Because Gucci Is Its Own Reward

Today, I did something totally out of character for me: I made an impulsive purchase. I know that doesn't sound really earth shattering, but for people who know me really well, it's a big deal. In fact, there are only three things that are powerful enough to make me throw caution to the wind and buy something without thinking: shoes, CDs and purses. Today, the latter won out. I saw this Gucci handbag that I just had to add to my collection, but hey, it was on sale. I'm not talking about the French's idea of a sale, I mean a REAL sale and once I completed my purchase from the store in the U.S., I ended up paying about a third of what I would have paid for the same bag here in France. It didn't hurt that the euro is still riding high against the dollar - sorry Uncle Sam.

Okay, now I've explained what I've done but let me explain why. This month I will not only celebrate MotionTemps' fourth anniversary, but just this week, I also picked up a new Canadian client for a long-term PR project, and I'm really excited about the details. I thought it was time to give myself a nice pat on the back, and the Gucci was my reward.

Three years ago my friend and business coach, Carole Nicolaides, gave me some excellent advice that I try to incorporate into my business daily. Each year when I am listing my goals for the company, I put those goals into an excel spreadsheet. I assign points to those goals and every time I achieve one of those goals, I award myself with points. I give the points value. For example, 500 points equals a new outfit, or 1,000 points equals a day at a spa, etc. At the end of each month, I an supposed to tally up the points and reward myself, the idea being if I don't do this, who else will? It has been such a great exercise. I don't always have time to tally up my points each month, but I do perform this exercise twice a year when revisiting my business plan. I've been a busy girl this year, hence the new handbag.

Now, this doesn't mean that my long-term priorities are all off kilter. Every day, I'm still working toward saving money for retirement, college education funds, and ultimately that new house. However, every now and again, you have to be willing to put the delayed gratification on hold and enjoy the moment. I think I can enjoy this bag at least until December.