From a ballooning federal deficit and contentious midterm elections to a record number of home foreclosures and a still-sluggish economy, the tail end of the millennium’s first decade had little to recommend it.
But there’s a silver lining: 2010 is over. And in its place is 2011, a fresh page on the calendar and (hopefully) a symbolic fresh start for folks across the Free State who’ve been struggling.
To inspire you to make that fresh start, we’ve assembled experts in real estate, insurance, financial planning, and life coaching and asked them a simple question: What can people do to make 2011 better than 2010?
Follow their advice, and who knows? This year may end up being your most memorable yet—but, this time, for all the right reasons.
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The Life Coach
Yes, we’ve seen worse, but 2010 has been annus horribilis for many Marylanders, to quote Queen Elizabeth II when Windsor Castle burned and her two sons’ marriages collapsed.
Even though the economy is moving forward, the glacial pace challenges our ability to be hopeful. We continue to suffer from the mortgage crisis; we are terrified about how we’re going to pay for federal bailouts and foreign wars, let alone our children’s educations or medical bills; and high unemployment has undermined our emotional as well as financial security.
No wonder we’re depressed!
Being battered by life makes us feel scared and out of control. Although we can’t control most of life, we can manage the ways we respond to the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Here is one psychologist’s short list:
Live in the moment. Worrying about the future is simply borrowing trouble. Stay in the here and now as much as possible and you’ll discover that life is better than you think. To be present-centered, focus on your breathing, your body, your immediate surroundings, and avoid “terriblizing” at all costs.
Try to recapture simpler, happy times early in life when feeling good wasn’t all that complicated. Pursue free or low-cost entertainments with the ones you love. Rekindle your love life! Have some fun and try to laugh every day.
Stay healthy! Resolve to eat right, exercise regularly, and prevent disease.
Minimize stress by cultivating relaxation skills and avoiding stressors.
Define your personal goals realistically and evaluate your progress weekly. Reward success to reinforce your good behavior.
Cherish your support system by regular contact with friends and family.
Finally, learn how to let go. Experience without attachment. Accept each moment and know that it will pass, only to be replaced by the next moment.
—Kenneth B. Morgen, Ph.D., director, the Coaching Center www.chesapeakepsych.com
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The Insurance Agent
Insurance—from homeowners to renters, auto to life—is a topic no one likes to discuss and most don’t understand. Yet it’s purchased by everyone. Unfortunately, consumers often purchase whichever policy has the lowest price and hope they’ll never need to use it. Often, they have no idea what’s even covered if a serious claim occurs.
In 2010, misleading advertising led consumers to poor insurance-product evaluations. Too often, the price tag is the overriding decision-making factor, with very little thought given to possible future events.
For example, a homeowner policy may be purchased over the Internet from an insurance company located thousands of miles away, and without a local agent.
But what happens if a tornado, fire, or other major event destroys your home? To whom do you turn? Who is your advocate? You purchased the cheap and quick policy without considering what happens if catastrophe strikes.
Insurance is the only serious purchase a consumer makes without the ability to change the team after the claim event. As a comparison, think about a serious medical condition: After the diagnosis, a consumer could (and should) obtain a second and even third opinion before settling on the best treatment program.
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