It essential to make your finances personal to you, and this doesn’t mean avoiding talking about them. To make your finances personal, you just need to stop concerning yourself with others and making a comparison. Focus on your own situation rather than concerning yourself with another financial situation. 

This is one of the most vital parts that will help you achieve the financial stability you’re after. We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to others, but it’s important to concentrate on your finances alone. Try not to concern yourself with the new car your neighbour has bought, or the holiday your sister is going on, chances are you have other things to spend your money on. Maybe you are looking for a house for sale and you need to save for your deposit, or you are paying off your debts to become debt-free. 

Budgeting is likely something that you have heard before. And they aren’t as bad as they actually sound. It should be used as a tool not as something to restrict you or make you unhappy. It’s definitely the best way to manage your money and ensure things get paid when they need to be. There are always essentials that need to pay, so make a plan to do this on time every month. If you find that you are overspending on your essentials, you need to look for ways to increase your income or reduce your spending. However, the problem usually lies with other spending when it comes to failing on a budget. When you have a budget, you can also identify where you may be able to save money for a good financial future. 

This is again, something that you have probably have heard before. You most definitely heard about people living to their means and then struggling to afford luxuries or extras. You should make sure you make a budget and create a living expenditure that is below your means instead of spending right to the mark. If you live below your means, you can almost guarantee that you are covered if you need to tackle any emergency, or if you want to save. 

As well as thinking about your future such as retirement or paying off your debts, you should also make sure you build an emergency fund. Having an emergency fund is your way of protecting yourself against anything unexpected. You never know when something bad might happen, losing a job with a regular salary can really hinder someone financial security if they have no emergency fund. 

If you have any debt, it will likely stand in the way of you having financial security. Once you are aware of how much you are able to comfortably spend, using your budgeting, and when you have built an emergency fund, you can focus on getting rid of any debt. You should pay credit cards and other high-interest debts first, it’s best to avoid any future debt on these while you are trying to clear them. Bear in mind that if you have signed a contract for a term, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t pay it off sooner. If you want to keep on top of the debts that you have, it best to track your credit score. You can do this for free, and doing it can you the best chance of getting straight with your finances. 

Financial security is where you will have the freedom to live a life where you don’t need to worry about how you will pay the next bill that comes your way. For some people, this may seem like an unachievable dream but it is something that everyone is capable of achieving. 

These tips should help you on your way to becoming financially secure, just remember it does take a little effort but once you are in the swing of it it will become second nature.

Do you have any other tips that you are using to help you get you there? 

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Set realistic targets

Setting targets is an excellent way to increase motivation, but it’s essential to establish goals that are achievable. If you’re a beginner, and you’ve never trained before, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to run a marathon in a month’s time. Set goals that are relevant to your aims and consider your fitness level. If the end goal is to run 26.2 miles, break it down and start by ticking off a 5km run, followed by a 10km route and a half marathon. Celebrate each milestone and be ambitious. As you build your fitness and stamina, you can modify your goals. 

Eat well

When you increase your activity levels, and you’re pushing hard in training sessions, it’s crucial to ensure your body has sufficient fuel and that you’re eating the right foods. Focus on good nutrition and make sure your diet is balanced. You may need to increase your calorie intake if you’re burning a lot of calories and you want to maintain your weight or gain weight. If you want to lose weight, reducing your calorie intake in a controlled manner can help you drop pounds in a safe way. Training puts a strain on your body, and it’s beneficial to allow time for rest and to aid recovery. If you’re thinking of taking supplements, such as hyperade supplement, ask your doctor or a personal trainer for advice before changing your diet. As well as embracing healthy eating, it’s also critical to stay hydrated. If you lose fluids through sweating, you’ll need to replace them. Carry a bottle of water with you and aim to consume at least 2 litres per day. 

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Introduce competition

Humans are naturally competitive, and many of us lift performance levels when there are competitors around. If you want to push yourself, introducing some friendly competition is a great idea. You can do this by joining exercise classes or group training sessions or getting involved in virtual races or competitions. You can also work out with a buddy. This will help you get the best out of the session, and it may also be more fun. 

Make training enjoyable

Many people will roll their eyes when they hear others talking about going to the gym or going for a run. If you’re sceptical about the fun factor, and exercise has always been a chore, it’s an excellent idea to vary your workouts, try new activities, work out in different places and get friends and family involved. 

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If the start of a brand new year has inspired you to get fit, it’s natural to want to see results. To get the best out of your workouts, set achievable targets, eat well, stay hydrated, make training fun and unleash your competitive side.

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Understand When It’s Time

The first thing that you’re going to have to do is understand when it is time to say goodbye and move on. We know that this isn’t a pleasant thing to think about, but you need to learn to do this for your sake, as well as for your partners. You can’t both keep hanging on to something that is no longer working simply because you are scared of what is coming next. This isn’t going to end well the longer you keep doing it. At least if you understand that it’s time and you decide to move on, you might be able to part on good terms, rather than having dragged it out and now you hate each other.

As soon as you’ve decided that it’s time to let go, you need to start the process. If you’re married then you need to file for divorce, figure out whether you’re going to need to complete form e and so on. If you’re not married, then the process is much simpler.

Keep Hold Of Your Memories

You should always keep a hold of your memories. Keep them close in your heart and don’t let them go. Just because you have decided that it’s time to let go of the relationship, that doesn’t mean that you have to forget about it. It doesn’t mean that there were no good times in the relationship, it just means that now it is time for it to come to an end so you can both go and find what you are looking for. You will always have the memories from the time that you have been together, and there is nothing wrong with treasuring those. 

It Doesn’t Have To Be Goodbye Forever

Finally, letting go may be very difficult, but you can find solace in the fact that it doesn’t have to be goodbye forever. A lot of people seem to be under the impression that when you let a relationship go, you have to cut the person off and never speak to them again. This simply isn’t the case, especially if you decide that you would be better as friends. Give you and your partner some time to heal from the break up and then see where you can go from there. It might take some time, but we’re sure that you can see it through if you want to.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see that learning to let go might not be easy, but it’s got to be done. It doesn’t have to be the nightmare that all movies make it out to be either, so just do whatever is most comfortable for you.

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However, another illness often gets mentioned in the same breath as a cold: the flu. You see the two paired together all the time, but what's the difference between them? How do you know if you have a cold or the flu?

The flu is considerably worse

Firstly, you'll know if you have the flu because it is considerably worse than a cold. While you might get a cold a few times a year, they may only put you out of action for a day or two. Bad colds can last longer, but you tend to recover very quickly. The main symptoms are a blocked nose, cough, sore throat, and general tiredness. They can also be treated quite easily - ginger is very effective at killing the cold virus, which is why it doesn’t last that long.

In contrast, the flu will floor you for at least a week. It has many of the same symptoms as a cold, but it's a lot stronger. You won't feel better for a good few days, and the symptoms will linger on well into a second week. The flu virus is highly contagious, which is why your best method of treatment is to stay at home and recover. You might be able to get some flu treatment from a doctor, but it depends on how severe your symptoms are. 

The flu causes intense muscle aches

I lived my whole life without having the flu, until about three years ago. To be honest, I assumed that the flu and a cold were pretty similar. In fact, I may have even told people I had the flu a few times. But, it's not until you actually suffer from it that you realise the stark contrast in the two illnesses. 

The biggest difference is that the flu causes intense muscle aches. This doesn't mean your muscles feel a bit sore and weak - it means they properly hurt. I had a severe pain in my back that felt like a really tight muscle knot. The same sort of thing happens in other areas of the body - it's like the day after an intense workout! For me, this is one of the tell-tale symptoms that help you differentiate between the two diseases. If you have cold symptoms and some serious muscle aches, you probably have the flu.