I recently read the book Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven. This inspiring read is about lessons the author learned from basic SEAL training.

McRaven uses his experience to teach how these life lessons can help anyone become a better person and change the world. The book is short, direct, and moving.

After finishing this read, I thought about how we all are capable of these changes but don’t apply ourselves for many reasons. For some of us, it is harder as we age. We can lose direction or become complacent.

Others may think it’s too late to change. Sometimes I believe we need either a direction or a plan. Many times, we plan then get stuck moving to the next step. We are fearful to ask for help and we quit before we reach our desired goal.

If any of this sounds familiar you are not alone. We meet adversity each day because we run into these difficulties. We can get discouraged and stuck.

Don’t Have a Plan?

Begin with small things you can accomplish each day. McRaven talks about making your bed as a good way of starting the day with an accomplishment. It is easy to put off the small things in our life but why not do it now and have it done?

By accomplishing these little tasks, although they may not seem significant, you are creating a pattern of discipline. And the bonus is, you are not letting chores pile up and become overwhelming.

Sometimes you need to have a checklist to stay on track. You can establish habits over time but the point of doing these tasks is to set your attitude for the day and the future.

Don’t Know What to Do Next?

If you need help to plan for your future think about where you would like to see yourself in the next year. Perhaps you are thinking of a trip or volunteer work when Covid is no longer a factor. You may be creative and can begin a new venture into a different lifestyle with art.

Make notes of the steps you would need to take to move in that direction. Once you have the idea, take small steps each day towards that path. With each accomplishment add more to the plan, and before you realize it, you will have gained new habits and become much more organized.

Need a Helping Hand?

Speaking of planning, it would be prudent to mention that finding collaboration can be helpful. So often we try doing everything on our own. Either for fear of looking weak, or not wanting to hear another’s opinion, we miss opportunities to learn.

Remember, getting input does not mean you are to follow the advice. You are gathering information you possibly don’t see. Other people’s input can also make your task easier to achieve.

The power of having good friendships, according to a 2017 Harvard study, reduces stress, promotes better overall well-being, and is important to our mental health.

Do You Know Your Reasons?

So often we start a journey with great intentions and get derailed along the way. Changing our life is hard, and it’s easy to get discouraged and give up. Stop every so often and go back to why you started this plan. Remind yourself why it’s important to you.

Perhaps you need to adjust to continue. Many times, I see good intentions do not keep a person on track. They second-guess themselves and often will give up.

To help you understand that we all have these moments, I would recommend you read about some famous individuals who had to overcome many failures and rejections but kept true to their dreams and stayed on their path.

Take time to read about Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, JK Rowling, Jim Carey, Franklin Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Dr, Seuss, and Steve Jobs. I believe you will find them inspiring, and perhaps their stories will be helpful to keep you from giving up on your journey.

Begin today with the little things like making your bed to start the change for the future. Why not now? I will refer you to the quote from James Allen, “For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?”

So, why not you? What little things can you change in your day that will bring more positivity in your life? Do you have a plan for the next year? Do you find you are often second-guessing yourself? Please share your thought below, and let’s all join in the conversation.

Marlo Hampton’s Brown Printed Poncho and Brown Croc Ring Purse

Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 13 Episode 12 Fashion

Marlo Hampton looks super 70s chic on tonight’s episode of the Real Housewives of Atlanta in her brown printed poncho and croc ring purse. And while she thinks the ladies may be giving her a cold shoulder for her reconciliation with Kenya Moore, if this is the way she chose to warm them up I can’t even be that mad at it.

The Realest Housewife,

Big Blonde Hair

Click Here to See her Palm Angels Poncho

Click Here to See her Chloe Bag

Originally posted at: Marlo Hampton’s Brown Printed Poncho

There is no part of life that can be experienced in a vacuum. Each decision you make impacts other areas of your life. I know, for instance, that if I have a glass of wine, it will trigger a migraine, and I will be wiped out for three days which impacts my ability to exercise, play, and carry on relationships.

As you embrace the fall season of your life in all its’ splendor, you want to look at two types of portfolios – life and financial. They should work together in harmony in order to truly flourish in your unique version of prosperity.

There are the four “Ps” of the life portfolio and the four “Ls” of the financial portfolio that woven together create an intricate tapestry of your retirement years.

Live Life Well

We all have goals that we want to achieve while we’re still capable, but we need to plan for them, so the unexpected surprises are less in number and low in intensity. Here come the four Ps you need to consider:

Passions

What meaningful activities or pursuits fill your days? What areas of your life do you have an expertise in or truly enjoy that you want to cultivate? Time is precious, use it wisely.

Physique

Stay pro-active with your health. I like to bike, boat, and hike, focusing on staying healthy. I also love to cook and create healthy meals.

Yes, meniscus tears happen and cancer has reared its head, but I am grateful for my health every day and do the best I can to steward the body I have been given.

Personalities

Who do you want to hang out with? Isolation in our aging demographic is growing at a rampant rate, especially now. Get intentional about staying in touch with people that are important to you, or those who will keep you engaged and thriving.

Maybe seek out people or groups that give you a new perspective or challenge you in your thinking.

Places

Where do you want to live and how will that change as you age? If you want to travel, what type of experiences or places will nurture your soul, not simply provide Facebook fodder?

Look at your community and where you might want to get involved using all that wisdom and experience you have accumulated over your lifetime.

The Financial Side

Make sure your financial portfolio is set to optimize your life portfolio! You need to discern and direct your financial tools to maximize sustainability of your financial resources.

There are four areas to consider:

Liquidity

You want cash that is easily accessible for emergencies or opportunities, or to supplement income from other sources in the event of a market correction. How much? It depends.

There are a variety of factors to look at. How much do you have coming in from Social Security or pensions? Does this cover your fixed expenses? Do you have upcoming one-time expenditures (i.e., a car purchase)?

There are financial vehicles best positioned to provide you with this liquidity. Start with vanilla flavored savings accounts, money markets, or laddered CDs. Shop around for a good interest rate.

Lifestyle

Your spending patterns will change as you shift gears in life. You should anticipate long-term care expenses down the road. You will have variable expenses (such as travel, when safe) and fixed expenses (mortgage, Medicare supplements, etc.).

Investment accounts, retirement accounts, and new opportunities through the “gig economy” (Air B&B, Uber, Task Rabbit) can provide you with income streams that can be creatively managed for tax-efficiencies. Make sure to incorporate inflation as you look at the go-go, slow go, and no-go years.

Longevity

With the help of a healthy lifestyle and following the medical advances, you can anticipate a long Indian summer of life. Social Security, pensions, and annuities are three of the tools to use optimally to hedge against a long life and to guarantee that you won’t outlive an income.

There are many considerations to assess before turning on these spigots of income. Is it just income for yourself, or is there a spouse involved? Is there an age difference? When is the best time to start taking these income streams? This is a good time to bring in a competent, fiduciary planner – not a sales person.

Legacy

Financial tools positioned to optimize what you want to leave to heirs would include Roth IRAs, real-estate, and brokerage accounts. The Roth IRAs pass on to your beneficiaries tax-free.

Real estate and brokerage accounts currently get a “step-up” in cost basis, making them tax efficient for legacy purposes. Life insurance proceeds also pass on to beneficiaries’ income tax-free.

However, depending on the size of your estate, if you personally own the policy, proceeds may be subject to federal and state estate taxes.

Create a Life of Meaning

The only thing you want in a vacuum is dirt! You have the opportunity to create a life of meaning given the constructs of whatever financial situation you are in. Create an awareness of what is working and what isn’t, then start taking the steps towards where you want to be.

You may want to seek out a retirement life coach to help you rebalance your life portfolio or a financial coach to help you optimize the financial portfolio.

My gift to you is a copy of my financial affirmations – one for yourself and one for a friend!

What are your life goals, interests, and pursuits? How do you manage them? What tools do you use to optimize your financial portfolio? Your experience is valuable to the women in our community, so please share it below!

Back in May, E.L.F. rolled out its Chipotle beauty kit, a burrito-shaped bag filled with best-selling makeup. It was so popular, the two brands took their collaboration a major step forward. The new E.L.F. x Chipotle makeup collection is a full 3-piece line with a seriously cute makeup bag. It’s all new products this time and they’re actually inspired by classic Chipotle ingredients.

“Following our first launch with E.l.f., which sold out in less than four minutes last spring, we’ve taken our collab to the next level with beauty products celebrating our real ingredients in totally unexpected ways,” said Tressie Lieberman, Vice President, Digital Marketing and Off-Premise of Chipotle, in a statement.

The collection launches March 10 at 11am PST, but if you’re a member of E.l.f.’s Beauty Squad, you shop first on March 9. And it’s not just makeup. March 10 is also when the Eyes. Chips. Face. Bowl launches at Chipotle. The vegan bowl was curated by iconic drag queens Trixie Mattel and Kim Chi.

There’s also a way to get free chips and guac. When you buy the eyeshadow palette on E.L.F.’s website, you’ll get a digital coupon for free Chipotle Chips & Guac in your order confirmation email, through April 15. Check out all the goods, below.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Extra Guac Face Sponge Set

This avocado-shaped sponge comes with a mini pit-shaped sponge for hard-to-reach areas.

ELF.

Eyes Chips Face Makeup Bag

It looks just like Chipotle’s tortilla chip bag.

ELF.

Chipotle Eyeshadow Palette

The matte, shimmer, and metallic shades are inspired by classic Chipotle ingredients.

ELF.

Make It Hot Lip Gloss

This plumping lip gloss has a salsa-colored tint.

It’s almost spring and you what that means: spring cleaning. Chances are, you have some makeup in your bathroom that’s expired and some other warn-out products that need to be replaced. It happens. The It Cosmetics sale will help you stock up and replace your dried-out makeup with fresh new best-sellers. Or, maybe you’re looking for a gift for a friend or your mom. Mother’s Day is coming up, after all.

It Cosmetics took five of its best-selling products and made it super-easy for you to get a full face in one kit. Seriously, it’s fool-proof. First, you get the fan-fave Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer, a full-coverage formula in 24 shades. Set it with the Bye Bye Pores Pressed “airbrush in a compact.” Apply powder and other complexion products with the Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Dual-Ended Brush.

Fill in your brows with Brow Power Eyebrow Pencil in universal Taupe—it even covers greys! Finally, the Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara gives your lashes extreme length and fullness.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. QVC is a STYLECASTER sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

QVC.

This set was already a great deal at the previous QVC price. If purchased separately, it would retail or a whopping $154. The QVC price is just $48.50 and it’s on sale for less than $40. You truly cannot beat that. Plus, you can pay with Easy Pay and get the entire set delivered for $9.99. Whoa.

So, throw out the mascara you’ve been holding onto that’s definitely more than three months old and replace it with everyone’s favorite dramatic lash. You’ll be so glad you did.