Albert Einstein once suggested that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you want this year to be any different financially, you can’t keep doing the same things that kept you broke in the past.
Make this year different. Initiate some changes in your financial life that’ll help you produce new results. Consider, for instance, a few of these resolutions that could make 2016 your most financially successful year ever.
This year I will make ME a priority
Let’s face it, if you don’t make yourself a priority, nobody else will. We spend too much of our lives worrying and hustling to pay others. Yet, only when everyone else is taken care of do we serve ourselves the leftover scraps.
Flip the script in 2016. Take care of you. Pay yourself first. Make sure that 5%-10% of your paycheck is direct deposited into a bank account dedicated to your financial priorities. Only then should you use the rest of your paycheck to pay everyone else.
This year I will cultivate an attitude of gratitude
Far too often we concentrate on what we don’t have instead of expressing gratitude for the blessings we’ve already received. In 2016 make a point to appreciate the things you do have, whether they be your health, personal attributes, material possessions, or the fulfilling relationships you have with friends and family.
Before bed, jot down a few things you were thankful for that day. Do this consistently and you’ll soon find your contentment rising, while your need to obtain happiness through the accumulation of material possessions wanes.
This year I will stop taking stock in status
Stop taking stock in status and stuff. It’s not what you have that’s important, it’s who you are that counts. Instead of building your wardrobe, develop your personality. Deepen your relationship with your Creator or work on building great relationships with your friends and family.
Over the long haul, these are the things that will give you more fulfillment than the most beautiful outfits or most expensive automobiles could ever provide, and your pocket book will be far better off as well.
This year I will resist retail seduction
We live in a consumption society. Everywhere we turn we’re encouraged to consume. Advertisers are masters at subtly suggesting that we should just spend our way to happiness.
But this constant “quest for more” has left many of us in the poorhouse, struggling with mounting credit card bills and woefully underfunded retirement accounts.
Instead of becoming happier we’ve just accumulated more junk. Our homes are overflowing with so much stuff that the self-storage industry is booming. Did you know that there is nearly 7.3 square feet of self-storage space for every man, women, and child in the United States?
Your financial freedom is more important than junk. In 2016 make the decision to scrutinize every significant purchase. Consider if your purchase will simple become more junk in a few months time, or will it be something that your family can truly use or enjoy.
This year I will become intentional about my money
We simply don’t pay enough attention to where our money is going. How many times have you ended a day not realizing how you blew through $20, $50, even $100 or more?
Take charge. Make a special effort to pay attention to your money. Give your Washingtons, Jeffersons and Benjamins their marching orders. Provide every dollar with a destination. When each and every dollar understands its mission your financial life will fall into place.
BMWK, what are some of your 2016 money resolutions?
Leave a Reply