“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– Albus Dumbledore, in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” by J.K. Rowling
How do you get from here to there? Every day we are faced with so many choices of what to do with our time. Get out of bed when the alarm goes off or hit the snooze button? Make progress on a work project or make a grocery list? From what we prepare for meals to what we wear, the average person makes 35,000 choices per day!
Many of our daily decisions are made on autopilot, and many of these choices you make every day make you who you are. These important daily choices need to be addressed, as these are the choices that get you from here to there.
As a financial planner, I want to address the decisions we make regarding money. Developing a healthy relationship with these decisions is the first step toward reaching a state of financial stability.
Money drives our world – for sure! We earn it, we spend it, we dream about it, we fear it, we serve it, we worry about it. As pervasive as it is, many people don’t know much about money or know how to deal with it.
Through my personal experience, I’ve learned that there are three pretty basic rules to follow about money:
- Save: The earlier you start, the less it takes.
- Plan: Don’t live life by default. Be intentional.
- Live within your means: Don’t spend more than you make. If you don’t live within your means, you might as well say goodbye to all your dreams for the future.
Money doesn’t create happiness, but it is a tool that can enhance conditions that support our happiness.
No magical potion gives us the answer on what to do with our money. Some people spend hours searching the internet, looking for an expert who is going to provide the secret sauce to instant wealth. This can be an illusion since there isn’t one get-rich-quick solution; every person’s financial situation is different.
There is a reliable route to your personal wealth! Make consistent, disciplined decisions regarding your money. Save for your future. Plan for your future. Live within your means. These three simple steps will help get you on the route from here to there.