I explain regularly to my clientele, structuring your personal finances is not the purpose, it is the course. This requires time, commitment to specific behavioral patterns, systems and awareness of the choices that are important to you.
In April, I chose to do something beyond all reason that was different for me. I pledged to participate in a charitable event that was meaningful to me. I did this for several reasons. The first reason is that I was angered by the Boston Marathon’s occurrence. Secondly, I was adamant about joining the activity in order to:
- celebrate people who died or were wounded at the Boston Marathon;
- my father was a patient for over a year and my family received generosity that I wanted to give back, so the charity was significant for me;
- motivate me to create an exercise plan that I needed to start, I set this goal.
I do not see myself as athletic, so what made me begin? I determined that it was important to me to participate for this worthy goal. The added benefit was that I was starting an exercise regimen that would contribute to my health. I searched systems to assist me to do something that was unfamiliar to me. I made time and incorporated a system into my busy schedule.
The process I described for my charitable event is also applicable to money management. When you come to the conclusion that your personal finances are important enough for you to get proactive about the way your money is used, you will learn the necessary tools. You will also create a system that works for you and you will make time to incorporate your plan regularly.
There are lateral distinctions between these scenarios that are significant. Below are three more fundamental ideas that I have about the way charitable pursuits and money management is parallel.
- You have to designate your money efficiently. For the event, I had to replenish myself consistently with water and food throughout the race. I also took care of myself to avoid physical injuries and abrasions while participating in the walk. This is congruent to budgeting because I had to stay conscious of my energy level and refresh my body as necessary. Relating this to financial planning, it’s more efficient to manage your income if you prioritize what’s significant to you, to avoid spending money carelessly on things that don’t bring you happiness. Manage the income your have currently.
- A plan provides groundwork to build detail steps that point the way to reaching your goal. When I located a system on the Internet for my level, I was relieved. This system supported me, and I didn’t feel alone. This plan showed me what to do. It helped me stay focused and line up detail points in the plan to build up to the actual event. Money management also has thorough steps such as saving money monthly. A savings account’s total can acquire an important purchase or serve as financial security for the unexpected. Overall, in-depth proactive actions regarding money management will basically progress to financial security in the short-term. In the long-term, it can be prosperous retirement security. To summarize if you follow specific steps consistently, you will gain the prize you set out to achieve. Believe in the course of action. My most favorable quote is that it’s not about the destination it’s about the process and how you will grow through it. I prepared for the charitable event for months, and some days were difficult. I also sweated profusely during training in the summer’s humidity. Yet I continued my process. After hours of practice on a weekend day in August, I hurt myself and was forced to stop for one week. During this time, I doubted if I could reach my goal. However, I trusted that everything was in order and maintained my plan as needed. This is similar to personal finances in the sense that when you create a financial plan and stick to it, life sometimes takes you in a different direction. When this occurs it’s important to continue to believe and adjust as necessary. Active money management and using money as a tool to support the life you want to live is the same as preparing to participate in a marathon.
- Some adults believe that money management is too difficult and that they are the only person that doesn’t know how to do it successfully. I’m here to remove that myth. I have proven that money management is a learned skill if you are open to the teaching and adjust your routines as necessary.
Just as I completed a walk for a worth objective you can certainly gain profitable money management skills. The best part is that when you have reached your financial goals you won’t have blisters to show for your efforts.
