I grew up in an era when there were no video games or computers. As a youth my friends and I would sit around playing board games, cards or word games to entertain ourselves on a rainy afternoon. One of the games I enjoyed playing was a simple “word” game. One person would start a sentence with the words “what would you do if” followed by some situation and the other players would have to respond.

The only rules to the game were the situation had to be realistic and something that could actually happen, even if the odds of it occurring were remote and the answer had to be the same. Questions and answers such as: “What would you do if you hit the jackpot!!?

It wasn’t until years later while attending a psychology class in College that I learned the game I played as a 12 year old girl was actually an “exercise in deductive reasoning.” Many successful people engage in this type activity to work out solutions to everyday problems occurring in business or life. It is a form of planning or preparing for any type of situation that we may find ourselves in.

I dream about hitting the big one when I visit the casino my favorite place to be when I am stressed out. My immediate thought about buying that new car or house telling my boss what he could do with his job. These types of answers fall into the category of my immediate gratification, but they lack any long-term plans for the future of my winnings.

I admit that one logical explanation is that dreaming and fantasizing about “hitting the jackpot” is only natural for me who visits the casino. Fantasizing about winning a big jackpot is similar to the “What would you do if?” game I used to play as a child.

I will keep my money and have some sort of a financial plan to keep myself from squandering it away. I will give it much thought ahead of time and just step back and think about the money instead of rushing off on a wild spending spree.

One of the most sensible solutions for me dealing with a big financial windfall is very simple yet practical. I will put two thirds of the money I win into a bank CD or some other investment that I cannot touch for a full year.

The reason for this is that it will give me time to think about the money and formulate a plan for my financial future. I can still use the third of my winnings I didn’t lock away to celebrate and enjoy, but it will keep the rest of my money safe while I develop a plan to keep my new-found financial freedom for the rest of my life.

I hope to hit the big one! Luck comes and goes…..Knowledge Stays Forever.