As some people move up in the corporate world, they find themselves working harder and harder to satisfy an insatiable desire for more and more ... more money so they can drive a faster car, live in a bigger house and dine in a swankier restaurant. The result is an affluent lifestyle, but it's not exactly a life.

Are you stressed out because working to maintain your lifestyle leaves you with no time for your family and friends? Do the financial demands of your possessions leave you without enough money for some basic needs?  Financial freedom is at hand if you spend a little time and effort to manage your finances instead of letting them manage you.

In your finances as in most other things in life, you will find that a bit of wisdom, calculated risk and moral fortitude can lead to positive outcomes. Take a Balance in Life approach to achieve a measure of personal financial control and position yourself for economic and career independence.

Achieve financial literacy
Many intelligent people with college and post-graduate degrees have not learned the most basic rules for making personal financial decisions, such as being objective about what they truly need versus what they merely want.

For example, if you think of your home and car as assets, you are only half right. They are also financial liabilities. The cost of a mortgage or car loan is the most obvious expense, but even if you paid those off tomorrow, you would still have to pay for upkeep, maintenance, insurance and so on. The more extravagant your house and the more luxurious your car, the larger your expenses and the harder you must work to maintain your lifestyle.

That does not mean you should not have a comfortable house or a nice car! However, it does mean you should be fully aware of the trade-off you are making. Learn the basics of personal finances, understand where your money goes, and find a financial strategy you can live with.

Let your money make money
Many a financial guru has said that the only real assets are money-generating investments such as rental properties or real estate that can be sold for a profit. Spend some time developing a strategy to focus your assets on generating income for you, no matter how small. If your only source of income is your salary, then your job is the only way you can support your lifestyle. Is that really what you're working for?

Take control: Consider owning a small business
Some people find the corporate world too harsh, with their years of hard work and dedication repaid with layoffs, nonexistent pensions, and reductions of pay and responsibilities. You can improve your control of your financial well-being by developing your own business, even while you continue working in the corporate world.

You do need to be realistic about the viability of your offering, the potential for profit, and the time commitment. But the good news is that online technologies have become sophisticated enough that you can create services and storefronts with little effort. (Experience Cynergy's webcast, developed with the small business owner in mind.)

Try making an objective inventory of your skills, strengths and interests, and then conduct research into what kinds of business endeavors would make the best use of them. If you need to develop additional skills for some aspect of your chosen venture, seek out projects at your current job that will broaden those skills, expand your knowledge and allow you to explore new areas of interest.

Develop alliances
Your personal support team is more critical than ever to your goal for financial freedom, so be selective in developing alliances and choosing mentors. You need not only the right group of committed people but also the right team structure for sharing ideas, values, and concepts, especially if your path includes developing your own business.

• Avoid " living beyond your means" (developing an affluent lifestyle without the ability to pay for it)
• Establish multiple streams of income
• Be realistic about your strengths and selective with your alliances
• Use your skills and strengths for your own business instead of big business
• Take back control of your life!

Your success in life will be in direct proportion to your commitment to excellence, no matter what your chosen field is. - Vince Lombardi  

Working Smart + Living Your Values = Balance in Life