We’re gonna have some fun this issue. On this page we normally tackle financial information to help you as a first-time home buyer. This time, though, we've put together a series of steps you can take action on–a diagram if you will–that you can put on your refrigerator to remind and motivate you during your homeownership journey. The staff and contributors here at the First-Time HomeBuyer magazine have composed a series of workouts for your mind as well as your wallet. 

Below we’ve mapped out three major steps to your exercise plan, complete with recommended reading that has helped many of us. We’d like to share these tips with you to help you reach your financial goals, so grab a bottle of water, and let’s get started.

Stretching

Stretching is where everything begins. It’s very important step that should be done before any exercise. This step gets you ready to do some of the more strenuous exercises. Without stretching, you may run the risk of pulling a muscle, hindering you from meeting your goals. The same thing applies to your daily financial life. Avoid taking on very strict regimens or savings practices that take you too far out of your comfort zone too quickly. Similar to the so-called “crash diet,” you may save a bit in the short run, only to binge spend and spiral out of budget in the future. You don’t want that. 

Financially “warming up” includes reading up on the current financial landscape. Picking up your daily paper is a great way to start. This exercise trains your mind to be open to changes and possible trends that may affect you–good or bad–and shields you from potential pitfalls lurking on the horizon. You’ll also want to understand the big picture–why are you saving, what are the pros and cons of buying a home, etc. Defining these points and writing them down keeps your goals clearly in front of you and may help you to hit them even faster. Books include: Good to Great (Jim Collins–Random House Business Books, $27.50), Who Moved My Cheese? (Spencer Johnson, Kenneth H. Blanchard–Putnam Publishing, $19.95), The Power of Intention (Wayne Dyer–Hay House, $24.95), and Make Money, Not Excuses: Wake Up, Take Charge, and Overcome Your Financial Fears Forever (Jean Chatzky–Crown Business,$24.95).

Endurance training

Put on your cross trainers; these exercises make you to dig deep and go farther than you may have thought you were capable of. Recommended books that fall in the financial training for endurance category are meant to challenge you. Your path is long, but the rewards are great. You may, for instance, long to own a home, but have fears. Perhaps you have poor credit, lack a down payment, or face similar obstacles that block your path. You’ll get great ideas on how to overcome these challenges.

Goal setting is key. Also, read books and articles that teach the art of getting from point A to point C while helping you to discover the B’s along the way. There will “B” many.

These selections help you along the journey ahead in a big way. Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill–Aventine Press, $19.95), Your Best Life Now (Joel Osteen–Warner Faith, $19.95), and Smart Money Moves for African Americans (Kelvin Boston–Putnam Adult, $14.00).

Strength training

From an Olympic athlete training for the gold to people doing sit ups to look good at the beach, a consistent routine of simple strength-building actions can work wonders on your physical appearance, just as performing strength training on your financial goals can enhance your fiscal sitation. Getting started now will help you flex those bulging biceps in the form of getting that home, taking a much-needed vacation, or starting your own business. 

Strength training is all about reps, reps, and more reps. We’ve all heard this adage before, and reps mean repetition, the act of doing something simple over and over again to get better or stronger at it. Maybe it’s an affirmation like “I will go to Starbucks for coffee only three days a week instead of five. I will save twenty dollars a week by doing this”. It can even be setting up an automatic deposit to a 401(k) to save for retirement. It’s all good.

I want to get this out of the way first: many people find this type of training tedious and boring. I mean there’s a reason why television sets and loud music blast at your local health club or gym, but the noise and rhythm help take your mind off the tedium, because the important part is to get motivated and keep pushing ourselves to do “just one more rep.” Here’s a tip: stay motivated by doing things as a family, or make it challenge between you and a friend. No matter what, keep at it. Repetitive exercises such as “paying yourself first” as in Richard Kiosakis’s Rich Dad Poor Dad (Time Warner Paperbacks, $16.95) may not result in much progress after one week or two, but you will see major gains in your bank statements by the end of the season. Use your newfound riches to help cover closing costs, buy new furniture, or make upgrades to your bathroom or kitchen. Books like The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner (David Bach–Broadway Books, $19.95) help make this process even easier. Other books include: The Total Money Makeover (Dave Ramsey–Nelson Books, $24.99), and Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey–Free Press, $15.95).

So what are you waiting for? Find the suggested reading material that corresponds to the area of financial fitness you want to focus on and get started now. You can find them in the mall or find them online. You might know a coworker or mentor you can borrow books from. A trip to your local library might get you on your way, too. 

These are just a few ideas to help get you started exercising your money muscles. We’re all pulling for you to reach your dreams, both personal and those of your family and loved ones. “See you when you get home!”