Black Excellence Personified
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Starting Over
I contemplated just staring this page over because, as you can see, prior to this post I had not posted since January of 2013. But, instead of starting over, I decided to just pick up where I left off to both remind myself that I really didn't accomplish much and to have motivation to not slack off again (how sad would it be to come back in two more years and have only posted in February of 2015)!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy New Year
False starts when embarking on a journey to make major life changes are not unusual. Sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions. However, to make changes, one must make time for new beginnings. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time for new beginnings. Thus, I a starting a new attempt at 1001 days of excellence.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Inspirational Blog
I already mentioned DivaSlimsDown as a source of inspiration for me. Another inspirational source for me is A Black Girl's Guide to Weight Loss . Erica Nicole Kendall, in addition to tracking her own 100+ pound weight loss journey, has collected useful resources on clean eating, exercise, fitness, and self-esteem in one handy place. She does so in a way that is respectful of some of the unique issues black women sometimes face on the road to improved health and fitness. Check her out!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Dave Ramsey's Seven Baby Steps
For those just starting out on their financial fitness journey, personal finance guru Dave Ramsey provides a good starting place with his Seven Baby Steps. The steps are as follows:
Baby Step 1
$1,000 Emergency Fund
An emergency fund is for those unexpected events in life that you can’t
plan for: the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, a faulty car
transmission, and the list goes on and on. It’s not a matter of if these events will happen; it’s simply a matter of when they will happen.
If a real emergency
happens, you can handle it with your emergency fund instead of paying for it with credit cards or personal loans and falling deeper into debt.
Baby Step 2
Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
List your debts, excluding the house, in order. The smallest balance
should be your number one priority. Don’t worry about interest rates
unless two debts have similar payoffs. If that’s the case, then list the
higher interest rate debt first.
The point of the debt snowball is simply this: You need some quick wins in order to stay pumped up about getting out of debt! Paying off debt is not always about math. It’s about motivation.
The point of the debt snowball is simply this: You need some quick wins in order to stay pumped up about getting out of debt! Paying off debt is not always about math. It’s about motivation.
Baby Step 3
3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
Once you complete the first
two baby steps, you will have built serious momentum. But don’t start throwing
all your “extra” money into investments quite yet. It’s time to build your full emergency fund. Ask yourself, “What
would it take for me to live for three to six months if I lost my income?” Your
answer to that question is how much you
should save.
Use this money for emergencies only: incidents that would have a major impact on you and your family. Keep these savings in a money market account. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.
Use this money for emergencies only: incidents that would have a major impact on you and your family. Keep these savings in a money market account. Remember, this stash of money is not an investment; it is insurance you’re paying to yourself, a buffer between you and life.
Baby Step 4
Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
When you reach this step, you’ll have no
payments—except the house—and a fully funded emergency fund. Now it’s time to
get serious about building wealth.
Dave suggests investing 15% of your household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement plans. Don’t invest more than that because the extra money will help you complete the next two steps: college savings and paying off your home early.
Baby Step 5
College funding for children
By this point, you should have already started Baby Step 4—investing 15%
of your income—before saving for college. Whether you are saving for
you or your child to go to college, you need to start now.
The best way to save for college is with Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and 529 plans. Remember, college is possible without loans!
Baby Step 6
Pay off your house early Now it’s time to begin chucking all of your extra money toward the mortgage. You are getting closer to realizing the dream of a life with no house payments.
As you attack this last debt, you will gain momentum much like you did back in the second step of the debt snowball. Remember, having absolutely no payments is totally within your reach!
Baby Step 7
Build wealth and give!
It’s time to build wealth and give like never before. Leave an
inheritance for future generations, and bless others now with your
excess. It's really the only way to live!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
1001 Days of Fitness -- The Beginning
Today is the official launch of 1001 Days of Excellence. I am starting with fitness. My beginning stats are:
My highest weight ever was 365 pounds. I have been slowly losing over the past five years. However, now I want to ramp it up and be at least 100 pounds lighter by this time next year.
- 312.8 Pounds
- 51.25 inches -- Bust
- 45.75 inches -- Natural Waist
- 50.50 inches -- Waist (Navel Height)
- 62.00 inches -- Hips
- 52.0 BMI
- 66.2% Body Fat Percentage (using the U.S. Navy Circumference Method)
My highest weight ever was 365 pounds. I have been slowly losing over the past five years. However, now I want to ramp it up and be at least 100 pounds lighter by this time next year.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Starting Fitness Regimen
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