How to take your New Year goals beyond January

Beginnings are beautiful. Everyone loves the exhilarating feeling that comes with starting. The dawn of something new seems to awaken fresh hope in our hearts, propelling us to dare to dream. We make plans, new resolves, set goals, envision possibilities…For a few golden days or even weeks, there is a spring to our step, a purpose to our every action, we believe anything is possible. Until time proves us wrong and months pile, leaving our dreams stranded in imagination lane, our hopes depleted, and our drive gone. We trudge through the year, looking forward to a brighter day, praying for a miracle or just accepting fate.

Popular statistics reveal that only 8% of New Year resolutions made in January make it to March. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can transcend from Dreams Ville to Action Lane. You can back up your aspirations with steps. The goals you set in January can become realities in June. You can look back in December with even more than you anticipated. It depends on you. How? Here are just three things you need to do.

  1. Don’t just wish, set goals

What is the difference between a wish and a goal? Goals are calculated projections, feasible, achievable and time bound aspirations while wishes are just desires. Goals are within your reach, you can work towards making them happen, wishes on the other hand happen upon you, if they happen at all. Stop wishing, start setting goals.

  1. Break it down

It is important that you break that overarching goal into smaller units. Identify what your overall goal is, then break it down into smaller goals that lead to the ultimate result. If for instance your goal for 2020 is to travel abroad for Christmas, start by determining how much you will need to make that trip in December (Overarching goal -raise 2 million Naira for vacation). Take it further by calculating how much you will need to put aside every month to accumulate that amount (Monthly goal- invest 100,000 every month). Next you need to ascertain what lifestyle changes are necessary to enable you put aside that amount every month (Weekly goal- reduce Friday night hangout to last Fridays of the month alone).  You can attack your weight loss goal, networking goal or whatever goal with the same model.

  1. Take action

Don’t just determine to eat less or save more or spend less time on social media, put things in place that will propel you to do it. You might need to get an accountability partner to monitor your social media addiction, set up a direct debit mandate to ensure you put funds aside for investment consistently, download an app to monitor your expenses, register at a gym, create a meal plan, purge your house of everything unhealthy- do whatever needs to be done.

Let this be the year you actively pursue your goals. Every day, go to bed with the satisfaction that you are one step closer to realising your ambitions.

6 Safety Tips for the Festive Season

It’s the festive season and excitement is in the air! Children and adults are getting ready to celebrate Christmas and the New Year but sometimes, celebrations can lead to accidents if care is not taken.

Here’s how to keep your family safe and healthy throughout the festive period.

Secure the house

If you will be traveling out of town, make sure you lock all entrance to your apartment to avoid your house being boggled. Also, tell your neighbours that you are going away for a while. This will help them keep an eye out in case of any suspicious movement in your apartment while you are away.

Keep the floor dry

Children will be home this period for the holiday, and they will run around with their friends. Make sure the floor is devoid of any liquid that may cause them to fall. Surely, it can be tiring watching our kids and trying to restrict them, but it can be more tiring nursing them when they have avoidable injuries.

Minimise the use of lightings

It’s the period of Christmas lights and other fancy lightings. As much as you may want to decorate your house with these lightings, you may have to scale back depending on your outlets. Check the lights’ packaging for the power output, and never plug in more than what a power outlet can handle. Don’t forget that December is the dry season where fire accidents and its wild spread is always on the high.

Eat and drink responsibly

This season, there will be lot of food and drinks to be consumed. But remember that there is a limit to what your body can take.  Over eating or drinking can result to serious health issues. You wouldn’t want to spend the rest of the year in the hospital bed, would you?

Keep alcoholic drinks out of children reach.

You are likely to get carried away due to activities of the festive period. Ensure you keep alcohol and other drugs out of reach of the children. It is for their safety.

Obey Traffic Rules

People are likely to get carried away with the frenzy and be reckless especially on the road. Ensure you obey all traffic rules while driving. Remember that disobeying traffic rules puts your life and the lives of other road users at serious risk.

We wish you a hitch-free celebration.

Just like a scene from the movies…

Just like a scene from the movies…

Esther stood for close to an hour drinking in the sight of her husband Felix as he lay cold and lifeless in state. She tried to remember how well she knew him before his sudden demise- but the recent events of the past few hours brought her back to reality with the reminder that perhaps she didn’t know this man as well as she had thought.

Esther had watched strangers stroll into her home the moment her husband’s death hit the news claiming to be family.

Felix Brown was the CEO of Brown Entertainment – a foremost multimillion-naira entertainment company in Nigeria. His wife Esther Brown was a Director and also the Head of Communications in his company. Together, the couple has three daughters two of whom were studying at Oxford University with the last girl still in Secondary school.

The couple had braced all storms and weathered every obstacle to build the business that catered to hundreds of staff. At home, Felix was the doting father and loving husband. Esther indeed had it all.

Until the unfortunate circumstance that claimed her husband’s life one cold Monday morning. Esther had woken before her husband which was unusual for a man who woke every day at 5AM and spent 35minutes reading.

She went about her day until she realized at 7AM that Felix was still in bed. Waking him proved abortive until the family doctor arrived to confirm the worst, Felix had passed away in his sleep.

The media didn’t allow the Brown family time to mourn before throwing the news across all platforms. Social media was agog with the news and his two daughters heard of their father’s passing via a text message from their friend condoling with them.

The hours after that would reveal secrets Esther would never have thought of. First, it was Ekaette the housekeeper from 10 years ago appearing with a boy she claimed belonged to Felix. Then Felix’s mother who never liked Esther shows up with a certain Aisha whom she claimed Felix had two children by before his marriage.

Trying to understand the drama going on in her home, Esther observes quietly as uncles, aunts and distant relatives come with one claim or the other. She doesn’t understand if the entire charade was in fact the truth. Had she been living with a stranger all these years?

She kept staring at Felix until a hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. It was her only brother James. He takes her to the room and proceeds to ask her a simple question. “Did Felix leave a Will?” A question to which Esther answers in the affirmative. “Good” James replies “You have nothing to worry about then”.

***

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Creating a Will is a way to secure your assets for the ones you love in case of uncertainty.

Set a Will up in minutes at www.armtrustees.com/easywill

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4 reasons you should never write a Will

4 reasons you should never write a Will

What’s all the fuss about writing a Will? You’ve watched it in movies and heard too much talk about writing a Will but you know deep within that you don’t want to do it. You think it’s a preparation for demise. Well, we’ve compiled some reasons you may not need to write a Will. Take a look.

No family or dependent

If you don’t have children or family you love who depend on you financially, then don’t write a Will. Knowing that anything can happen at any time, don’t be the person that leaves their family financially unprotected.

Don’t care how your estate is disbursed

If you don’t care who gets all you’ve worked hard for, then there’s no use writing a Will. Not writing one can mean that the uncle you didn’t like or the cousin that you never knew could turn up and take the lion’s share of your properties should anything happen to you. Would you like that?

You think peace of mind is overrated

If you will not like to have your mind at rest just knowing that your spouse, children, aged parents and all those you care about will be well-off if anything happened to you, then why write a Will? All a Will does is help you rest easy and enjoy a good quality of life knowing everyone that matters is sorted legally in case of any uncertainty.

Don’t care about leaving a legacy

Most parents want to leave a legacy for their children be it in terms of estate, knowledge or setting an example. When you set the example of writing a Will in order to preserve wealth for your loved ones, your children are bound to pick up on that and the chain continues. If you don’t care about leaving that worthy footprint in the sands of time, then don’t write a Will.

 

Just before you leave, remember that only a Will can convey the wishes of a person when they are not there. Imagine what will become of the loved ones of that person who leaves this world with nothing to speak for them.

 

Don’t take any chances today. Secure your family’s future with an EasyWill. Begin at www.armtrustees.com/easywill

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Expecting the email?

Expecting the email?

Have you received the email yet? The one from your child’s school reminding you that you need to pay a certain percentage of the fees on or before the school term resumes. Typically, it is accompanied by account details/bank teller and a comprehensive bill featuring items/activities you are convinced your child does not need but for which you have to pay.

As you go through the list- tuition, books, school uniforms, school bus, lunch, music classes, elocution training, inter house sports, swimming lessons, field trip– your stomach does a flip flop, your countenance changing as you take a mental trip into all your accounts. What miracle will I perform over the next three weeks? You wonder. You remember the client who is yet to pay and wish you had invested the proceeds from that contribution you did two months ago. God help you if you have more than one child or if any of your children is crossing into secondary school or university.

That is scenario one. But there is scenario two.

You receive the email, go through the list, check the final figure, retrieve the bank details and transfer the money to the school’s account without sweating profusely, practicing your addition and subtraction skills or worrying about the deadline and where money will come from. Even when you have more than one child and your children are crossing into secondary school or university, you are not fazed.

No, you don’t necessarily earn more than you did in scenario one, you have simply learnt to plan and save ahead. You started an education plan for your daughter when she was in Primary one. Now that she is crossing into secondary school, you call your account manager at ARM Life, redeem your lump sum. It is enough to take care of her secondary school fees and everything she needs for school. When you buy insurance, you are not paying for risk, you are paying for peace of mind.

So are you a scenario one guy? No problem, now is always the best time to start doing thigs right. Get an education plan today or start a savings plan. As your child grows, the cost of education will likely increase, your reserve should increase as well.

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5 ways to enjoy the Sallah break

5 ways to enjoy the Sallah break

Nothing makes the average Nigerian happier than a weekend that cascades into a 2-day public holiday.

For many, this is the perfect time to catch up on much-needed sleep and do some things they’ve been putting off due to lack of time. Not to talk of the inner satisfaction of not having to wake up early and endure morning rush-hour traffic.

But how do you make the most of the break?

Here are ideas you can use just to make sure you have an amazing 4-day break;

 

Give yourself some love

When was the last time you treated yourself to a good time? Don’t allow work and the need to please everyone else make you forget that even you are human. Smother yourself with some self-love this break. Go get a massage, sleep in, and get the rest that will get you hyper when you resume for work the following week. Your body will thank you for it.

 

Spend time with family

Work and busy schedules rob most of us of the time with family. This is the perfect time to catch up with family. You can either take your family somewhere fun or keep it indoors seeing movies or enjoying the World Cup over some home-made popcorn or barbecue. If you have kids, this time can also help you bond better if you’ve not really spent time with them.

 

Tick off certain tasks

It’s a break but it must not be all fun and games. Now might be appropriate to do a mental check of things you’ve put off for too long – like applying for a course, attending a webinar, rejigging your monthly budget, or setting up a direct debit to your various investment and insurance accounts. Doing all these before the resumption of life’s busyness helps you keep your mental and financial house in order.

 

Get away

Maybe you have friends or family who live in another state or who you haven’t seen in a while, 4 days is ample time to do an interstate travel to visit them or getaway to some cozy place in town to catch up. Not only will they appreciate your effort, your relationship will also be strengthened.

 

Events and more events

Whether it’s a stage play, or comedy show (these events always come up), find one that catches your fancy and relax to the entertainment they offer. You may not have the time for such in the coming weeks, so enjoy it while you can.

 

The idea behind all this is to enjoy yourself for a few days and get back to work fully energized to meet your goals.

Enjoy your break!

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3 steps to prepare for your child’s university education abroad

3 steps to prepare for your child’s university education abroad

Every parent wants the best for their children. For most parents, an ivy league education abroad is what they would like for their child – and who should blame them? Studying abroad not only lets your child grow and expand their worldview, it also gives them the international exposure that makes them appealing to large global employers.

If studying abroad is your dream for your child, these tips can help you on the path to realizing it.

Prepare your child

You need to train your child beforehand to be self-sufficient enough to handle him/herself away from home. Be sure that you’re raising an individual that can cope when they are thousands of miles away from family and friends, in a country and culture they are not used to. Teach your child problem-solving skills to enable them to resolve any issues that may arise confidently, and you can rest easy knowing they have things under control.

Scout for schools

When your child is maybe in junior secondary, you may want to start doing your research for the right university. Ask family and friends who either studied abroad or have their children in schools abroad. Get firsthand testimonial of the schools and determine if any fits your child’s needs.

Search the web to explore more options and where need be, email or put a call across to the school for additional inquiries.

This is also the time to find out what it will cost you – from tuition to living expenses.

Start saving

Sending your child to a school abroad will cost you a considerable amount of money. If your child still has a lot of years before his/her university education abroad, great! It means you have some time to save up for it.

An education plan helps you save and invest your money for the duration of time you need to prepare for your child’s university education abroad – this ensures that you have the amount you need plus interest to cater to your child’s fees especially because the cost will increase with time.

Research shows that this increase is roughly about N1, 800, 000 for a decent private primary education, and another N5, 100, 000 for a private secondary education – a cost that is bound to rise year after year. Now add to it the cost of a university education abroad and you’ll agree that early planning is necessary.

Get an education plan

As you start out making this important decision for your child’s future, keep your eyes on the adult they’ll become tomorrow and smile knowing this step you are taking today will make it possible.

 

Up next: Look out for our article on ‘Preparing your child for a university education in Nigeria’

 

 

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4 health checks as you turn 40

4 health checks as you turn 40

Gone are the days when age 40 was associated with a mid-life crisis –  40 is now touted to be the new 20. It’s a milestone worth celebrating, but as you get closer to that age, here are four tests experts recommend you take:

Cancer screening

With the spate of deaths attributed to cancer, it is no surprise experts consider getting screened early a necessity. They advise that not only should cancer screenings be a part of regular check-ups, you should start as early as in your twenties.

Some screenings such as those for breast and cervical cancer should be done more frequently, while colon cancer testing and prostate, are necessary when family history or other factors indicate their likelihood of occurring.

The reason for this is to catch cancer in its earliest stages and begin aggressive treatment options in time

 

Diabetes check

Diabetes is a common life-long health condition and a disease you should test for. Recent surveys s reveal that millions of people die from diabetes every year – one reason to take it seriously.

Because middle-aged and older adults have been reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be at the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you should go for a regular insulin and sugar level test as you edge closer to age 40 just to be on the safe side.

 

Eye exam

Even if your eyesight is good, routine eye exams are recommended for overall health. Eye doctors check for eye diseases and when noticed early, can be treated accordingly.

 

Heart examination

Heart disease is not something to take lightly. According to the CDC, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women.

For this reason, regular blood pressure checks are important because high blood pressure can lead to heart disease, heart failure and stroke. Ensure you have your cholesterol and glucose levels examined because when high, they could also lead to heart disease.

 

With health, we never expect anything to go wrong but it’s best to avert impending issues. With life, the same thing applies-  averting future financial issues for those you love can be as simple as getting the right plan early enough. Check out available plans here.

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5 Rainy Season Tips to Remember

5 Rainy Season Tips to Remember

Is the rainy season officially here? You are probably wondering. We are not certain too, but the rains are definitely pouring down more often these days and it looks like a good time for a few pointers as to having a safe and pleasant rainy season.

1. Lock windows &fix leakages
Nothing is as unnerving as returning home from a hard day’s job to meet a flooded house, wet floors and soaked sofa. Assumptions can be dangerous, always double check that your windows are locked before you leave the house. If you have noticed or suspect any leaks, it’s best to fix it now before the rains become more frequent.

2. Dry clothes only when you are home
No one enjoys having wet laundry for days on end. Apart from unpleasant damp and moldy smell, it could sometimes result in stains and a need to rewash. It is best to do your laundry only when you are home for extended hours.

3. Have an umbrella and sweater on hand
Sometimes, the rain can choose to surprise us, best to be ready for it with a portable umbrella and a sweater (consider neutral colours like black and grey). No one enjoys catching a cold. If you have children, consider leaving a sweater in their back pack as well.

4. Prepare for power interruptions
Rains are more often than not accompanied by power interruptions, especially the windy and thunder wielding types of rain. This could be a good time to buy an Inverter or ensure the one you have is in good shape. You could also service your generator and provide it good protection from the rain.

5. Stock up on teas and beverages
A hot drink can sometimes help balance the cold weather that is often the aftermath of rain, especially for the younger ones. A hot cup of coffee can set you up for work on a rainy day and a cup of hot chocolate can complete the mood if you are under the covers at home.

One thing to remember is that seasons are transient, that is why we must prepare for them. The dry season will be here in no time. Hence, as you enjoy the cool of the rainy season, prepare for the dryness of harmattan. This applies to your finances as well, today is the perfect time to start saving for the rainy day or the dry season perhaps. Explore investment opportunities here.

What do you like best about the rainy season? Will you be planting a garden or anything of the sort? Which of the seasons do you prefer? Tell us in the comments, we’ll be glad to read from you.

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Retirement this year doesn’t have to be boring

Retirement this year doesn’t have to be boring

This is a big year for you. You’re retired now and it’s time to rest from all your years of hard work. You are excited to take the much-needed relaxation but somewhere in your heart, you can’t shake that feeling that you may get bored along the way.

But don’t overthink it. You can still have a retirement free of boredom.

Here are some tips to get you going:

Think big, act bold

The fact that you have retired doesn’t mean that you cannot set new goals and aim for new accomplishments. You can pursue a passion you’ve always wanted to like write a book, starting a blog, learning to dance or play a sport, or learning to play a musical instrument. You can also find new ways to employ the skills you developed during your career (such as becoming a public speaker, career coach to help the young ones in your same field) and even earn money doing it.

The point being that retirement shouldn’t stop you from thinking big, taking chances and being a bit audacious.

Make new friends, reconnect with old ones

Research shows that retirees with a firm circle of friends are much more likely to say they’re happy with their lives.

If you don’t have much friends, getting into new relationships may seem like an impossibility seeing as you’ve left work and perhaps have limited chances of meeting new people. Still, it can be done.

You can meet new people by volunteering for charity, taking a part time job, joining online groups that get together to pursue a common interest (Like fitness, dancing, books, writing) and even enrolling for courses at a University – all these are excellent ways to meet new people and widen your social network.

But while you’re making new friends, don’t forget to maintain relationships with older friends, the people with whom you shared life’s earlier experiences with before you became who you are today.

 

Grab opportunities to shake things up

Being able to relax without having a daily to-do list on one’s mind is one of the many perks of retirement. But a daily dose of relaxation or sticking too closely to the same routine can lead to boredom and create a sense of sluggishness. Therefore you should find ways to break out of the usual routine and spice things up occasionally.

That could involve something as simple as taking an unplanned road trip, trying out a new hobby, going away to a new city for some time, learning a new language etc. Do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.

 

Bottom-line: The most important thing is to enter this phase of life unafraid of redundancy. Instead be open to new possibilities- be ready to seek out challenges and adventures.

 

 

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