Putting Dreams and Goals Back on Track

There’s nothing that can cripple best-laid plans and crush aspirations like poor financial advice.

For Tamworth’s Belinda Butler, a highly-researched book writing project, the thrill of playing music, and the wonder of overseas travel were all beloved endeavours sacrificed after following some bad financial advice.

In a precarious financial position, and under an enormous amount of stress, Belinda was forced to forego many great pleasures to focus on her nine to five job as a public servant, and making ends meet.

Plus any pleasure gained from her myriad of hobbies was overshadowed by financial stress and hardship. The book she had previously started was abandoned and her love of travel parked.

As a former teacher, come, research assistant, author, musician, music teacher and public servant, Belinda wore a number of hats, but eight years ago, at 51, she knew that to dedicate time to the things she loved she needed to get her act together.

“I knew if I had any chance of working independently I needed to get all my ducks in a row, I didn’t want to work nine to five as a clerk forever, but after years of very bad advice I had no other options,” Belinda said.

 

 

Proactively taking matters into her own hands, she laughs that, having been part of many musical bands over the years, it was the musician in her that decided to gather a team around her to tackle the problem.

Her accountant recommended Invest Blue Tamworth Adviser, Adam Penman become part of this team, yet having been burnt before, Belinda admits she was wary.

“I was extremely cautious, however, I was instantly at ease upon meeting Adam,” she said.

“I doubted very much that I could ever get my finances back on track, but Adam came up with a plan one week after our initial meeting, which we’ve stuck to, and the results have been nothing short of extraordinary,” she said.

Adam has simplified and structured Belinda’s savings and superannuation so that she no longer has financial worries, and now that she’s not overwhelmed by financial stress, she can focus on the things she loves, and afford the time to dedicate to them.

 

 

Now 59, Belinda has chosen to maintain her public servant day job, as she enjoys the routine and the work, but enjoys a far more flexible approach.

In recent years Belinda was able to take a couple of months off work to finally edit her book, which she had previously researched for almost three years.

Entitled ‘Eating Upside Down’, the book explores the benefits of a vegan diet and provides a counterpoint to the traditional official food pyramid guidelines.

Having been a lifelong vegetarian, the book was inspired by Belinda’s own weight-loss journey, the diagnosed diabetic having lost 94kg from 164kg, following a new vegan eating schedule.

Diabetes free and feeling better than ever, Belinda began her book writing process before financial hardship hit, but was unable to continue due to the stress of financial pressures.

Having helped research and publish a number of textbooks in the past, Belinda was hopeful to self-publish, and her initial meeting with Invest Blue provided her with the assurance she needed to go ahead.

 

 

Her book has recently been published and she is now in the throes of establishing a Youtube channel and blog, and couldn’t be more thrilled.

“I didn’t know whether this book would ever get off the ground, but Adam was so encouraging. It feels great to have it out there, finally, it’s a comprehensive book, not complicated, and quite humorous – hopefully people gain great inspiration from it.”

Belinda is now extremely comfortable with her position and will keep ‘chipping away’ at her writing until she decides to retire and dedicate more time to this great passion.

She has more books in the pipeline and having completed a post-graduate degree in Germany during her youth, plus having lived in five different countries over the years, this ‘curious and inquisitive’ mind can’t wait to take up travelling again.

In the meantime, her hobbies such as learning languages and music once again are the source of great enjoyment.

For so many years financial stress had Belinda shackled, now thanks to Invest Blue she is once again able to find the joy in her pursuits, and there’s no doubt this hard-working talent is making up for the lost time.

 

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