphany came. One day I remembered that long ago I had dreamed of a cross-country road trip... Now was the time and place to make that dream happen! I consulted with lots of wise people I trusted. With the support and well wishes of my boss of 10 years, I felt confident moving forward into the unknown! I quit my job as a Head of the Art Dept at Hasty Awards. I started preparing for two things. The Road Trip of a lifetime and starting my own small business! Also found out that my sister Jessica is expecting!!
July 2010 - I embarked from Princeton Kansas on a journey West with my Dog Roxy in my Isuzu Trooper. I had only a couple concrete points I wanted to hit. You can read all the posts I made on my 3-week 6000 mile trip here at http://www.ashellandastone.blogspot.com/ It was a fantastically blessed epic journey. I shared great moments with friends and family and saw wonderful sights of the American West, the Pacific Coast and everywhere in between!
August 2010 - I began putting together True North Financial Fitness Coaching http://www.truenorthffc.com/ and starting learning that business does not just take off all by itself. We also fit in another trip to Aspen, Co for Uncle Steve. This was the time of finding a new groove of self-employment and the beginning of a serious education in entrepreneurship!
September 2010 - On Labor Day weekend,while camping at the lake, we found out that sis Amanda is also going to have a baby - YAY Hooray, I'll be a double-uncle in a few months!! With True North FFC I was still looking for clients to work with and I started to transform. The old days of thinking that planning a great strategy and implementing steps to gain success were all over... The truth is this. Get Started! Make something happen. Learn from the mistakes of Doing. Do it again, but Better this Time. Keep repeating this process with DETERMINATION!
October 2010 - Staying Focused, I use my days to gain knowledge from others in the business. I start to learn that there is a whole community out there who is just like me. People running their own businesses, helping others and doing much of their marketing and idea sharing online. A redesign of my website happened in here and The Ready for Better Blog http://www.readyforbetter.blogspot.com/ now has an important new purpose :)
November 2010 - I felt the momentum starting to slow down and had wondered if I was making the right choices. I had become a regular at Westminster Presbyterian Church and we finalized plans to host a Financial Peace University Class in January. I feel great that I am growing spiritually throughout this process. Also I begin to work with local clients on thier Website, Branding, Social Media and Promotional Marketing. Using my graphics skills is a nice addition to my small business offerings.
December 2010 - This month I really ramped up my dedication to learning, I began reading again and studying lots of material on building small business. I feel that the focus on personal finances will happen again in January. For this Holiday Season I enjoyed the extra time that being self-employed offers. We had several fun family and friend events!
This is a quick wrap up and I'm sure I've left out several big things :) I hope your 2010 was a good one. Now on to 2011!! Let's look to make this a FANTASTIC year of growth, change and inspiration for a wonderful future!
Thanks!
Aaron Nichols
True North Financial Fitness Coaching
785-218-6134
Got a leaky Wallet? Bulging budget or none at all? Delapidated Debt that you're sick of living with? You are losing hard earned dollars every month! Let me show you how to spackle the cracks and firm up your financial foundation. DIY or using my professional services, either way, the best time to fix your finances is Now!
