Top 10 Ways to Ensure New Years Resolution Success
By Amy Ahlers

Did you know that fewer than 10% of people who set New Years’ Resolutions actually achieve them? How can you ensure YOUR success? Try using the Top 10 Tips below.

1. Write Them Down. It’s a fact: writing down your goals gives you a higher chance of success.

2. Commit. Move beyond the land of “good ideas” to the land of true “commitment”. Make the decision that you will show up for your goals. Perhaps you can do a ritual or ceremony to symbolize your commitment.

3. Tell People. Let your biggest fans in on your new commitments and goals for the year.

4. Get Accountability. Even better than just letting others in on your “secret” dreams and goals-get some accountability. Meet for lunch once a month with a group that will ask you, “So, how’s it going with your goal?” Hire a Coach. Talk to your best friend or partner. Get some support!

5. Make a Plan. Ensure success with a step-by-step plan. Electric Kites Success Coaching loves to work backwards by starting with the end vision of where you want to be and working backwards to where you are today. You’ll find an easy action plan to make your goals a reality.

6. Do a Goal Check-In. Before you decide on what you’ll take on for the year, make certain you can answer, “YES!” to the following questions: “Am I the primary reason for setting this goal (vs. your mom, boyfriend, wife, boss, society)? Do I feel alive and energized by this goal? Is this goal in line with my life purpose or mission?”

7. Get Real! If you’re contemplating putting a goal down that you always put down and never achieve, take a second look. How will this goal end DIFFERENTLY this year? Is this goal something you need to let go of? What purpose is it serving you each year? What is the good enough reason to truly commit?

8. Focus With Reminders. Once you’ve got your goals and plan in place, figure out ways to remind yourself. Some Electric Kites’ clients post their goals in on their bathroom mirror or in their car. Others put reminders in their palm pilots or cell phones. Figure out what works for you.

9. Believe and Visualize. Do you know the story about the group of basketball players who spent one hour visualizing making baskets, while another group actually practiced? The visualizing players had better seasons! So visualize yourself on New Years Eve 2009 with all your goals achieved. What would that look like? How would it feel? Visualize once a day and see the difference it can make in your life.

10. Treat yourself to The Electric Kites ReCHARGE process!

May 2008 be the year that your goals and dreams reach full flight!

All of the above steps (and MUCH MORE!) are outlined in depth at the Electric Kites ReCHARGE Workshop in Los Angeles and the SF Bay Area in January and February 2008 and in The ReCHARGE eWorkbook available online for only $18 at http://www.ElectricKites.com/products Or contact Electric Kites at 1.800.966.2FLY to get a complimentary phone consultation that will help you set your goals for the year!

Amy Ahlers, CPCC and Melissa McFarlane, CPCC are Certified International Coaches and the Co-Founders of Electric Kites Success Coaching, offering more Energy, more Ease and More Excellence to Individuals and Companies worldwide They can be reached at ElectricKites.com, info@electrickites.com or by calling 1.800.966.2FLY.

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Marriage and Divorce - To Make Divorce Final Or Think of Alternative?
By Varadharajan R

Marriage and divorce can be argued for and against depending on the individual. The opinion of a third person cannot help much in this matter. The opinion of an experienced person alone can be considered as the best guide but that too should be without prejudice. Some persons may serve advice for divorce as the best choice while many may not support it.

photo courtesy: repossessions.files.wordpress.com

If thought well, divorce as a final solution could cause more miserable consequences than one can actually imagine. After thinking well about family law of divorce, it may be finalized that all other alternatives are done away as impossible things to consider. The two sided problem can be felt well by a person being in a dilemma as to choose ‘divorce’ or ‘adjust with’.

Seeking for lawyers:

Most of the lawyers are in general to serve professionally as needed by the client. No doubt, they are the competent persons to give points for and against the problem on hand. They are always to remind you the means and consequences of divorce either leading to peace or being thrown to misery. But there is the danger of the psychological nature with the lawyers to suggest you strong points in a close line with your ambitions with professional interest. So, a lawyer cannot be the right person in the issue of marriage and divorce to guide you for legal separation or help you to go together with all adjustments.

Seeking for a marriage counselor:

Family counseling is in most of the cases to suggest negative points for divorce. In spite of expertness, a counselor is always interested to promote mutual understanding and adjustments by putting an end to relationship issues in between the couple. The torturous life of the problematic couple cannot be realized as a whole by a counselor whatever may be his experience and knowledge in offering a counseling service. Only for bad and extreme cases, a counselor chooses to give advice for divorce.

Divorce or to go adjusting:

The choice is with the couple involved with the torturous life. The final decision is with the persons in grievance. If divorce is the final route you choose with all grounds for divorce, it tells upon your children also. It is a general fact that the children of broken marriages are the most affected and sufferers. So, there is the need to think well before deciding for divorce.

If the choice is for the other alternative of going with adjustments, the chance for the same should be confirmed by both. Remember, if it breaks again the consequences will be still worse than before with a broken heart. So, much concern is there even for second thoughts for choosing divorce.

It is for your welfare that you make time to interpreting the pros and cons of marriage and divorce and decide to choose for adjusting with your spouse and stop choosing divorce to enlighten your future.

If you are to choosing ’stop divorce’ you have to spare a few minutes to know the tips to stop divorce.

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The New Bankruptcy Law “Means Test” Explained in Plain English
By Charles Phelan

With the new bankruptcy law in effect, there is a lot of confusion with regard to the new “means test” requirement. The means test is used by the courts to determine eligibility for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The purpose of this article is to explain in plain language how the means test works, so that consumers can get a better idea of how they will be affected under the new rules.

When most people think of bankruptcy, they think in terms of Chapter 7, where unsecured debts are normally discharged in full. Bankruptcy of any variety is a difficult ordeal at best, but at least with Chapter 7, a debtor was able to wipe out their debts in full and get a fresh start. Chapter 13, however, is another story, since the debtor must pay back a significant portion of the debt over a 3-5 year period, with 5 years being the standard under the new law.

Prior to the advent of the “Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005,” the most common reason for someone to file under Chapter 13 was to avoid the loss of equity in their home or other property. And while equity protection will continue to be a big reason for people to choose Chapter 13 over Chapter 7, the new rules will force many people to file under Chapter 13 even if they have NO equity. That’s because the means test will take into account the debtor’s income level.

To apply the means test, courts look at the debtor’s average income for the 6 months prior to filing and compare it to the median income for that state. For example, the median annual income for a single wage-earner in California is $42,012. If the income is below the median, then Chapter 7 remains open as an option. If the income exceeds the median, the remaining parts of the means test comes into play.

This is where it gets a little bit trickier. The next step in the calculation takes income, less living expenses (excluding payments on the debts included in the bankruptcy), and multiplies that figure times 60. This represents the amount of income available over a 5-year period for repayment of the debt obligations.

If the income available for debt repayment over that 5-year period is $10,000 or more, then Chapter 13 will be required. In other words, anyone earning above the state median, and with at least $166.67 per month of available income, will automatically be denied Chapter 7. So for example, if the court determines that you have $200 per month income above living expenses, $200 times 60 is $12,000. Since $12,000 is above $10,000, you’re stuck with Chapter 13.

What happens if you are above the median income but do NOT have at least $166.67 per month to pay toward your debts? Then the final part of the means test is applied. If the available income is less than $100 per month, then Chapter 7 again becomes an option. If the available income is between $100 and $166.66, then it is measured against the debt as a percentage, with 25% being the benchmark.

In other words, let’s say your income is above the median, your debt is $50,000, and you only have $125 of available monthly income. We take $125 times 60 months (5 years), which equals $7,500 total. Since $7,500 is less than 25% of your $50,000 debt, Chapter 7 is still a possible option for you. If your debt was only $25,000, then your $7,500 of available income would exceed 25% of your debt and you would be required to file under Chapter 13.

To sum up, first figure out whether you are above or below the median income for your state - median income figures are available at http://www.new-bankruptcy-law-info.com. Be sure to account for your spouse’s income if you are a two-income family. Next, deduct your average monthly living expenses from your monthly income and multiply by 60. If the result is above $10,000, you’re stuck with Chapter 13. If the result is below $6,000, you may still be able to file Chapter 7. If the result is between $6,000 and $10,000, compare it to 25% of your debt. Above 25%, you’re looking at Chapter 13 for sure.

Now, in these examples, I have ignored a very important aspect of the new bankruptcy law. As stated above, the amount of monthly income available toward debt repayment is determined by subtracting living expenses from income. However, the figures used by the court for living expenses are NOT your actual documented living expenses, but rather the schedules used by the IRS in the collection of taxes.

A big problem here for most consumers is that their household budgets will not reflect the harsh reality of the IRS approved numbers. So even if you think you are “safe,” and are able to file Chapter 7 because you don’t have $100 per month to spare, the court may rule otherwise and still force you into Chapter 13. Some of your actual expenses may be disallowed.

What remains to be seen is how the courts will handle cases where the cost of mortgages or home rentals are inflated well above the government schedules. Will debtors be expected to move into cheaper housing to meet the court’s required schedule for living expenses? No one has any answers to these questions yet. It will be up to the courts to interpret the new law in practice as cases proceed through the system.

Charles J. Phelan has been helping consumers become debt-free without bankruptcy since 1997. A former senior executive with one of the nation’s largest debt settlement firms, he is the author of the Debt Elimination Success Seminar™, a five-hour audio-CD course that teaches consumers how to choose between debt program options based on their financial situation. The course focuses on comprehensive instruction in do-it-yourself debt negotiation & settlement designed to save $1,000s. Personal coaching and follow-up support is included. Achieves the same results as professional firms for a tiny fraction of the cost. Visit zipdebt.com/seminar.php for more information.

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