Charting a Prosperous Path for the New Year

Reflect on a year of growth and bravery with me, Michael Kane unpack the rollercoaster ride that was 2024. From personal triumphs to challenges that pushed our limits, this episode is a heartfelt journey into acknowledging every success, no matter how small. We'll touch on the power of calculated risks and the liberating process of overcoming fear and self-doubt. As we prepare for 2025, I share my deepest wishes for a prosperous and joyful new year, urging you to protect your joy and journey on a righteous path.

We also navigate the often tricky balance between personal and professional commitments, acknowledging the trade-offs that come with each choice. Through poignant reflections, including the sudden passing of a dear friend, I emphasize the importance of cherishing meaningful experiences and relationships. The lesson? While ambition drives us forward, it should never outweigh the value of health, family, and friendships. Heading into 2025, let's make it our mission to prioritize what truly matters.

Finally, let’s explore the realms of personal and financial success, inspired by historical figures like Walt Disney and Andrew Carnegie. I'll share my insights on managing finances, from paying off loans to embracing staycations, all while planning for a healthier and wiser future. With aspirations for enhancing my podcast and writing another book, the journey continues with a focus on resilience and adaptability. As we step into 2025, let's commit to a year of being "healthy, wealthy, and wise," prepared to face challenges with determination and a holistic approach to success.

Chapters

• 0:00 Reflecting on Success and Taking Risks
• 7:23 Strategic Planning for 2025
• 19:50 Planning for Personal and Financial Success
• 26:26 Prioritizing Health and Success

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, this is Living your Success 24-7, with Michael Caine in the house, my final broadcast for the great year 2024. Wow, it's. It's what can I say? You know the good, bad and ugly, mostly good, blessed and highly favored. How's that so not sure about you. Good folks and thank you for listening, by the way, and supporting this podcast I've been in deep reflection every day as we move toward this final day of 2024.

Speaker 1: 0:43

And looking back at I'm here, I know I'm stating the obvious. I'm here, but a lot of times we may not be as appreciative as we should by the fact that not only we survived, we've moved up the ladder a little bit At least. We nudged that needle upward right. And if you don't feel like you did, you have successes that you're probably not even counting as successes. You may be minimalizing your accomplishments. I used to do that all the time, you know, saying, well, what did I really do? What did I really do? Did this little thing? Yeah, but a billion people didn't do that little thing and you did. So give yourself ha, ha, wah, wah a clap pat on the back and accolade, saying I good, do good today, right, did good today and let tomorrow work for itself. So back to me. I'm looking back at what the heck did michael kane accomplish? What did I do? Did I seize the opportunity? Did I overlook some blessings and potential rewards? Yes, absolutely. And looking back I said, man, maybe I should have done that thing at my jig or this other thing, and maybe I shouldn't have done that other thing that didn't work out well.

Speaker 1: 2:18

But guess what? To live a life of accomplishment, to live a successful life, you have to take risks. Now. Risks, what does that mean? Well, we kind of know what that means. It means you go out on that ledge and you hope. But you know what? There's a thing called calculated risks. Where you did research homework, where you did research homework, you did pretty much all you can do to prepare for the risks that you're taking or about to take. And so that's what you need to do in order to move that needle upward in your favor, to be healthier, to be prosperous, to be more healthy, to be more prosperous and have good relationships and have good times come to you. You have to take risk Now. Sometimes things just come to you and if it comes to your front door, you still have to open the door and let it in. Some people don't open that door. They have that key and the door of opportunity and they don't open the door. They have that key in the door of opportunity and they don't open the door Because they have what?

Speaker 1: 3:29

That four little word Fear, something I've been doing my best to defeat for many years, because fear will drive you in the wrong direction. So when you look back at this year and say, well, what was I fearful of? What hurdle did I not jump over because I was too scared, I didn't have enough faith or belief in myself or some higher power, both, both. I didn't do this. I didn't, you know, evaluate what went wrong and right, what could you have done? A little bit more of a little less.

Speaker 1: 4:20

And those are your takeaways for the year, the great year that's coming in 2025. Now I realize in some parts of the world it's already 2025. So, happy New Year to my listeners in all the countries that are listening to me. I appreciate you and I hope and pray that you have a blessed, prosperous, healthy, fruitful 2025. That you move forward in whatever your plans are to do and that you realize your goals. And that's my prayer for you all. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk to you and for you to sit there and listen to my thoughts, opinions and experiences.

Speaker 1: 5:18

So what is 2024 mean to Michael Caine? It means I thank the almighty God for allowing me one another year and give me another opportunity to be the best version of myself, which I'm still not there. I still got some things to work out On a psychological, emotional, physical levels, I would say even spiritual. Yeah, all cylinders got to be on in 2025. And not let one takeaway I have and I encourage you don't let no one get you down. Don't let anyone steal your joy. They try. When they see you happy, they want to knock you down where they are miserable. Oh my gosh, I'm not naming names now. I sure could, wow, I could name some cities, okay, with certain people trying to knock my joy out, but you know what that means. You're important, see people that want to take you down. You're so important in this world that they see you as the enemy and that's a testament to you, your power, that you're doing something right, that people want to attack you and want to get you. That means you're on the right track, man, generally speaking. Now I'm only saying if you're doing the right thing. I'm not saying about robbing banks and doing foolish and criminal behavior when I say this. So I'm saying as long as you're on a righteous path of helping others, helping yourself and your family, that's what I'm talking about, because I know some folks could twist stuff. Twist it well, twist it good. We're not about twisting stuff on my show.

Speaker 1: 7:23

But 2024 I said okay, how much money did I save? How much did I invest? How much did I exercise? How much did I eat right, how much did I spend time to develop key business, professional, personal relationships. It takes time and some degree of trade-offs. I was going to use the B word, balance, but sometimes it's not about balance, it's about trade-offs. I read that somewhere not too long ago. I said, yeah, you know, because some people are in a camp. Well, they don't believe in work life balance.

Speaker 1: 8:08

And at first I thought about it, say, oh, that's strange, but I thought about it. It's about decision making. When you get it to its nuclear, to it the atomics level, the cell, that it's about making a decision between this business meeting or seeing your children in a play or playing a sport, family or children raising part that you chose to do to go to this business thing that you could live without it. Now, certain things you have to trade off and say I got a business meeting, I gotta take this, I gotta fly out, I gotta. So you, yeah, that exists, but you don't want to be an absentee parent right Now.

Speaker 1: 9:07

Guess what Billionaires, millionaires on their deathbed, wish I spent time with my children, boy, if I made a dollar for every time that was said coulda, woulda, shoulda. Yeah, you, shoulda, woulda, coulda. And I did that. I sacrificed my children to an extent. I'm not on my deathbed yet Hopefully, knock on wood but I spent a lot of time with them and continue to do so, and sometimes they're the ones that send me away saying, oh, I got time, I'm working, I spend time with friends and stuff, but I make the effort to initiate a lot of activities and so my soul will sleep very well and that I did all I can do Now growing up the latter professionally.

Speaker 1: 10:01

Yeah, I had to fly out. I had to go away for three, four, five days. I was sad about the looking and waving at them goodbye. When they're little people, they're little, just looking at their dad. Just drive away for next week.

Speaker 1: 10:22

And I made a decision. I made a trade-off. Yes, you could say, it's for my job, I have to. You don't have to do anything. You choose to Don't give up your power. Now, true, there's a consequence, you may get fired. So I'm not saying there's no consequence, but I'm just saying let's call it for what it is. We make decisions to go forward, to stop in our tracks, to go forward, to stop in our tracks, to go backwards, to go left, to go right, to go up, go down. We make those decisions. So that's the frame of reference.

Speaker 1: 11:01

So 2024 is what did I invest in? Did I just invest in money? Did I invest in my health? Did I invest in family, friends, business, customers? Did I invest what? Everything is an investment or something else? Invest in to sow a seed, to put something in somebody else's bucket, to lift them up. When my boat rises, I want everybody else's boat to rise around me too. Win-win, that's what I want, but that works both ways. I want a win-win win too. You know reciprocity right. So 2025 is not from a starting, from a clean slate per se, because you already have a foundation of what you did or did not do in 2024. So, for the things you should do more of in 2025, that you already have that foundation platform set and you already know what to do.

Speaker 1: 12:13

This should not be yeah, I was going to say it should not be an internal struggle but yeah, sometimes it is legitimately but it's about trade-off. This year I pledged to attend this function with my kids to see them, so I don't have regrets on my deathbed that I missed out on their entire growing up experience. Right, it's going to take more time, more commitment, more responsibility that I'll have to do. What does that mean to the family? What does that mean to just hobbies or having fun going on vacation?

Speaker 1: 13:03

Many years ago, I had a friend that kept putting off family vacations. Now, when I encounter people like this, I would say hey, don't have regrets, don't be too long, you know what you're doing, think about it carefully, but anyway, kept kicking down those vacations because of business. I got to attend this function, got to get this grant, got to get this money, got to do this, got to do that. And talking to this friend, he says, well, I hope to be alive 25 more years, god willing. Well, he died suddenly Four months later. Four months later From that conversation Four months Do you hear me, folks At a young age, relatively young Middle age You're still young, right? Won't get a chance to see another sunset, hold up a grandchild, talk to children, talk to me support, and it was at a time when I needed support. So, and not to be selfish, I'm just saying, given the context, because I'm alive and he's not. Um, it was sad, it was sad to hear the friend go down like that. It's like tomorrow's not promised. He thought he was going to live another 25, 30 years, but only four more months after making that statement and that's something.

Speaker 1: 14:48

So didn't go on vacations, missed out on certain things and you got to ask yourself what am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Wrong thing? And yeah, true, to grow am I doing? Am I doing the right thing? Wrong thing? And yeah, true, to grow means you do have to put more time in many instances. But my goal for 2025 is not to sacrifice those things that count, really, but to trade off and say, okay, can't make this thing on the 5th, but I can make this thing, this event, on the 12th, okay, and depending on which is more important to attend, and in this month, I can attend everything. That's going to be my sacrifice to make sure that I'm present and support whoever that needs my support.

Speaker 1: 15:51

So family first, right, and everybody else after that. And loyalty to your profession, to what you do To earn that income. Loyalty, say, hey, I'm there, but there's limits, that and lines that will not be crossed. So don't Waste an entire life Until you figure that out. And so 2025 is going be for me a year of investment in everything I said health, spiritual, spiritual first. Health second, significant other spouse, wife, children, siblings, everyone else.

Speaker 1: 16:54

And how I make the money, the money, the dinero, okay, how I make it. Dedicate time for that, because without money, can't get around, can't do things. I figured that out a long time ago when I was broke man. You can't do too much broke, so get unbroke, okay. Starts off with a job, almost any job that's willing to hire you Not be too picky. Get some experience, learn, maybe. Go to school. School means academia, college, university or vocational, whatever. That means Hands-on stuff. We need our trades, by the way. We need you know, uh. So it's a matter of priorities.

Speaker 1: 17:51

What is your priority for 2025? So I'm looking at that now and I've been thinking for a long time, in 2024 that's. I like to think way ahead. So, while I'm in the present moment of 2024, I'm thinking five, six months ago. Okay, 2025. This is what the plan is ABC XYZ. This is the plan. This is Michael Caine's plan. Now, will it go right according to what I write or think or plan? No, but at least I have a plan that I can massage and you know, turn around or kind of massage and you know flex those muscles, right. So I'm going through these machinations of what is Michael Caine going to do to get further ahead in the dreams that he has the wish list and guess what? You can do everything in your power to move forward, but if you don't have the action part so 2025 is going to be you're going to see a lot more action from Michael K, lot more action, because in the day that's what counts is doing it, hopefully, do it well. But but if you don't do anything, you're not going to move ahead. And so I'm going to pay off. I said I'm going to pay this debt off, this debt, this loan Been doing good, paid off a loan this year and one last year, and I'm going to pay off Two more Next year and which will allow and free up capital. Free up a lot of money to invest Into what which will allow and free up capital. Free up a lot of money to invest into what Vacation?

Speaker 1: 19:50

I've been blessed this year, went on three good, nice vacations and plan on doing two to three more, plus get rid of loans all at the same time. The way I do it is and hopefully it'll be useful for you. Actually I got this out of a book many years ago called I believe it was money is. My friend opened up six. You know he had six accounts. One is the millionaire account, one financial freedom account. So these different funds. I have a house repair, car repair fund and money goes in there and so when a car repair is needed, the money's there. House repair boom, it's there. Vacation fund nothing touches. Do not touch that vacation have fun fund and if you can help it now, that would be the last, one of the first things to go if you had to to, to go to out, reallocate something because it's good to have time.

Speaker 1: 20:46

Now it's been some time where it's been a six months a year where I didn't do anything on a large scale. But you know the staycations kind of things. You know fun, you know local activities within 100 miles maybe 200 miles, you know and which require one or two hotel stays or no overtime overstays at all. Just take your butt back home, save your money, been there, and so you got to mix in some form of entertainment whether it's books, reading, going to movies, music and concerts and the lake, the river, the ocean, the woods, getting nature in there too, and so I'm going to do more of that in 2025. So I'm looking forward to getting rid of two loans big time. One was based on investment, so that was not just a personal loan, it's uh. The other one was personal and the other one is business, so and that's about to be paid, that was an investment that's going to be paid off, so, and that's going to sow big time seeds is the hope and go and pray. So those are things you should do and I would write all your thoughts down into what I want to do in 2025 and meditate, pray, talk to people and study, read, and I'm reading more books.

Speaker 1: 22:21

My goal is to read more books in 2025 to educate my mind. Some for just pure entertainment. Probably one or two for entertainment and the others pure business. I just got this book by Cody Sanchez, how to Make Extraordinary Wealth Buying Ordinary Businesses. I like to read stuff like that and, even though I can't take advantage of things, I read like that. At the present moment, I'm sowing a seed, investing in knowledge and future action, so I like watching financial or historical biographies of business.

Speaker 1: 23:11

People Could be like from Walt Disney, andrew Carnegie, john D Rockefeller, those kind of things and they make their money. How do they? What do they do? What did my father do you know when he grew up? What did my grandfather do? How can I not make stupid bonehead decisions over and over again? Stop, I'm stopping. So I stopped doing stupid a while ago and I said no more stupid. And I hopefully coach and mentor and tell other people hey, don't do stupid. So don't do foolish. I have a voice of experience With the good, bad and ugly. I tell you so, but have optimism. The sun is so, but have optimism. The sun is going to rise tomorrow. So what are you going to do tomorrow to contribute to your future? January 1st is already there for many of you who are listening to this podcast, and it's coming soon for me, so a few hours left.

Speaker 1: 24:25

So, anyway, plan your future. What do they say? Plan, fail to plan or plan to fail or whatever. I mean we're going to fail, we're going to not meet our goals. But don't quit, just get back up our goals. But don't quit, just get back up, because if you fail to plan you, you are definitely planning to fail, to be cliched right. But it's so true, you can tweak that plan, turn around upside down, improve upon it as you grow, as you develop, as as you nurture yourself and you move forward with intentionality. The prize is there. It may not be the exact prize you're looking for, praying for, but it's a prize.

Speaker 1: 25:18

So I want to, and even I'm even thinking in 2026, what I want to do. I want to do presentations, more presentations. I want to Definitely want to write a book, write another book and now that I survived the hellish experience of writing one, I can do the next one. It's going to be that much better, that much sweeter, that much more focused, and take time to do that and to increase the level of my podcast, to raise it up a notch or two or four. And so right now I'm kind of stretched thin, so I'm thinking, ooh, not one more thing right now, but I'm looking forward to working my plan in a systematic approach where I'm not killing myself Because, again, if you don't have your health, it's over, game game over.

Speaker 1: 26:26

Gotta do better health wise. Stop eating that junk. It's definitely uh. It's very bad the last three months, so I need uh. So you get, you gotta have some more self-control here, okay. Or even worse you already know it's not good but you do it anyway. So that's maybe worse from being ignorant about it, because once you have full knowledge and step off the plank the wrong way, into the lion's den or the shark infested water, then that's maybe worse. So, um, that's why I'm gonna harp on wealthy, healthy, healthy, wealthy and wise, healthy, wealthy and wise. And so, anyway, hope you're getting something out of this podcast.

Speaker 1: 27:21

Um, it's my anthem to 2025, where I know life is going to be that much better and I'm also not so Pollyannish to think that there's not going to be any problems, mistakes, challenges, obstacles. Of course there are. I'm praying to good almighty that that, oh man, that is my cell phone. So so let me. Ooh, man, see, I'm in demand. See, glad somebody want me. So, at any rate, I want to thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast and I wish you all the best and wish you well. Please stay healthy and safe and prosperous. This is Michael Caine, with Living your Success 24-7. Signing out of 2024 and welcoming the new year, 2025. Thank you and adios amigos.