The ability to do what you want, when you want,
with who you want, for as long as you want, is priceless.
It is the highest dividend money pays. – Morgan Hourshel
What do you need to be financially happy?
Many of us haven’t thought through what would truly make us financially happy. Of course, we would love to magically have a lot of money to do whatever we want, but… what is it you truly seek in the end?
Is it:
- The ability to buy more stuff?
- To have all the newest gadgets?
- To simply have more money?
- To take a nice vacation?
- The ability to work less?
- To be less stressed?
- To feel more secure?
- When something difficult happens, it is a financial blip instead of a crisis.
- If anything happened to you, your family would be taken care of.
We often chase short-term pleasures that directly conflict and undermine what we truly want our money to accomplish. Are we sabotaging ourselves because we assume it will be too hard and we won’t be able to reach our goals? Do we believe that money itself is what brings us happiness? Benjamin Franklin did not believe so. He said,
“Money has never made a man happy yet, nor will it.
The more a man has, the more he wants.
Instead of filling a vacuum, it makes one.”
You have to decide the power that money has: is it a way to purchase more things, or is it a tool to build freedom and peace? Which is worth more to you?
The next time you are faced with a spending decision, weigh your options, “would I rather spend this money on this item or experience, or would I rather put that money toward what I truly want my money to accomplish?” Perhaps place a sticky note on your wallet to remind you of your ultimate goal to help decide whether you want to spend on your goal or the current item.
When building a snowman, you start with a little fist full of snow, but as you roll it, it collects more and more snow growing more quickly with each push. It takes time and effort to build it. Our finances can be the same way.
Remember your money journey is like a road trip – decide where you want to go and how fast you want to get there. Then make a plan (start with the goal, note what is needed to get there and then what are practical steps to move forward), then decide how many stops you want to make along the way, knowing that each stop will extend the length to get to the goal.
How can I learn more:
If you would like to further explore some of the potholes we tend to hit along our financial journey click here to watch the Common Money Mistakes Webinar recording.
No matter what your situation is, you can change it!
Remember, you’ve got this.
This material is for educational purposes only and
should not be construed as advice.
It is provided without warranty of any kind.