If you’re like most people, money means struggle.
We struggle to make it, to manage it, to understand
it, to control it and to stay on top of it. And, we tell
ourselves that we’ll stop worrying about money as
soon we have more. While this might be true in some
situations, have you noticed that when your income
expands your expectations and expenses seem to
follow? At what point are we satisfied? How much is
enough? I’ve worked with hundreds of clients over
the years and most people, whether they make
$30,000 or $300,000, have trouble living within their
means. While this can partly be explained by the
high cost of living in Vancouver and the temptations
offered by Banana Republic, Ikea or Urban Fare,
the real reason most of us overspend is simply
because we don’t have any compelling reason not
to.
Without a clear vision of what we want to create
in
our life, it’s very easy to fritter our money away
and
to wonder where it all goes. While more money might
be nice, it’s just as likely to be absorbed into our day
to day cash flow and we’d be no further ahead
anyway. The real key to financial satisfaction
isn’t
to have more, but to align the money we do have
(and will have) with our values, intentions and
goals.
While it might seem like a simple exercise to state
what we want in life, it’s not always easy to define,
articulate and clarify what we’re about and what is
meaningful to us. Fears, insecurities, resistance to
change, complacency, lack of time are some of the
reasons we resist declaring our goals and intentions,
and sometimes it’s simply that we don’t give
ourselves permission to dream. More often than not,
we let money throw cold water on our hopes, dreams
and desires. But it doesn’t have to. An honest
assessment of our relationship to money and a
willingness to commit time and energy to clarifying
our values and priorities are all we need to take
a
step toward achieving our goals.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself about
what
money means in your life:
- If money were no object, what would I
do
with my life?
- Do I have a clear vision of my values,
goals, priorities?
- Is my sense of self-worth tied into how
much money I make?
- Do I spend money to make myself feel
better?
- Am I spending money on “stuff” that isn’t
that important to me?
- Am I allocating time or money to causes
that I believe in?
- Do I compare my financial situation to
others’?
- Am I waiting for financial security before
living a more meaningful life?
If you’re not on track with where you want to be,
there’s no need to feel guilty or to judge yourself.
Simply start by becoming more conscious of what’s
important to you and take stock of how close you
are to your vision. If you’re not where you want to
be, set some intentions for yourself and
eventually
some specific goals. Write them down. Commit
to
them. Acknowledge and reward small steps. Be
grateful for what you have and where you are at
now. Avoid comparing yourself to others (I
know,
easier said than done!) and try to clear (or at least
identify) blocks or barriers to your goals. There’s no
race to the finish line here and only you can assess
what pace is appropriate especially if you are facing
challenges or significant changes are required.
If you don't have the time or discipline to work on
your financial life plan yourself, take a money course
or hire a financial planner, money coach or counsellor
to help you kick start your plan. Or check out the
online
audio slideshows on the LifeDesign Financial
website.
Money doesn't have to mean struggle. It has
the potential to bring joy, inspiration and
support to your life and to others. It's up to you.
What’s your
next step in bringing more meaning to your
money?
