This post is 607 words, a 3-minute read. Enjoy!
In soccer, halftime is a very important part of the game. Unlike other sports like basketball or football that have timeouts and multiple stops. Soccer has none of these that provide a coach an opportunity to influence the match.
This makes halftime an extremely important part of the game. Halftime can be the different between a team winning or losing a game. A coach can change the tactics of a team based on what he saw from the opponents or substitute players that he believes might be a better match up.
Halftime also gives players a chance to reaccess their individual play and come up with a way to adjust and best his opponents. It allows players to share information of what they see on the pitch. Ways their teammates can take advantage of a certain match up during the game.
Taking advantage of halftime is the difference between great teams and everyone else.
We are at the halftime of the year.
This is a great opportunity to take a step back and review how the year has gone for you so far. Are there advantages to press into further? Do you need to change up your tactics?
With 6 months gone, you have more than enough information about the year so far. Since this is a financial focused newsletter, my focus will be on you taking a review of your finances.
Start with your spending:
Are you spending too much or too little (yes that's a thing)?
Are you spending in the areas you want to be spending in?
Do you need to pull back in any areas?
How's your savings?
Is it increasing or decreasing?
Do you have savings?
Are there any upcoming expenses that you'll be making in the near future? Are you on track to have enough for those expenses?
Are you on track for holiday spending?
How's your investing?
Is the money being invested or just sitting in the accounts?
Have you consistently been investing so far this year? Why not why not?
Could you increase your investments?
How's your debt?
If on a debt payoff journey, how's that going?
How much progress have you made?
How much longer will it take to be debt free?
Could you make any changes now that would have a massive impact on the date?
After reviewing the past, think about the future
The Holidays are coming up.
Do you need to travel?
Do you need to start saving for Christmas gifts?
New school year is beginning soon
Extracurriculars
Lots of sporting events return
If you have a partner, now is a great time to discuss how y'all are doing TOGETHER! Also, this is a great time to plan out the rest of the year. Because you have a much better picture of how the year could be finished out. Go on a money date to discuss everything.
Remember halftime doesn't last forever. It is a short period to get a grasp on how things are going and to make changes for the rest of the game. Don't let this time slip through your fingers without taking advantage of it.
Tip: Make no assumptions during this process. Get out all the documents and put things down on paper. I advice everyone to use a copy of Ramit Sethi's Conscious Spending Plan. It's simple enough for you not to be too bogged down in the details but still have all the information you need to make sound decisions.
Thanks for reading and wishing everyone the best second half of 2024!
God Bless You All
Remember Generosity>greed
✌🏾