3 Things To Do NOW to get your LIFE Together during this Coronavirus DownTime

The FIT:

T-Shirt: Boo-Hoo; Pants: H&M; Coat: Thrifted; Boots: Boo-Hoo (old)

This morning its business as usual for me. I’ve worked from home for years now, my office is typically the Client site and thankfully my business trip at the end of the month is postponed. I understand the uncertainty and anxiety many have today that don’t have that luxury; I’m praying for you all. I do believe the recent changes and bills passed by the gov’t will help but in the meantime here are 3 things you can do today to help you build a better tomorrow. Plant the seed NOW, harvest the crop later loves. 

1️⃣ Start thinking of ideas for multiple streams of income. That blog or YouTube channel you been thinking about starting. DO IT. That drop shipping business you thought sounded good. START IT NOW! It doesn’t have to be perfect, just START. Are you good with your hands and can make stuff or a beast with graphic design? Start an Etsy shop.....sooooo many ways to make money in the world today, your job doesn’t have to be your sole source of income. 

2️⃣ Do you have a budget? I don’t care if you are broke as hell! If you have money coming in somehow (I.e Unemployment, minimum wage, food stamps or welfare, disability, social security etc) YOU NEED A BUDGET! You NEED to be telling your money where to go, every single dollar should have a job. This is not hard people. I know for a fact in the black community this stuff isn’t really taught from a young age. We have to go through life and learn the hard lessons before we truly learn about this stuff. Let me just say, I have learned the lesson so listen to me when I tell you to START A BUDGET NOW. Do it based on your last paycheck, even if your paychecks are currently on hold. Start with a savings, even if it’s 10 dollars a check, save something! Do you know how handy an emergency fund is right now when you can go buy essentials during this time without thinking twice? It’s priceless. No full set of acrylics or new pair of shoes compares to the peace of mind you feel being able to take care of yourself and your family during an emergency. START HERE. I follow the Dave Ramsey plan and I highly recommend it. I have made 6 figures for the last several years of my life and last year I JUST started to take my budget serious. I was out here living my best life and blowing money FAST with nothing to show for it so I’m NOT JUDGING YOU. Just start now, trust me. 

3️⃣ Do a Life Audit. Listen, you are about to have a LOT of time on your hands. Now is the time to sit down and think about what you REALLY want in life. Start being proactive instead of reactive to life. Who do you spend the majority of your time with outside of your spouse and kids i.e. your friends? The saying is true, show me who your friends are and I’ll show you your future. Surround yourself with positive goal orientated people that are driven and motivate you. (THIS INCLUDES FAMILY!) Now is the perfect time to check your circle and reassess. Establish new connections or mend broken ones. Now is the time people are slowing down and will be more responsive than ever I’m sure. 

That's all for now dolls. I promise I'm not trying to be preachy or a Debbie downer. But as much as I would love to come on here and talk about a product you don't NEED right now I just can't. I feel there is more valuable information I can be sharing with you during these uncertain times. Don't get me wrong I WILL still be sharing the products I love, new clothing I purchased and fun things I'm trying at home while on lockdown so stay tuned for that to come. 

If you found this post helpful or think someone you know needs to hear these tips, PLEASE SHARE!

Be Safe, Be Kind and Be Blessed dolls

XOXO,

Naja

February Intentional Buy Month Recap: How did it go?

Hello Dolls,

I can't believe it's March already, where oh where did February go? It went by too fast if you ask me. It's honestly all a blur. January was my NO BUY month and February was so hard NOT to buy ALL. THE. THINGS! I started this Intentional Buy challenge as a way to stay discipline and focused on building my BEST wardrobe yet. No more of the days of spending mindlessly on fast fashion I know will tire of in a season. My goal is to build a wardrobe that is timeless, classic and built for any occasion.

So how did I do the first month abiding by these rules I set for myself. Not too bad if I say so myself. Here are my thoughts.

Did I stick to the budget? 
Good question for sure and the answer is surprising even to me. Yes, I am very proud to say I did stick to the budget. I actually spent $497 to be exact, go me! I had all of January to decide what I was going to buy come February 1st. I had my shopping cart ready to go come February 1st. I had my budget spent by the 3rd ya'll! LOL, I clearly wasn't playin.


What did I buy?
So I have a haul video coming soon but in short I bought some key pieces I felt my wardrobe was missing and those pieces appropriate for the season. This is where the difficult part come in. What to get now and what to get later? What was a priority for the upcoming season and what could wait? I will do a separate post on how to compile your Intentional Buy wardrobe later but based on a few things I determined the following was a priority.

- Black Boots
- Gold Bracelet
- Gold Ring
- Cashmere Scarf

What did I WANT TO buy?
High on my list this month was also a black/dark grey wool coat. I have a camel coat in my current wardrobe so I considered the coat not a necessity. My only dilemma at the moment is am I really going to want to buy a dark wool coat in March or will I have my eye on all the Spring things. I have my eye on THIS one from Everlane so we shall see. What I don't want is to find myself next winter having the same, "I need a black coat" conversation with myself.

What have I learned?
I learned that patience and planning is key. Identify the gaps first! Plan out your buys. Know what you need! Also, identify when the sales are and focus on your key pieces ONLY. This is the hard part, sales will make you think you want all the goodies on sale but don't do it doll, stay focused, you got this!

What will I do differently next month?
Next month I want to be a little less structured. I want to buy some more of the moment buys. What do I mean by that after JUST saying that planning is key, lol. I mean I have planned out what I want i.e. a pastel colored suit, however I don't know from where or exactly what color. I want to come across it in the moment and love it. I hope that makes sense. Also, I have a pair of white sneakers on my list but I don't know exactly what style. I just know I want them to be totally white. I will do a bit of research and try on a few to see what looks good on my feet and then buy. February I knew what I wanted and from where. For instance I really wanted to try pieces from Everlane so I bought my key pieces from there. Going forward I will be a little more fluid and less stringent with this.

Anyway dolls that's it for my first Intentional Buy Month Recap. I hope it was helpful and if there is anything else you would like to know please let me know in the comments below!