Tag: build

Relationships

Building Emotional Intimacy: A Couples Guide

Corie Muldoon

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we’ll be touching on relationships this month!

Emotional intimacy is the sharing of thoughts and feelings with another person in a way that is… safe, trusting, and vulnerable. It is a key aspect of interpersonal relationships.

What does emotional intimacy involve?

  • Feeling close to another person
  • Sharing personal feelings
  • Receiving personal validation
  • Being open and honest with each other
  • Sharing your deepest thoughts and feelings

Strong emotional intimacy comes from showing up emotionally for someone consistently over a long period of time.

When we show up for someone emotionally, we’re making a deposit into their emotional piggy bank. Make enough deposits = something of true value.

Here are some ways to build emotional intimacy, starting with smaller steps:

Daily Connection:

  • 10-minute check-ins about your days
  • Share one good thing and one challenge each day
  • Physical touch without sexual pressure (hand holding, hugs, light touches)
  • Express appreciation for specific things you notice

Activities Together:

  • Cook a meal together
  • Take walks and talk
  • Try a new hobby or class together
  • Create shared goals or projects

Deeper Connection:

  • Share fears and hopes
  • Ask about each other’s feelings beyond surface level
  • Show vulnerability about your own emotions
  • Listen without trying to fix
  • Share memories of why you fell for each other

Small Daily Gestures:

  • Send thoughtful texts
  • Leave little notes
  • Do small favors
  • Express genuine compliments
  • Ask about their feelings/thoughts

Remember to:

  • Start small and build gradually
  • Be patient with the process
  • Focus on quality time without distractions
  • Share your appreciation when they make efforts

A little bit everyday adds up.

Share this blog if you’ve found value!

Finance

4 Steps to Build Wealth: Working Income, Savings, Investments, Simple Living

Corie Muldoon

There are four steps to building wealth: working income, savings, investments, and simple living. Together, they support goals like:

  • Financial independence (more money coming in than going out) and
  • Retirement (no longer having to work for money).


Working income

This is how you become financially free. It all starts with your working income. The more you earn, the more you can save and invest.

How can you earn more? Increase your value by investing in yourself.

Hone in on the industry and exact job you want and work to be a master at the skills required to get the job done.

As you get better at your job, you’ll learn how to provide better solutions and the opportunity to earn more income increases.

Some ideas on how you can get started and work to master your skills:

  • Get some intel from others in the industry (ask good questions)
  • Take online courses (free Harvard online courses, Alison, ExpertRating)
  • Read books, and / or getting some real world experience
  • Go back to school and continue your formal education

Eventually you’ll be in a position to earn more, save more, invest more. 


Savings

You can start saving by putting 10% minimum of working income into a Cash Reserve (aka emergency fund).

Rules for Cash Reserve:

  • Equal to 6 months of expenses
  • Don’t touch it unless you have to

Once you save up a Cash Reserve, start putting that 10% minimum from working income into a Financial Freedom Account that will be used for future investments.


Investments

As your Financial Freedom Account grows, the next step is to invest it.

The better you are at investing, the faster your money will grow.

As your money grows, so does your Net Worth, which is a tool to measure how wealthy you are.

The goal is to invest a little bit every month.

Look into Roth IRAs and Index Funds if you haven’t already; the sooner you start investing the better.

The more you learn, the more you earn.


Simple living

Simple living is how to get to financial freedom sooner.

The goal is to consciously create a lifestyle where you need less money to live on (housing and car payments being the two biggest).

This increases your savings and the amount of funds you can invest.

Think roommates, used cars, biking / walking more, buying a duplex – living in one unit and renting the other, thrifting clothes and furniture, saving items in the cart for later instead of buying them now.

Keep your monthly expenses as low as possible.

General, Mindfulness

Lifestyle by Design

Corie Muldoon

Living a lifestyle by design: consciously planning your life around specific goals you set out for. These goals give you the opportunity to control your time, energy, relationships, and experiences.

One thing I’ve picked up over the years is the truth that us humans have the ability to create our own lives- whatever we desire we can make happen…

We decide on how to think.

We decide on how to respond.

We imagine, plan, and execute on goals.

To sum it up: we control our circle of influence.

Below are some tips & action items (in question form) on how to control your circle of influence to create a lifestyle by design:

Create, review, and update your plan frequently.

Choose a few life categories and write them down in separate columns…

  • What’s your immediate next goal for each life category?
  • Write in why you want to achieve that goal and what success look like in each.
  • Lastly, write out the next couple of steps to make these goals a reality.

Review these goals weekly, updating your plan of attack as you go. You’ll also benefit from reviewing your goals anytime you have a big decision to make.

Learn how to use your time wisely.

After you define which activities are going to get you to your goal, of those…

  • What do you enjoy doing?
  • What must you and only you do?
  • What do you loathe doing?
  • What can you delegate out?
  • What can you automate?
  • How can you make things more efficient?
  • What can you eliminate completely and all together?

Ask more questions before making big decisions.

Before making a big decision that may shift your focus completely off of your current goals:

  • Is this going to get you to your goals?
  • Does this make sense?
  • Do you agree? Why?
  • If not, why don’t you agree?
  • What’s the outcome for each option?
  • Pros and cons?

Think it through before committing your time and energy.

You have the choice whether you commit to something or not- it’s your time and energy someone is asking for.

  • Can you take on more right now?
  • Are you the person to do this or can someone else do it?
  • Does this make you happy?

Say no to people and places that don’t align with your goals.

It’s perfectly okay to say no to an invitation, in fact we all could benefit from saying it more often!

  • Will going out set you back in any areas?
  • Should you go knowing you’ll feel emotionally exhausted for days after?
  • Will this fulfill you and bring you joy?

Place personal development at the top of your priority list.

  • How much do you currently devote to getting better?
  • Are you reading something that will positively impact one of your goals in life?
  • Are you taking action on what you’re learning?
  • Are you eating what’s good for you, exercising regularly, and meditating daily?
  • Are you voluntarily placing positive thoughts into your mind?
  • Are you peeling back the onion to change your old patterns and behaviors to create new ones?

Meet and maintain relationships with people who are on your level, and those who are 10x of where you are.

  • Who should you connect to more often?
  • Who are the people that will help you achieve your goals?
  • Who do you vibe with the most?
  • Who brings you the most happiness?
  • What type of people are you looking to attract into your life?
  • How are you going to build last relationships?

Become financially literate on how to make money and make it grow.

  • Are you handling your money properly?
  • Is there a better way to track what your spending and earning?
  • How are you going to learn more about finances and the options you have to grow wealth?
  • What do the wealthy do with their money that you’re not currently doing?

Experience new things as often as possible.

  • Are you taking time to reset?
  • Are you switching your routines up to keep your mind growing?
  • Do you challenge yourself to do the inner work in uncomfortable or unideal situations?
  • Do you set aside time to explore new places, see new things, meet new people?
  • What have you always wanted to do but haven’t done yet?


After going through these questions, I hope that you have gained some personal insight and feel confident to take control over your circle of influence!

What has been your biggest take-away?
Comment below!

x Corie