Did January 1st catch you by surprise?
You were aware the year was winding down, with pending projects, a review of the past twelve months on your to-do list, goals to set, and new habits to kickstart in 2024…and suddenly, it's already here.
Now's the moment to kick procrastination to the curb and ponder...
Are you making the best possible decisions you can about your money and your future?
We all know that humans have a knack for procrastination, often relying on the promise of 'tomorrow.'
It's a timeless human behaviour, echoed through the ages. Seneca, two millennia ago, said it’s the one thing fools all have in common: they are always getting ready to start:
"It's not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste much of it."
This pattern repeats itself every year.
Perhaps you're reading this and thinking, "That's not me".
Maybe the new year didn't catch you off guard, and you've got a solid plan in place for achieving your goals. If this is the case, you have the other very human tendency to watch out for: the inclination to start strong and then taper off.
It’s just how humans function.
We commit to things, set lofty goals, initiate projects…and then, like clockwork, our willpower takes a nosedive. Mistakes happen. We overlook things.
Getting back on track becomes a bit of a challenge.
So how are you going to truly master your wealth this year?
In my final blog of last year, I shared a tool to help track your progress.
It talked about choosing your behaviour and your rhythm.
The good news about rhythm is that it's shaped by our actions alone. Rhythm doesn’t get lost—only we do.
The right path stays open and always there.
No matter the mess we've made or the stumbles we've had. It's always ours for the taking.
We just have to come back to it and get back on.
The feedback I got on this tool was great - and I think this is because from talking to 1000s of successful families, we’ve been able to recognise these four levels that we see people operating at:
- Red – fear and uncertainty
- Amber – organised chaos
- Light green – on track
- Dark green – complete clarity, confidence, and control
When it comes to mastering your wealth, in other words, having a clear plan, and being completely aware of your goals and ideal future - where do you sit?
Red, amber or green?
Fear and uncertainty
Like some individuals we speak to, you may be experiencing fear and uncertainty (the red warning zone). Here, you don’t know what decisions you should be making or even what questions you should be asking yourself. It's a scary place to be.
Being stuck at this level is sometimes not your fault, but what keeps you down here is avoidance and procrastination.
Here we’ll typically see people endlessly languish in outdated, inappropriate, and poorly performing products that quietly rot their future purchasing power/life opportunity.
Organised chaos
Most people have a feeling of Organised Chaos. If this is you, you’ll know the basics of what you should be doing and have a few things in place, but it all still feels a little bit overwhelming. You're functioning but with an underlying feeling of uncertainty.
The key to getting into the green area is about getting on a clear, detailed, and documented pathway forward.
On track
Do you look enviously at a few friends who seem to be on the green path already?
These people have reached the level above you and are one of a few on track. Here, you feel that life’s good and you’re doing OK. You have the basics covered and a little bit more. You move through this level by tracking what’s happening with your finances and using an evidence-based system on which to make key decisions.
The key here is not to be trapped by 'good enough'.
Complete clarity
Once you understand the power of moving from comfortable and that it’s possible to live an extraordinary life, everything changes for you, and you move into flourishing.
This is a super happy place to be and if the light green zone is incremental, the performance curve in this zone is exponential – it accelerates.
Take a moment to think about where you’re sitting on that scale right now.
Knowing this is a crucial first step to enable you to then begin the steps to master your wealth.
What it would mean for you to have a trusted guide to get you to the next level, ultimately obtaining Complete Clarity about your ideal future and the critical life events ahead?
So what's stopping you?
We all know procrastinators.
The friend who always has a plan in the works...whether it be about their health, their career, their relationships or their wealth.
The truth is, it's all of us. Epictetus once said,
"How much longer are you going to wait to demand the best for yourself?"
How often have you convinced yourself that this is the year? The year you unlock your full potential and live your best life?
The year you adopt better habits around money...
That, without a doubt, this year will ultimately be the one where you get to grips with your wealth?
You, me, everyone aspires to become better.
A lot of us even have a good idea of what needs to be done. However, translating those intentions into actions can be a challenge.
Time slips away, plans don't materialise, and before we know it, we find ourselves in the same old situation.
Don't let this be another year that you allow yourself to drift on a downward path. A path far from your flourishing future.
It's not fair to yourself or your loved ones.
You deserve better.
Take a moment to consider:
- What are the risks if you don't seize control of your life?
- What happens if another year slips by without reaching your full potential?
- What are the consequences for you and your family, of not being adequately prepared?
