From my inbox...

The Folly of Following the Crowd
by Karen Kuebler
Key steps to break away from "keeping up with the Joneses"
syndrome

How often do we find ourselves lured into the latest and
greatest technology, attracted to the newest fashions, coaxed
by a shopping partner to buy something, or heaven forbid,
watching a home shopping channel? Believe me, I understand and
live through all of these temptations! Now that HDTVs are
available, our friends are telling us we really need to get
one. My husband is tempted. My sister gets the greatest buys
from QVC and I love seeing her latest acquisitions. When
nothing else is on TV, our channel often goes to QVC. And so
it goes. We are all continually tempted by the barrage of
shopping opportunities.

Years ago, my husband and I went antiquing with some friends
whenever we visited, at least twice a year. A pattern
developed. We always bought more antiques when we were with
them than when we shopped alone. They were collectors and had
inherited a good sum of money, so when they found something
they liked, they bought it.

It was like gold fever! It was catchy. We came home from
multiple visits with a wide variety of purchases. We commented
and laughed about the situation with our friends, saying they
were a bad influence on us because we spent money too easily
when we were together. We simply were not in the position to
make these purchases without serious consequences.

My husband and I were caught up in the classic "keeping up
with the Joneses" syndrome without realizing it. This is a
subtle "disease" because of its' insidious nature. The seeds
are planted in our thoughts and feelings, and spread until it
infects our physical assets. If serious enough, it can bring
down your "financial house." Left uncontrolled and untreated,
the infection will spread and kill any opportunity to achieve
financial success and independence.

The following are key steps that I took to break away from
"keeping up with the Joneses" syndrome:

- Get in touch with what you really want. Make your decisions
and choices based on what is important to you, not based on
the opinions of others.

- Replace self-defeating behaviors with positive alternatives.
Examine your life and determine what behaviors hinder
progress. We frequently do things that are at cross-purposes
with what we really want. How often do we find ourselves
watching too much television, sitting comfortably in our
favorite chair too long, or stuck on our computer far past the
time we should have gone to sleep? You'll find yourself making
huge strides toward your goals by identifying self-destructive
behaviors and replacing with positive activities.

- Set goals that serve as your roadmap to financial success.
Once you've determined what you want to achieve, set your will
to stay the course. Don't be deterred by what others might
say, do, or think about you. When you reach your destination,
how much will it matter what others may have thought?

- Learn new ways of doing things. If you need to make
significant changes in your life, it's never too late to
learn. A wealth of resources is available to help you change
dysfunctional behaviors. Search the Internet on subjects
related to saving money and you'll have enough reading
material to last the rest of your life! Find role models that
have achieved what you want and ask lots of questions. What
were the most important keys to their accomplishments?
Successful people believe that there is abundance in this
world to share and want to see others also thrive. Ask
questions from every person you come in contact with who has
knowledge or expertise in an area you want to learn more
about. Read biographies and autobiographies of people you
admire and make notes of the steps they took to achieve
success. Their achievements might not be related to money, but
you will grow by gleaning information from a variety of
resourceful people who have accomplished their dreams.

- Be determined, remain strong, and be proud of the "new" you.
It will require commitment and dedication on your part to stay
the course to achieve your goals. Don't allow yourself to be
affected by outside influences. Remind yourself daily by
verbally stating your goals, creating visuals of your desired
outcomes, putting your expected results in writing, and
rewarding your successes along the way.

Set your resolve so deeply that your desired outcomes become a
passion and you will invite those results into your life. You
have the power within you to manifest whatever you want!

Take the Next Step:
"Keeping up with the Joneses" syndrome will keep you from
achieving the financial success and independence that you
desire. So, first and foremost, sit down and think through
what you really want. Then set goals as your roadmap to
financial success. It's time that you decide what you want
without worrying about the opinions of others.