Sometimes, it’s just wonderful talking about yourself.
Not in a show-off way, but rather when we answer thoughtful questions about how and why we feel and act in certain ways.
That’s why the “36 Questions That Lead to Love” saw such an explosion of interest around the world. People felt a deep connection to the person who was extracting our intimate information.
When it comes to managing your money, or developing some clever habits so you don’t have to think about money so much, it can be helpful to create that same vulnerability with yourself.
So grab a pen, copy/paste, do whatever you need to do, and settle down for some thoughtful discussion about your state of mind.
Your emotions
1. I’m not rich because ________________________
2. And that’s because _________________________
3. Being rich would make me feel __________________
4. It’s easy to spend money - which is why I spend it on __________________
5. Lots of people are trying to impress other people - I’m trying to impress _________________________________________________________
6. I feel really rich when __________________________
7. When I look at my bank account I feel _______________
8. Money brings me joy because _____________________
Your direction
1. In ten years time I would like to be able to afford ____________________
2. After looking at the last month, I generally spend around ___ per day. ___ per week.
3. One bad spending habit I could probably quit is _________________.
4. If I had a savings account that I was regularly contributing to, I would be trying to reach $______.
Your income
1. If I lost my job tomorrow, I would do ____________________ to make some money while I looked for a new job.
2. I last asked for a raise ______________________ ago.
3. ____________________ of my hobbies could possibly earn me a side income. (I’ll write a list and note them!)
4. How much more income would make me happy? _____________________
Your values
1. After looking at my bank account for the last three months, apart from necessities, I spend my money mostly on _____________________, _____________________ and _____________________.
2. Out of all the things I own, I take most care of ____________________.
3. I last felt happy, fulfilled and proud of myself when ______________________.
4. I last felt regretful _____________________.
5. What activities put me into a “flow” state? (“Flow” is a term coined by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi and describes activities that engross us: usually they are challenging, fulfilling, and make us lose track of time.)
________________________________________________________
6. If money did not exist, I would spend my days _____________________.
7. Who are my role models? What qualities about these people do I admire?
______________________________________________________
8. To me, self care means __________________________.
Your investing mind
1. I am willing to invest $____ of my current savings or income.
2. The first thing I’d like to know about investing is ____________________________.
3. ___________________________ is the thing that most intimidates me about investing.
4. It would take ___________________________ for me to know that investing is helpful.
5. Do I know that practise/free investing accounts exist?
______________________________________________
Your debt
1. I have _____________ debts. I have written them down on one piece of paper, from smallest to largest.
2. The debt that weighs the most of me is __________________________.
3. By the end of this year, I hope to have paid off ____________________. (or $ ____)
4. If I feel hopeless, ___________________________ is the place/person I am brave enough to reach out to.
5. Today, I can begin controlling my debt by ___________________________, ___________________________ and ___________________________.
Your emergency fund
1. If I lose my job, have an accident or become sick, I will do ________________________ to pay the bills.
2. It costs me $____ to live each month.
3. I would need ____ months of savings to feel comfortable enough to quit my job. (If I’d like to!)
4. What in my life would I consider an emergency? __________________________
5. I would do ___________________________ to make sure I couldn’t easily access or meddle with my emergency fund.
There’s no right or wrong way
Figuring out how you’d like your life to evolve will never follow one strict path, no matter how prepared you think you are.
Instead, using goals and thinking about how you feel will give you the tools to ride whatever happens.
If you’re prepared to have an honest look at yourself and your finances, you’re on the right track!
