Boring or Blissful?

What image or thought immediately comes to mind when you hear the phrase “personal finances”? Before you have the time to answer “boring”, let me pose another question. What thought comes to mind when you see the word “bliss”?

Interestingly, paying attention to your money, a.k.a, personal finances, is what leads to bliss, because it creates a blueprint for you to get what you really want in life!

Many women share with me that they will wait until they have accumulated some wealth to start paying attention to their money. Isn’t this putting on your moisturizer before you have even washed your face? Paying attention to your money is what allows you to accumulate wealth, not the other way around.

Everyone’s lives are busier than ever. We spend a lot of time just putting out fires, not to mention mastering endless new technology designed to make our lives easier, topped with family commitments and demanding work. But what if you make a list of your life priorities and goals?

My guess is that most of the items on that list will come as a result of money. Sure, security is a feeling that can’t be directly bought, but we don’t have security without a home we enjoy or good nutritional food.

So, how, then, in this time of overwhelming busyness do we find the time and energy to focus on the seemingly dull task of growing our money? Here are a few insights that have helped me on my own financial journey:

1. Own that money is a priority in your life.
2. Recognize that there are 728 hours in a month. Would it be possible to spend 1 to 3 of those hours each month on getting the life you want? Even if you spend 20 hours a month on creating a new income stream that completely changes your financial future, you still have 708 hours left. What time commitment works for you? The results you get are a factor of the time you spend, at least until you reach a point of leveraging your money, time or services.
3. Even though we often resist it, most of us thrive on structure. Schedule a regular date in your planner to give attention to the most urgent personal finance matter in your life right now, whether that’s creating a simple system to track your money, increasing income or learning how to invest.
4. Know that the choices you are making today are directly determining your financial future. These may be decisions about what you are doing, or choosing not to do.
5. Asking “what’s possible?” and then taking action on the answers brings new and dynamic results in your life. Owning this powerful paradigm alone will literally change your life.
6. Once you take steps for positive money changes, the momentum carries you along and moves you forward; especially once you reach a stage where you can delegate less momentous activities, such as errands and housekeeping. Just try it!

What steps will you take today to get the life you really want? Grab your calendar, schedule the most results oriented next step and do it. If you aren’t in charge of creating the life you really want, then who is?