12-Minute Principles (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on December 12, 2012

There's more to the 12-Minute Approach than great number 12. Some principles and premises also inspire this revolutionary method.

They are exposed here with some brief explanations:

1-Realize Your Dreams  

Having dreams is essential. Dreams give life a meaning. They give you a purpose and a sense of direction.

Planning to realize your dreams is also important. By setting goals and making plans, you’ll move closer to your dreams.

Your unconscious and intuition will guide you thru the venture even if you don’t possess all the details right now.

Hard Work No Guarantee of Success

Some people feel they can accomplish anything by working hard or that hard work is necessary to accomplish anything. They think hard work guarantees them good results and success.

We believe this is simply not true. In fact, we consider you can accomplish a lot and probably much more by working intelligently and doing things better.

We’re not saying to be lazy but, in the end, we are pretty sure there’s more to success than only hard work. In reality, working hard may simply not be enough.

Maybe your boss can be impressed by committed employees that work long hours. But maybe he could be impressed even more by happier efficient employees that accomplish more working less.

Doing the Right Things Right

Some people just don’t work on the right things. There’s no point on working hard if you work on irrelevant stuff.

Take some time to identify priorities and focus more on these tasks. You probably can’t accomplish everything so try to concentrate on realizing what’s truly important.

12-Minute Balance (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on May 12, 2012

Many believe that one of the most important keys to happiness is balance. Sadly, many lives equate to a never ending juggling act struggling in search of that so elusive concept.  

The 12-Minute Approach offers you simple yet powerful ways to achieve that so precious balance in your life.

Let’s hope that, by focusing on rhythm, order and harmony, these 12-Minute Ideas help you strive toward that balance so essential to your happiness and well-being.

Equal Balance between Needs and Activities

In order to stay happy yet still be effective, your life should be equally balanced between your needs and your activities.

12-Minute Financial Makeover Step 4 - Keep Cash Flowing with Crap-Happens Plan

Our Financial Makeover Series talks about personal finance basics and lets you figure out what applies best to your own unique situation.

In Part 1, we pointed out to avoid fees as much as possible, especially the devastating recurring ones. We also suggested to open a no-fee online checking account.

In Part 2, we followed up by proposing to use no-fee savings account to organize the projects that provide you pleasure. We insisted on how budgeting can allow you to spend more on things you truly love.

We continued on a similar theme in Part 3, telling you that budget choices can make you feel awesome and emphasized on how it could provide you more freedom.

This time, we’ll talk about another way to liberate yourself from financial worries setting up a solid custom-made contingency plan.

In the financial realm, we often hear about that basic concept to set up a rainy-day fund. Some might argue that their financial days are already rainy, if not stormy.

But we really believe starting an emergency fund can be a great first step to getting out of the hazardous living-paycheck-to-paycheck spiral.

The object is not to obsess about risks. In fact, your own crap-happens plan could allow you to forget about possible misfortunes and free you up, allowing you to truly taste and appreciate life joys and ventures.

Try to Get Money Worries Out of Your Way

We know many of you worry about money even in normal situations, some even worry about finances all the time.

The main objective of the financial aspect of your contingency plan should be set enough money aside to allow yourself to focus on living through tough situations and fixing things for you and your family. Your contingency fund should allow to relieve financial pressure as much as possible in these bad situations.

It’s impossible to anticipate all eventualities, especially the worst ones. But, having some and enough money stashed away for those bad periods sure may help to cope with any situation. No matter how bad it can be.

For instance, losing your job can be very tough both financially and psychologically. Yet, having money aside should at least give you some time to get your act together and focus on finding a new job.

Another example would be if your fridge or car breaks down. Most people often have to move heaven and earth just to scratch sufficient funds for those kinds of repair. The actual hassle of just getting those things fixed is bad enough. At least get the money part of it out of your way.

Because it’s Much More Than About Money

You don’t have to become survivalists, but your contingency plan has to be more than about finances. For instance, everyone should have a plan in place to survive at home for 3-4 days.

12-Minute Principles (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on December 12, 2012

There's more to the 12-Minute Approach than great number 12. Some principles and premises also inspire this revolutionary method.

They are exposed here with some brief explanations:

1-Realize Your Dreams  

Having dreams is essential. Dreams give life a meaning. They give you a purpose and a sense of direction.

Planning to realize your dreams is also important. By setting goals and making plans, you’ll move closer to your dreams.

Your unconscious and intuition will guide you thru the venture even if you don’t possess all the details right now.

How I Learned Retirement Could Be Lonely

Please forgive me for being so personal today. In 2019, I completed my third leave of absence. A big long 8 months for that one after shorter but still extended 6-month periods on the first two occasions. You could say I already tasted retirement three times or at least semi-retirement.

I am very grateful for it. My first go at it in 2012 was quite enjoyable, but I have to say I often felt lonely during my last two prolonged stints away from work. I felt less lonely in confinement the last few months than during those last two leaves of absence. Maybe in part because my two ladies stayed at home with me but probably much more because I worked my butt off.

I was lacking the sentiment of making things better. I missed helping others. For me, it’s not just a question of being around people. It’s more about lacking being useful to society.

During our recent isolation, it was completely different. Many facets of that crisis were and still are unusual and tough yet, the fact my position allows me to help out others teleworking makes me feel a lot better.

It’s funning because before that, the psychological aspect of retirement was never on my mind. I would be the last person to talk about it. For me, retirement planning was all about money and accumulating enough of it to stop working. I was not even considering it and secretly laughed about others talking about it. I mean, how could it be a problem to be on vacation all the time?

Being Passionate About Helping Others

So, let’s face it! Retirement can make you feel lonely!

12-Minute Financial Makeover Step 3 - Savour Freedom thru Budget Choices

Our Financial Makeover Series talks about personal finance basics and lets you figure out what applies best to your own unique situation.

In Part 1, we suggested to open a no-fee online checking account. The point is to avoid fees as much as possible, especially the devastating recurring version.

In Part 2, we talked about the pleasures of budgeting and how it can allow you to spend more on things you truly love. We proposed a no-fee savings account as one tool to organize in that fashion.

Today, we’ll talk about how budget choices can make you feel great. We hope you’ll see it can be an amazing way to exercise your freedom!

The Wonderful Power of Budget Choices

For most people, budgets are boring and restrictive. For us, our budget is fun because it helps us make wise and sometimes tough financial decisions so we can realize more of our dreams.

Try to view your budget as an essential versatile tool at the heart of each of your personal finance decisions. It’s the ultimate key to make everything work together. It’s not only about dollars and cents but rather more about dollars and sense.

As clearly as possible, your budget should be a concise representation of your financial reality and should help you manage your financial operations. Many may be afraid to face that reality and suffer from guilt. They prefer to live in denial and stick their head in the sand than to truly find out the extent of the damages.

But a budget can be the most efficient tool to know where you stand and the best way to start doing something to make things better. Your budget can give you the means to improve and help you take back power over your finances.

After retroactively accessing your present situation, an efficient budget will highlight your options to choose and can be the first step towards your financial well-being.

The objective is not to become perfect but rather to have the means to take decisions that can make things better. At worst, you’ll know more about the impacts of your financial choices.

Like we elude to in our last post of this series (Part 2), ultimately, budgeting should and can allow you to spend more money on things we truly love.

The Questionable Anti-Budget Cult

For many people, keeping a budget seems appalling. Some are even utterly against any form of budgeting. They think a budget will only limit their freedom. They prefer to let money flow.

12-Minute Financial Makeover Step 2 - Enjoy More of Whatever You Like with Budgeting

Our Financial Makeover Series talks about personal finance basics and lets you figure out what applies best to your own unique situation. In Part 1, we talked about avoiding fees and their potential devastating financial pitfall. We also suggested to open a no-fee chequing account to get out of the perpetual monthly banking fee rip-off.

Today, we’ll continue to try to bring excitement to what many consider a tediously boring subject.

Like many, we used to consider budgeting like a restrictive thing. Plainly put, expenses were bad, and income was good. In practice, it mostly translated into trying to have less expenses. At some point, it could also transform into working more to have more income. With that perspective, budgeting was no fun at all.

It was like being on a strict diet all the time. Spending would be like eating. Although some of it is essential to your survival, too much of it is plainly bad. It can either get you fat or poor. With that thinking, discretionary expenses like desserts and treats can be devastating to your wellbeing. In the same fashion, exercise can be compared to income. Regular doses of it can get you in better shape. In the end, this only meant a lot of sacrifice.

Because I liked numbers, I still found some pleasure in it. But to be frank and despite some success, our penny-scratching restrictive budget was a torture that kind of got lost in all the spreadsheets. No insane person would get excited about it. Nobody was really interested to get involved in it either.

Fortunately, our way to budget transformed over the years. It’s now more about pleasure. It’s much more motivating knowing it allows us to get and do more of what we love. We finally realized that, after basic expenses, we could do whatever we liked with the rest of our hard-earned money.

So, to expose our renewed point of view, this post will be about the pleasure of budgeting. We hope you’ll discover how you could enjoy life more with clever budgeting.

Next time, we’ll talk about when we were kind of halfway there with our previous approach that still gave us significant power over our finances thru sensible budget choices.

An Efficient Tool to Boost Your Fun Level

One key to make budgets attractive is to put some spice and fun into it. Wouldn’t it be great if your budget allowed you to have more fun? The great news is that it truly can!

Perpetually Flourish Living by the Dozen

When you are passionate about something, you go all out. But after a while, you often run out of steam and can’t keep going because you are too exhausted.

Even if you manage to keep doing the right things, sometimes results won’t seem to materialize. This can be harsh and affect your morale.

Other times, you simply get disinterested and won’t accomplish much either. That lack of interest can even make you lazy.

The good news is that a remedy exists to keep fatigue out of the way. Both versions, physical and mental, can be kept at bay living by the dozen.  

Life is a long-haul game and the 12-Minute Method can help you keep pace. It can allow you to find and keep balance to thrive and constantly get significant things done.

So, look for ways to hammer down about a dozen meaningful tasks each day. Set and work towards your short-term (dozen days), mid-term (dozen weeks) and longer-term (one year or a dozen months) objectives. Also give yourself ample time (dozen years) for substantial career goals. You’ll probably get a chance to be considered an expert only after that long.

If you are a writer or would like to become one, composing at least a dozen lines per day can do wonders to provide everlasting inspiration and productivity.

12-Minute Balance (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on May 12, 2012

Many believe that one of the most important keys to happiness is balance. Sadly, many lives equate to a never ending juggling act struggling in search of that so elusive concept.  

The 12-Minute Approach offers you simple yet powerful ways to achieve that so precious balance in your life.

Let’s hope that, by focusing on rhythm, order and harmony, these 12-Minute Ideas help you strive toward that balance so essential to your happiness and well-being.

Equal Balance between Needs and Activities

In order to stay happy yet still be effective, your life should be equally balanced between your needs and your activities.

Becoming Serenely Efficient

In my early years, without knowing why, I was naturally drawn towards things done correctly or with what I now know, efficiently. At that time, I didn’t realize how amazing that frame of mind could eventually make me feel. I now relish the calmness and peace of mind that come with being efficient or more efficient I should rather say. My hope is that one day, others might at least catch a glimpse of the enviable serenity of the efficient.  

To bluntly summarize our actual way of thinking in that regard, our motto has been to accomplish as much as possible with as little as possible. For instance, despite the fact we are willing to work hard, we are always looking for ways to minimize our efforts to still obtain good results. These efficient longings have tainted our actions for a long time now.

To be frank, at a young age, I probably aimed more for perfection. My attention to details got a lot of work done but annoyed quite a few. After some time, I realized trying to become perfect was a fool’s errand because being perfect is simply impossible for us mere humans. Over time, I learn to set free form perfectionism.

Yet I never stopped craving for things done correctly and I slowly found out efficiency was the answer to my prayers. Still young, I naively thought nobody would be against things being done right.

But the more I got exposed to the real world, the more I understood it was not that simple. Many are afraid of people who mostly do things right. They are not willing to change. They wrongly think effective methods will only mean higher standards and hence, more work for them. They don’t see that in reality, it’s quite the opposite.

Psychologically Managing Extended Time Off

Just a few years back, I was the last person to think that psychologically handling retirement could be a challenge. For me, it was a non-issue and talking about it seemed a waste of time. How could you feel bad being on vacation all the time?

Now with a couple leaves of absence under my belt, I must admit that to my complete surprise, my mental wellbeing has been somewhat put to the test. A lot more than expected because to be honest, I anticipated zilch, nothing, no problem at all. With experience, I now know better. It’s kind of ironic because many know me as the one that plans everything. But I did not plan what may be considered obvious.

I have to confess it has been much more trying than I thought. Again, during this year’s extended time off, I mostly battled with guilt and having too much time to think. It may appear silly but, choosing what to do with all that free time can become a burden. You probably won’t feel sorry for me and I know, another great problem to have…

Jump Start Change with Only 12-Minute

It’s kind of odd that a lot of people rather dream about being millionaires than actually doing something about it.

But the great thing is that you can start fundamental change with just 12-Minute to spare. In fact, 12-Minute can be the easiest answer to that widespread psychological hurdle that many never seem to surpass. So, if you can’t seem to get things going, remember that you can accomplish anything and everything starting with only 12-Minute.

So, start doing something about it, 12-Minute at a time. The truth is, beginning by investing only 12-Minute, can be a huge first step for improvement for the rest of your life. It’s impossible to accomplish everything all at once so take an easy step, the first step, now!

The long-haul recipe to success and happiness can be quite simple: just think about going forward in the next 12-Minute.

Action Out of Too Much Reflection

I must admit l can be the first to reflect too much. It’s not a crime to think about what you’re going to do. In fact, any accomplishment begins with someone thinking or if you prefer, dreaming about it. Too much reflecting only becomes a problem when it freezes up action.

12-Minute Principles (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on December 12, 2012

There's more to the 12-Minute Approach than great number 12. Some principles and premises also inspire this revolutionary method.

They are exposed here with some brief explanations:

1-Realize Your Dreams  

Having dreams is essential. Dreams give life a meaning. They give you a purpose and a sense of direction.

Planning to realize your dreams is also important. By setting goals and making plans, you’ll move closer to your dreams.

Your unconscious and intuition will guide you thru the venture even if you don’t possess all the details right now.

Stressed Out by Performance: Choose Efficiency Instead

Corporations and our so-called modern society put a lot of emphasis on productivity and performance. But fed-up out-of-breath individuals are questioning those values more and more.

The secret may be to lean towards efficiency instead. Efficiency doesn’t only focus on results but also considers effort and methodology.

By definition, being efficient is more than doing the right things (being effective), it’s doing things the right way.

In that sense, efficiency can take out some stress out of performance. To resume what we’re trying to expose here, being efficient means performing as well as possible with as little effort as possible.

Efficiency Can Make Life Easier

Efficiency can allow you to swiftly tackle on each of your tasks, using up less time and effort.

Because efficient people do things the proper way, they usually manage to achieve their assignments with minimal efforts and without undue delays. And since they use less time and effort, efficient beings also typically feel less pressure.

In that sense, adopting an efficient frame of mind can be a great way to relieve pressure and make everyone’s life easier.

12-Minute Balance (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on May 12, 2012

Many believe that one of the most important keys to happiness is balance. Sadly, many lives equate to a never ending juggling act struggling in search of that so elusive concept.  

The 12-Minute Approach offers you simple yet powerful ways to achieve that so precious balance in your life.

Let’s hope that, by focusing on rhythm, order and harmony, these 12-Minute Ideas help you strive toward that balance so essential to your happiness and well-being.

Equal Balance between Needs and Activities

In order to stay happy yet still be effective, your life should be equally balanced between your needs and your activities.

The Impact of Climate Change on Stocks

Despite what many people think like some in power south of the border and others closer to home, global warming has started to greatly affect our planet and already too-many lives consequently have suffered from it. Unfortunately, global warnings are not enough to fight global warming.

Social media and live news probably amplify our exposure to it but you cannot deny that catastrophic events sure are more frequent and violent. Luckily for us, significant disasters have spare our family so far. Nevertheless, we have felt Mother Nature unleashing its power in the form of extreme heat, stronger winds and rain.

We know that human lives have no cost and should be treated with respect and dignity. In the current circumstances, everything within our power should be put in place to save and help as many human beings as possible.

That being said, we are even more worried about the profound impact climate change could have on our economy. If our economic system collapses because of it, we won’t be in a position to help anyone anymore.

We have been reflecting on it for a while and so far, are not reassured. A lot of troubling questions arise and for now, we have failed to find adequate answers. Here are some on those questions.

Act for We Not Only Me

In our relentless quest for happiness, thinking about others and acting for the greater good is probably an essential key. It can make you feel wonderful by giving you an amazing sense of purpose and fulfillment. Yet, having the greater good in mind, as with staying calm when your portfolio goes down, is easier said than done. It may become a challenge in the practical scheme of things as everyone can have a hard time coping with the struggles of every day life.

Some of you may find it odd that a DIY investor aspiring to financial independence and early retirement talks that way. Accumulating money may appear like a very selfish thing but in the end, it can also generate extra free time and give better means to take care and help others.

As with many positive individuals out there, we greatly believe in the evolution of Humanity. Maybe things are a tad slow and sometimes appear to go sideways or even backwards but we are still optimistic about general improvement over time.

In the same sense, we profoundly believe in the power of the collective, working together for the benefit of all, instead of just for you. We think you surely will have more success if you fundamentally have good and pure intentions. And you probably won’t achieve much if you are just trying to make more money.

Let’s have a look at our point of view, unique as always, on how to act well for the collectivity.

Treasure Your Freedom

In our world, a lot of people take freedom for granted. Many of us consider it a given right. But it’s also a privilege and we don’t always realize or remember how lucky we are.

Every day, we live as free men, enjoy freedom of speech, have access to wealth and have the enviable opportunity to make choices. So, be grateful and appreciate what you have because…

Many Just Don’t Have That Chance

Some of our neighbors, now closer in this shrinking world, will get imprisoned, beaten or even killed because they are different or if they speak their mind. Other fragile people just lost their mind or never seem to get healthy enough. Other honest folks are not fortunate to get their hands on a little money or a decent job.

Freedom is priceless. Appreciate it while you can and before it’s suddenly unexpectedly taken away from you.

12-Minute Principles (Revisited)

The 12-Minute Series was originally posted in 2012.

We’ve decided to republish it integrally because we believe it can still help as everyone aspires to make things better.

Let’s hope it stirs up the discussion and stimulates you to change the world 12-Minute at a time!

This article was originally posted on December 12, 2012

There's more to the 12-Minute Approach than great number 12. Some principles and premises also inspire this revolutionary method.

They are exposed here with some brief explanations:

1-Realize Your Dreams  

Having dreams is essential. Dreams give life a meaning. They give you a purpose and a sense of direction.

Planning to realize your dreams is also important. By setting goals and making plans, you’ll move closer to your dreams.

Your unconscious and intuition will guide you thru the venture even if you don’t possess all the details right now.