With only 39 days left before OYou 2012, we arrive with a screeching halt at our OYou Boot Camp Finance Week.  Suze Orman’s mantra has been “Live below your means but within your needs.” This year, we are stripping it down and going back to basics just to make sure that we have all the steps down…and somewhere in there, we are hoping to find some hope in finances.

So as we move into week 7 just in time to buy our ticket or not buy our tickets to OYou 2012, we arrive a little tired and a little behind.  It seems that this year may have given us an extra day because of Leap Year but all the rest of the months have shrunk just a little in size.  What we were able to accomplish last year seems to be taking a little more effort this year.  Bottom line – this OYou Boot Camp that we’ve committed to still requires the diligence and committment of putting yourself on the list…when some weeks it’s all you can do to just to make it through the week.  Truth be told – it’s kicking our butt! Perhaps this is part of the lesson – sometimes you have to jump off your own to do list and give yourself a break…and sometimes it’s absolutely okay to slip the date…but don’t slip the committment you make to yourself. You are worth more than that…

So, this week we dive into the cold, hard world of finances in search of a little hope. Get ready…last year was a tough one…this was the week we decided we couldn’t make it to OYou!  This year…we are already half way there thanks to the Montage Beverly Hills and their sponsorship!  With that as motivation and inspiration, we feel a little more ready…

Here are our 3 challenges for this week:

• Financial Close-Up & Back to Basics – Time to emotionally and financially to take a good look at where we’ve been, where we are, and where we want to go in our financial life to learn from the past, access the present and make some plans for the future.  This will be requiring going on a money diet…and seeing the future through the forest.
• O Magazine Advice – This month, O Magazine has a great article from Suze Orman just in time to do a little financial stretches for OYOU  – 9 Small Financial Steps That Will Pay Off Big in the Future.  It’s time to really take a look at these steps and find at least one or two to implement into our lives
• Create a Financial Vision Board – Let’s do this!

We hope you follow our journey and are inspired enough to join us.  Welcome to week seven of our OYou 2012 Boot Camp Challenge. We’re over half-way through…now, it’s all down hill! Take the time to pay attention to your life and your finances which in turn will take care of your mind, body and spirit.  This week we are focusing on the green stuff…because while money doesn’t make the world go round, it definitely buys you a better seat on the marry-go-round…and doesn’t everyone deserve to live your best life in your best seat possible?