Rich Vs. Poor Habits

Hello Fans and Subscribers!

I recently read a terrific book, entitled, “Rich Habits”, by Thomas Corley.

The author (an accountant and financial advisor) made an extensive study of his wealthiest clients to determine some
of the driving forces that lead them to become wealthy.

It reminded me that success (in every area of life) depends a lot on behavioral and your own psychology, rather than
exterior forces, like mainstream media love to report.

Here are ten interesting facts, comparing the rich and the poor, presented by the author:

1. 80% of wealthy people are focused on accomplishing some single goal; only 12% of the poor do this.

2. 76% of the wealthy exercise aerobically four days a week; 23% of the poor do this.

3. 63% of the wealthy listen to audio books during the commute to work, vs. 5% of the poor people.

4. 81% of the wealthy maintain a to-do list, vs. 19% of the poor.

5. 67% of the wealthy write down their goals, vs. 17% of the poor.

6. 88% of the wealthy read 30 minutes or more each day for education or career reasons, vs. 2% of the poor.

7. 6% of wealthy watch reality TV, vs. 78% of the poor.

8. 84% of the wealthy believe good habits create opportunity and luck, vs. 4% of the poor.

9. 86% of the wealthy believe in lifelong educational self-improvement, vs. 5% of the poor.

10. 86% of the wealthy love to read, vs. 26% of the poor.

So yes, self-improvement, exercising, believing in and having good habits all create wealth and success.

This is why you can be sure I’ll keep sending my message every day.

One good idea every day in less than 1 minute.

Have an amazing day!

To your Health, Wealth and Success,
Richard Hackworth

Forgiveness is all about YOU

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attributeof the strong” – Mahatma Gandhi

Much has been said about the virtues of forgiveness, yet many todaywho need to forgive are unable or unwilling to do so. This ismainly due to the wrong understanding of what forgiveness is. Mostpeople, when given a clearer understanding of what forgiveness is,become more willing to do so.

Here are some good reasons why you should forgive:

1. Forgiveness is about YOU Many people are of the opinion that forgiving a perpetrator allowsthe perpetrator to escape punishment. They think that forgivenessis about giving the perpetrator a second chance at the expense ofthe injured party. The truth is forgiveness is all about the injured and is for thebenefits of the injured. The focus of forgiveness is for theinjured to finally be able to let go of the pain that has continuedto hurt him or her even long after the initial assault. It is tohelp the injured find peace within so that he or she can move on inlife without having to continuously carry the pain of the injury. Forgiveness does not mean condoning the act or absolving theperpetrator of his or her responsibility for the action. It doesnot mean that the injured will tolerate being inflicted with thesame injury again and again. It does not mean reconciliationalthough reconciliation may happen if the injured wishes. Forgiveness means standing up for your rights and your self worth.It means drawing a boundary about what you will accept as OK andwhat is not OK. It means having the courage to assert your rightsand responsibilities.

2. Forgiveness is the best revenge People who have been badly hurt by an intimate person such as aspouse, partner, parent, sibling or close friend sometimeserroneously believe that by staying in the hurt, they are somehowindirectly punishing the perpetrator. They see it as their way ofgetting back at the perpetrator. This logic does not hold water because very often the perpetratordoes not really care about you in the first place or else he or shewould not have cause the injury. In addition, continue to wallow inthe pain only prolonged the injury long after it has happened. Ifit was the intention of the perpetrator to hurt you, clinging on tothe pain only multiplies his or her success at hurting you. In fact, the best revenge of the injured is to live a good andhappy life after the injury. This is the surest way to foil theperpetrator’s “success”.

3. Forgiveness improves your health Studies have shown that an unforgiving heart suffers increased riskof stress, anxiety, depression, anger, hatred, jealousy, ill will,sadness and insomnia. In addition, an unforgiving heart also riskshigh blood pressure, heart attack, skin eruptions, arthritis,backache, stomach ulcer, migraine, frequent cold and perhaps evenrisk of malignancy. Genuine forgiveness, on the other hand, can have the oppositeeffects. There is reduced stress, anxiety, depression, anger,hatred, jealousy, ill will, sadness and insomnia as well as areduction in physical ailments. On top of that, studies have alsoshown that those who are forgiving tend to grow old with more peaceand satisfaction, and less afraid to face death. So, a forgiving person benefits from improved health in all areas,i.e. physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.

4. Forgiveness makes you a better and stronger person Another myth about forgiveness is that only the weak forgives. Thetruth is that only the strong can forgive. That is becauseforgiveness requires the courage to truly face the emotional painand injuries, to embrace them and then to eventually let them go.This task is so difficult and painful that many are not able toface it but it is a necessary initial step towards forgiveness. So, only the strong can forgive. The good news is that once theinjured is able to go through the process of forgiveness, he or shewill grow to become stronger. There will be a change in his or herfundamental belief systems as well as a renewed purpose and meaningto life. Life will be re-invigorated once again when the old hurtcan be left behind without becoming a burden. So, if you have been hurt before and find it hard to forgive,seriously consider all these good reasons why you should forgiveand start to learn how to forgive. It’s going to do you a world of good. I promise.

Author:Dr. Tim Ong is a medical doctor with keen interests in self improvement, mind science and spirituality. He is the author of “The Book of Personal Transformation” and “From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey”. Visit his websites at http://theselfimprovementsite.com  and http://mindscience101.com

http://richardhackworth.com   http://actionradio.net

Richard Hackworth’s Personal Secrets of Success

Richard Hackworth’s Personal Secrets of Success

Over the years as an author, lecturer, tv and radio show host I have learned that no matter what you do in life there are eight things that you can do to make sure you reach your full potential. These are things that will carry you to heights of achievement in every area of your life personal and professional.

1. Rid yourself of all guilt about being successful, about winning, about outshining others. There is no reason why you shouldn’t have success, health and wealth in abundance. It is unnatural to reject the good things in life – and as far as I’m concerned, a crime to not go for it all. It is far easier to achieve success by dumping negative go-nowhere beliefs – not to mention people who will try to make you feel bad for being “better off” than they are.
 
2. Forgive yourself for past mistakes, for not doing things correctly, for just plain doing dumb things. Start each day with a clean slate.
 
3. Forgive others. At the same time, don’t lay down the red carpet for those who have wronged you. Yes, they will stomp on you again. Let the past go and get on with your life but be wise enough to not invite trouble.
 
4. Express gratitude for wherever you are in life and for whatever you have. No matter where you are – things will get worse when gratitude is lacking. No matter where you are – things will improve if you show gratitude. Gratitude is the key that keeps you connected to all things good.
 
5. Go into the theatre of your mind and replay the best moments of your life. Bring them back and relive them. Why relive the bad things? That will do you no good at all. Reliving the best brings out more of the best.

6. Put up charts and graphs to help you focus on your goals and to help you stay on track in relation to them.

7. Obliterate fear from your life by doing that which you are afraid to do.

8. Don’t Moan and Groan. 80% of the people don’t care about your troubles and the other 20% are glad. Asking for help, however, is not Moaning & Groaning. There is a big difference in complaining about something and looking for ways to overcome it.

Best Regards,

Richard Hackworth

P.S. Hey, thanks to all of you who continue to send so many positive words about the newsletter. Although I’m unable to respond to each of you personally, I want you to know that I greatly appreciate all you do. Keep passing on the word to all you know. Tell them that the place to go for the very best life changing health, wealth, and success programs is www.richardhackworth.com 

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7 Tips For Having A Great Workout

7 TIPS FOR HAVING A GREAT WORKOUT

We’ve all had lackluster workouts, but if you take care of these seven tips that will absolutely minimize the times that you don’t hit the gym raring to go and make huge progress.

1. Don’t be a slave. Schedules written down on paper look wonderful.  They appeal to the idea of symmetry and neatness that all of us have, but your body doesn’t care what day of the week it is or what the paper says. If you need to adjust things because you’re not recovered, don’t be afraid to do so.

2. Pick and time your food. Everybody has different reactions to food and a different timetable that their body operates on for digestion and use of energy. So pick the food that you like that makes you feel the best or strongest and eat it at the time that makes the most sense or usefulness for your workout. Again don’t be a slave. Just because Mr. Northeast Uzbekistan likes to eat oatmeal one hour and thirteen minutes before his workout doesn’t mean that it’s right for you. But be smart as well. Heavy garlic, tomato sauce, meatballs and sauerkraut four minutes and fourteen seconds before your workout probably ain’t the best idea.

3. Exercise often works on perpetual momentum meaning the better the shape you get in, the better your workouts get. The better you recover, the more consistent they are. That being said, build some momentum building time into your workouts. If you’ve been doing nothing but heavy power training and suddenly decide you can’t live without running a marathon, even though you haven’t run farther than from the couch to the refrigerator in the last year it’s probably not a great idea to go out and try to run 26 miles first thing tomorrow. Build up and give your body some time to get a running start at adaptation.

4. Stay hydrated. Most people don’t drink nearly enough caffeine free liquid, let alone water. The quickest way to fall out during your workout or to have a crappy one to start with is to not have liquid in your system. Your car won’t run long without oil and you’d never drive it without it. Why would you do the same thing to your body.

5. Get warmed up. Sometimes even when you don’t feel like a good workout if you spend some time getting the blood pumping, getting a sweat going and raising your core temperature, and getting your muscles and joints limbered up, you’ll suddenly feel like working out and your strength will suddenly be better. Not only is it protective of injury, it’s a mental boost and performance enhancer.

6. Mental pre/Qi Gong. Visualizing what you’re going to do and then immediately following through with it without ever allowing yourself to doubt your visualization is the key to effective mental preparation.  The deep breathing and energy recruiting movement exercises of Qi Gong can help you get to a deep level of focus within the mind and a place of unified, muscular, mental, spiritual and subtle energy in physical effort focus. These are high level techniques but they are simple to apply and can be a huge boost to your workout.

7. Have fun! Doing something that you really like within the context of something that brings you long-term gains and is safe is the key to being enthusiastic and productive in your workouts. Cover the bases of strength in all areas of the body and in levels of max, intermediate and endurance expression. Set your program up so that it fits within your life and with the equipment you have access to. Beyond that do what you like to do. The more you like it, the better you’ll be at it.  The more fantastic your workouts will be.

You want some of the greatest workouts every put down on paper? Do you want some of the most powerful, productive workouts you can imagine?  Do you want to be able to train with whatever is at hand and still get strength and endurance? Do you want to get real results?

Do you want to get real strength and real endurance together? Do you want to take your martial practice and competition and your total being to a whole new level? Then don’t’ forget our new dvd, “The Love Your Body Workout.”  It’s all there waiting for you.

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http://richardhackworth.com

You Are Who You Know

You Are who You Know!
The value of networking is espoused in every business I know and yet few people make more than a passing effort to meet more people and almost no one puts networking in their marketing plan. That’s a shame because networking is perhaps the quickest and surest way to build your business and it doesn’t cost very much. It’s a simple fact of life that the more people you know the more business you will get.

The Law of 200, states that the average person knows 200 people well enough to invite them to a wedding or a funeral. People at the pinnacle of success in any business know four or five times that many people. When I was active in the martial arts business I knew in excess of 2,000 clients and potential clients by name, sight, state, style of art and enough other personal information to hold a meaningful conversation with them.

Doing seminars really fast forwarded this program because each time I did one I got to spend all day with 50 or so people. That’s why seminars are such an incredible way to market professional services like martial arts not just because people get to hear what you have to say but partly just because of the shear volume of people that you can meet.
That’s also why golf has played such an important part in my life. Not only do I enjoy the competition but it’s an incredible way to meet new people. Where else do you get to spend four uninterrupted hours with prospects or clients?

Ten Ways to Meet More People
1. Join a club any club.
2. Get involved in the Chamber of Commerce
3. Say Yes to party invitations
4. Attend trade shows and conventions in your industry.
5. Put on your own seminar.
6. Get involved in a charity. The movers and shakers in any community almost always do!
7.  Hold a dinner party once a month.
8. Start your own networking club or ask to join one that’s already going.
9. Get active at school, church, work or any other place where committees are formed and people interact in small group.
10. Actively send referrals to other people in the area with whom you are familiar. Call them up or drop them a line when you do. That’s a great way to start or expand a relationship, by sending them business.

Most people get very stuck in their ways and stop expanding their circle of friends almost by accident. Perhaps now would be a great time to take the other approach from both a business and personal stand point! Start actively looking for ways to expand your circle by meeting more people and making new friends, more business will surely follow!

www.richardhackworth.com   www.actionradio.net

Richard Hackworth finds the Breakfast of Champions

The Real Breakfast of Champions

I recently chased down bodybuilding champion Flex Lewis and during the interview I got him to share one of his biggest secrets. What to have for breakfast to jumpstart your day full of energy. Here is his secret breakfast mix for you to try.

2 1/2 scoops of whey protein
1/2 cup dry rolled oats
1 small box raisins
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter
1 splash of sugar free caramel
1 dash cinnamon
18 ounces purified water
4 ice cubes

Put all of this into a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds. Pour it into a large cup and enjoy!

www.richardhackworth.com  www.actionradio.net  www.worldmartialartsmagazine.com

Get 42,000 twitter followers with this system

Hey,

Check this out…

Derrick VanDyke just released this amazing software
that will automatically add 1,000s of new followers
to your Twitter account… And it’s 100% FREE!

http://twitterlistbuilder.com/successmaster

He’s also giving away a free report that shows you
how to generate clicks, leads, and sales from your
Twitter account.

This is very cool…

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Regards,
Richard Hackworth

www.richardhackworth.com

www.actionradio.net

What Richard Hackworth Thinks

Developing Your Mind, Body & Spirit With The 6 Dimensions of Thinking
by Richard Hackworth

Thought leads to belief, and belief leads to attitudes. Attitudes influence while beliefs inform actions, and ultimately actions become habits which shape character that then forges destiny.

This is the growth path that is taken by that powerful entity known as Thought. But what is a Thought, anyway? Are thoughts things? Whatconstitutes a Thought? What cannot be considered a Thought? For a thing that occurs about 50,000 times a day in an average person’s brain, I have come to believe that there are actually 6 dimensions of thinking and at least 1 way of steering your thoughts so that a desirable destiny can be dictated by you.

This is probably a relief to those of you out there who are nearly going mad over the 26 (or was it 23?) dimensions of quantum physics. Perish that thought! Let us get on with the 6 dimensions of thought, shall we?

The 6 dimensions of thought are divided into 3 pairs of dimensions, and they are:

1. The 2 Polarities of Thoughts:- Positive- Negative
2. The 2 Qualities of Thoughts:- True- False
3. The 2 Kinds of Thoughts:- Questions- Affirmations

I have named them the 6 dimensions and not 6 qualities or 6 types because these are actually elements that construct a thought and some elements can intersect with others from another pair.  For example, there can be a False Negative Question such as, “Why am I such a miserable failure in everything I do?” and there can be a False Positive Affirmation such as, “I am the wealthiest, most opulent person of all time” (if that person is a shabby, unemployed but fully able).

Polarities of thought reveal whether or not a thought would bepositive or negative to a person’s well-being, or more specifically, if it would be useful, functional and purposeful to a person in any given situation.  For example, a surgeon who is performing a brain surgery would categorise (if he still has the capacity to do the mental act of categorisation while performing brain surgery) as Negative or Non-Useful a thought such as, “I have shaky hands.  My hands are shaking. My palms are sweating.” But he would probably welcome (if he is giving any attention to any thought outside his brain surgery procedure at all) thoughts such as, “I have firm steady hands. I know where to perform the incision. I know what tools to use. I know what exact steps to do, and the back-up steps in case my previous steps fail.”

It is important to note here that the 6 dimensions of thought are qualitative gauges for thoughts after they have been generated. It is possible to know whether or not a present thought is positive or negative, true or false, a question or an affirmation, but it wouldusually take a measure of time and a measure of practice with theact of observing in order to determine the 6 dimensions of thoughts. Qualities of thoughts refer to how the thought relates to objective, empirical reality. Despite recent philosophical movements to the contrary, I still believe we cannot reject thefact that objective, empirical reality still exists and is still an important factor to be taken into consideration when making decisions and living Life in general.

There are many ways we can determine whether or not a thought that we generate is true. Even then, there are varying degrees of the truth or falsehood of a thought, despite the Boolean nature of the matter. There are facts, there are opinions, and then there areperceptions. Facts are simply observations about phenomena orthings that have been made permanent in the mind because of the frequency and consistency of an observation concerning a phenomenaor thing (for example, ever since the Earth was still void of Life and until now, the fact remains that triangles have three sides and one plus one equals two).

Opinions too have varying degrees to them – there are deep-rooted beliefs and then there are flexible opinions that would change once an observation has been proven wrong. Opinions are simply a formulation that arises in the mind after observing a thing orphenomena for a number of times, yet there are variable factors and elements yet to be considered that do not qualify that observation to be a fact. Then there are perceptions. Perceptions are impressions or observations about certain things and how they behave. For example, if you were to live in a time where the concept of gravity has not been explained or introduced yet, you would wonder how or why things stay rooted to the ground or why things fall, but you would not know that it was because of the force called gravity.  You would assume that it is just the way things are. Kinds of thoughts just describe what shape a thought takes – in the form of a Question or an Affirmation. To give you an analogy, questions are like the keywords you enter into a search engine such as Google, while affirmations are the results that Google generates because of the keywords you hadentered. When you are asking a question, depending on your intention, you are actively seeking out an answer, a truth, a reality that you would either adopt or reject, that you would either hope for or dread.

There is that element of surprise still, the element of possibility of things being better or worse (again depending upon your outlook – whether optimistic or pessimistic). But if you are stating an affirmation, you make it seem as if what you had just said is already true or you strongly believe is true. Therefore, you will always get experiences that confirm or somehow’prove’ to you that what you had just affirmed is true. Objectively speaking, affirmations can be true or false. But to your inner mind, everything is accepted as truth, in one way or another. For example, an affirmation such as, “things fall to the ground because of gravity” is a truthful one and a useful one because it keeps you from thinking you can fly off tall buildings; whereas a false affirmation such as, “there is no such thing as gravity” is an extremely dangerous and harmful one especially if a person intends to act upon such beliefs.

Ideally, there should be a healthy mix and balance of thoughts comprising the varying elements of the 6 dimensions. In this case, I hold to the school of thought that Truth should, above all, outweigh Positivity. I prefer Reality to Delusion. But then I also prefer Possibility to Grim Pessimism. Strive always to seek out the truth behind what you think you know. Find the truth behind the truth. Once you have found it, find the truth behind the truth behind the truth, until you are satisfied with a conclusion that is functional and useful for your working model of the world. Let Truth and Positive Possibility both guide your beliefs,decisions and actions. Let not Positive Expectancy cloud your perception of what is true and real.

One habit that employs both Truth and Positive Possibility in abalanced and healthy mix, that is constructive and offers hope forimprovement, is that of asking Positive, Objective, Constructive and True Questions. When you have formulated a Question that is all at once positive,constructive, objective, truthful and does not deny reality in anyway, you have a potent tool for transformation that no amount of affirmations-chanting can hope to do.

The habit of asking the right, most useful and truthful questionsis what helped prisoners of war and sufferers of concentration camps survive their ordeals and live to tell their stories and been inspiration to millions, not just positive expectancy or consistent optimism. Asking the most perfect questions is not a thing that can be learned or acquired.

It is already in-born, just that we were de-trained and de-programmed to be deficient and ineffective in wielding it (because we were often chastised for asking too many questions of our teachers).  It is not a matter of suddenly deciding that we should start asking positive, effective questions from now on. It should come naturally, from a sincere desire to know the truth and reality of things as well as the most positive, most constructive and most possible way of changing things to our liking and shape the Life that we want.

About The Author: Richard Hackworth is a Master Instructor of Taekwondo, best selling author and host of the “World Martial Arts Radio Show” at www.actionradio.net. He lives and works in Seoul, South Korea where he is a featured performer on the “Never Die” TV Show. His personal website offers free articles and resources help you achieve optimal health, wealth, and success. Richard’s Free E-course “Ten Steps To Maximize Your Life” is jam packed with tips and techniques for the achieving all your goals in life. Subscribe for FREE at http://www.richardhackworth.com

How to chose a money making domain name

How To Choose A Money Making Domain Name

6 Qualities of a Good Domain Name
Choosing a good domain name is crucial to the success or failure of your business. You may wonder how something so small and slight could have an impact on your business, but the best way to compare this is to think about how important location is to an offline business? If you do not have a good location, you are likely not going to get many visitors. The same holds true for a good domain name as well.

Here, you will discover the six qualities that a good domain name must have to ensure maximum success.

1.) Memorable

A good domain name must be memorable. Yes, we have the option of bookmarking a site that we enjoy; however, the hard truth is that many people do not take advantage of bookmarking. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that your domain name is one that is easy to remember and makes an impact. It should be easy, memorable, and straight forward.

 
Avoid complexity and it is usually a good idea to avoid initials in most cases. The only exception to this rule would be if the letters represented the website name or business and was still easy to remember.

2.) Short and Sweet

Twenty characters is the maximum that you should use for a good domain name, ten is even better. A long and complicated domain name is not going to help you. Your best bet is to keep it short and sweet. A great domain name is less than ten characters; a good domain name is less than twenty characters. A bad domain name goes over twenty characters.

3.) Be Choosy On Your Extension

There are several domain extensions available to you such as .com, .net, .org, .tv, .info, .gov and so on. However, some of these work better than others and are more memorable at the same time. It is important to understand that some extensions also have restrictions such as .gov is reserved specifically for government websites. The .com domain name extension is the best by far, because it is the most widely used.

The .net extension is the second best, but be prepared most people will type .com before they will .net if they cannot remember which extension you use. The type of extension you use might also have a bearing on the type of website. Some people have come to expect certain things when a particular extension. For example, .org is typically used by not-for-profit organization and educational websites. The .info extensions are generally used for informational websites.

4.) Spelling Means Everything

Having a difficult to spell domain name could cause you some trouble. Again, many do not even make use of bookmarks; therefore, if your domain name is hard to spell, they may end up at a competitor’s website.

 
A good domain name contains only words that are easy to pronounce, have a good combination of words or letters that are used in every day language, and does not contain foreign words that may be difficult to non-native speakers.

5.) Tells a Story

A good domain name should be descriptive and tell a story. In other words, when your visitors, customers, or potential customers see your domain name they should instantly be able to tell what they are going to find. For instance, if it is your business, a business name is good.

6.) Avoid Fancy Symbols

It is never a good idea to use numbers or hyphens within your domain name. Even if your domain name is memorable, many people will not pay attention to the symbols, which could lead them to someone else’s website.

www.actionradio.net   www.richardhackworth.com

How to buy a home next year even with bad credit

How to Buy a Home Next Year Even With BAD Credit!
What you need to do, and when.

By Kevin Houston

This timeline starts one year before you hope to start seriously shopping for a home. This is an ideal; you can arrange your finances and buy a home in less time, if necessary, but you'd be smart to walk through all of the steps in order. The more time you give yourself for this process, the better.

One year out: (or as soon as possible)

Get your credit reports. Errors on your reports can force you to pay a higher interest rate on your mortgage or even torpedo your chances of getting a loan. You can get free copies of your reports from the three major credit bureaus -- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- at AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for accounts that aren't yours, collection accounts for debts you don't owe and negative marks (other than bankruptcy) that are older than seven years.

You should be able to dispute errors with the bureaus and get them removed, but if the bureaus or the creditors balk, you may need to hire an attorney. (The National Association of Consumer Advocates can refer you to lawyers with knowledge of the credit-reporting and debt-collecting laws.) Don't leave yourself in the position of having to pay a bogus collection account to get the loan you want or paying unnecessary interest because of credit-report errors.

Get -- and improve -- your FICO credit scores. Your credit scores, which are three-digit numbers used to gauge your creditworthiness, help determine the rates and terms you can get for a loan. There are hundreds of different credit-scoring formulas, but the one used by the vast majority of mortgage lenders is the FICO.

The only place you can buy your FICO scores for all three credit bureaus is MyFico.com. A package of three scores and three credit reports costs about $50. You can learn more about credit scores, how they work and how to improve them by getting a copy of my best-selling book, "Win The Credit Game!” The book that teaches you how to get your credit score for free, How to Fix, Improve, and protect your credit score. That magic 3-Digit Number That Shapes Your Financial Future. With this book you can improve your credit score in days instead of months! Available at www.WinTheCreditGame.com .(End of shameless plug).

 

Three keys to better credit:

 

First: Pay all your bills on time, pay down your credit cards and other revolving debt, and don't open (or close) any accounts while you're in the market for a mortgage.

Second: Consider a credit-monitoring service. Normally, I think these are a waste of money for folks who aren't at high risk of identity theft. But given how important your credit and credit scores will be in buying a home, you might appreciate the early warning if a collector tries to post a bogus debt.

Third: Deal with your debt. Most people needn't pay off their student loans, auto loans or other generally low-rate debt before getting a mortgage. What you want to eradicate is "toxic" debt: credit card balances and payday loans. These are signs you're living beyond your means. If you don't get your overspending problem fixed before you buy a home, your problems will likely just get worse because homeownership typically involves plenty of big costs (property taxes, insurance, maintenance, repairs, improvements, and decorating). Get your act together before you house shop.

Get Your Act Together Before You House Shop:

 

Save, save, save. Stop eating out. Drop your cable-TV subscription. Do everything you can think of to put as much money aside as possible, using your desire to be a homeowner as a motivator. If you want to learn how to eliminate and lower all of your bills I highly recommend: “The Minimum Wage to Millionaire Course: The working class guide to financial freedom by Richard Hackworth available at www.RichardHackworth.com . In today's market, it's best to have at least a 5% down payment; boost that to 10% and you'll have even more financing options. Ideally, you'll also have enough left over after you get your mortgage to cover the payments for two or three months.

Put your bills on automatic. A single 30-day late payment can knock 100 points off your score, and it can take many, many months to recover. Make sure every bill gets paid on time. If you don't have a reliable bill-paying system, consider using automatic debits, so payments come directly from your checking account, or an online bill-payment system's recurring-payment feature.

Six months out:

Sort through your mortgage options. A lot of people are losing their homes today because they didn't understand what kind of mortgage they had or they accepted bad advice. The low teaser payments that allowed them to buy a more expensive house have jumped skyward, leaving them unable to pay. It's up to you to understand the risks of the different types of mortgages and to select the right one for your family. My 2 cents: Stick with traditional, fixed-rate mortgages. If you can't commit to a 30-year version, at least use a hybrid loan with a rate that's fixed for as long as you plan to own the home. To cut your total home investment by 50% opt for a 15 year mortgage.

Start calculating how much house you can afford. Once you've settled on a type of mortgage and have a rough idea of your down payment, you can start using online calculators like this one at LendingTree.com to see how much house you can buy. Consider buying “Less Home” than the absolute maximum you can afford; if you keep your housing expenses (mortgage, taxes and insurance) to 25% of your gross income, you'll be able to live more comfortably and have money left over for things like retirement savings, vacations and the kids' college educations.

Research all the costs of owning a home. Your mortgage will be just the start. You'll have to pay property taxes and insurance on the home. There may be homeowners- or condo-association fees as well. You may face higher utility bills, and you'll take on maintenance and repair costs as well. Decorating your new house can cost a pile of money as well -- have you shopped for window coverings lately? Your home-owning friends and a friendly real estate agent or two can help fill you in so you know what to expect.

Adjust your savings strategies. What you've learned so far may inspire you to boost your savings. A bigger down payment, for example, can result in a larger home or a lower mortgage payment. Or you may simply want to build up your emergency fund so unexpected home expenses don't knock your finances off the rails.

Three months out:

Reduce your credit utilization. The FICO scoring formula is sensitive to how much of your available limits you're using on your credit cards and other revolving lines of credit. The less, the better. It doesn't matter if you pay your balances in full every month; the figure the scoring formula typically uses is the balance that shows on your most recent statement. Try to keep that balance below 30%, or even lower. If you can't -- because you charge a lot for work-related travel, for example -- make a payment before the statement's closing date to reduce the balance reported to the bureaus. Just be sure to make a second payment after the closing date, so you don't get reported as late.

Don't open or close any accounts. Until the mortgage process is completed and you've moved into your new home, continue to avoid actions that could potentially harm your credit, such as opening credit accounts or closing old ones.

Two months out:

Get an idea of the mortgage rate you can expect. Order a fresh set of FICO credit scores -- don't worry, checking your scores doesn't ding them -- and talk to some mortgage lenders about what rates you might qualify for. (You'll find current national averages here.) Don't apply yet or give permission for your credit to be pulled; you just want to get a feel for what you can expect.

Understand the effect of mortgage-shopping on your score. You want to get the best rate and terms possible, which means you'll need to shop around, but how does that affect your credit score? Here's the lowdown: Every time you give a lender permission to check your credit, a "hard inquiry" appears on your credit report, and that can ding your score a bit. Fortunately, the FICO scoring formula lumps all mortgage-related inquiries made within a specified period and counts them as one. (The period used to be 14 days, but the most recent versions stretch that to 45 days.) Furthermore, the scoring formula ignores any inquiries made in the previous 30 days. So you want to do your serious mortgage shopping in a fairly concentrated period of time, typically after your offer on the home you want is accepted.

Get approved for a mortgage ahead of time. Pre-approval, in which a lender gives a commitment to make you a loan, is different and more valuable to sellers than pre-qualification, which merely gives you an idea of the size of the mortgage you might afford without making any commitments. You don't have to get a loan from the lender that offers you a pre-approval letter. Getting a pre-approval does involve giving permission for a hard credit inquiry, but the small potential ding on your credit is worth it because you'll be in a stronger position with sellers.

Consider a mortgage broker. Once your offer is approved, you can shop for a mortgage on your own, but if you want a lot of hand-holding through this process or your credit is particularly troubled, you might benefit from the services of an experienced, ethical mortgage broker. Get referrals from family and friends; you can also get a referral from the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.

Begin researching neighborhoods and look for an agent. Check Internet listings, attend open houses and find an experienced guide to help you refine what you're seeking.

Once you've found your home and your offer is accepted

Shop for a mortgage. There are thousands available, and sorting through the possibilities can be overwhelming. That said, you may want to include some of the biggies (Washington Mutual, Countrywide and Wells Fargo are three biggest mortgage lenders in the country) as well as online brokers such as LendingTree and E-Loan. You'll need to move fairly quickly to secure the loan, because the full approval process typically takes four to six weeks.

Arrange for an appraisal, a home inspection and a walk-through. The appraisal is required for your loan to be approved. An inspection isn't necessarily required, but don't skip this essential step, which can alert you to serious problems before the deal closes. The walk-through is usually done within 24 hours of the deal closing, so you can make sure that the home sellers have performed any agreed-upon repairs and the place is in move-in condition.

Get homeowners' insurance. Mortgage lenders require this coverage, and you'll need to prove you have it at closing.

Confirm how much money you'll need at closing. "Closing" is when you sign all the paperwork and pay agreed-upon amounts, which can include your down payment and your share of legal fees, paperwork costs, property taxes and title insurance. If you want to get the absolute best deal possible on your mortgage I recommend purchasing: “Win The Mortgage Game” also available at www.WinTheCreditGame.com

Enjoy your new home!

About the author: Kevin Huston answers reader questions on the Health, Wealth, and Success message board and is the author of 4 best selling books on health, wealth, and success.

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