Four Financial Seasons: Integrating Numbers and Life

by | Jan 26, 2012

[This article appeared in the Boston Globe/Boston.com on January 26th, 2012]

Because money and finances directly impact our survival and are a lifelong growth and learning opportunity, we’re sometimes challenged and short-sighted when it comes to our money matters.

This article and subsequent chat invites you to expand your view by taking a few steps back and seeing some of the aspects of life that directly impact your financial well-being, but are sometimes hidden due to perceived urgency in specific matters.

Give yourself room to relax by claiming as much time as you want, a year perhaps, to examine, discover, decide, and take action on the financial issues in your life that matter most. Consider four seasons and these areas of focus as a start, beginning with winter, a time to go inside, reflect and gain clarity.

1. Winter – Money well-being starts inside

The cold months are a perfect time to hibernate with a hot cup of tea and reflect on all aspects of your life, kind of like an annual physical with a panoramic view.

If you do not pause and ask yourself meaningful questions that support your money and life decisions, you use your time reacting to what is outside coming at you rather than operating from your heart, your internal compass. Operating from the outside is NOT a comfortable way to live your life. It is a life of chaos, confusion and circumstances well beyond your control. Keep this simple.

Grab a journal or a spiral notebook. At the top of your page, write a word, phrase or sentence about your money well-being as it is now and what you would like it to be. Then, at your leisure, answer the questions below.

Questions:

  • What do I tell myself that stops me from manifesting what I would like?
  • What primary emotion comes up around this intention (happy, angry, sad, scared, or excited). This is my story about the emotion and what is behind the emotion.
  • What do I think about people who have manifested what I want?
  • In what ways do I feel like a victim in not having money well-being in my life?
  • In what ways do I blame myself or others about a lack of money well-being?
  • How have I tried to take care of myself and/or others around money well-being?
  • How do these beliefs prevent me from being happy and creating money-well-being?

Practice: Money Talk

  • Use your answers to the above questions to name your most destructive limiting money beliefs. With each limiting belief, answer these questions:
  • I wonder how this belief has limited me in my life.
  • I wonder how this belief has served me in my life.
  • I wonder how this belief has served others.

If you are willing to experience your belief differently, do so by creating a new inspiring belief that supports your money well-being. This PDF can assist you.

2. Spring – Growth in money and relationships

Money is the least talked about issue in a relationship and it is often one that leads to major problems.

Springtime, when we are planting seeds for future growth, nourishment, and possibilities, consider your relationships as an opportunity for exploring and improving as well.

Often there is a troubling pattern in couple’s relationship that plays out in all aspects of a relationship (time, parenting, sex, communication, etc.).

We may want to blame and change our partner and this view keeps the problem going. Look directly at your most important relationship, get your journal (or spiral notebook) and answer these questions.

Questions:

  • With what aspect of money do we have most conflict? (ie. not enough, s/he spends too much, I have no freedom, it is so hard…)
  • What do I believe and what do I THINK s/he believes?
  • Am I willing to expand my view?

To further expand the questions, approach them the appreciative way …

  • Where are you and your partner in greatest agreement in financial matters?
  • When have you transcended a disagreement about money and reached a satisfying agreement?
  • How can you apply these ‘success experiences’ to address areas in which you two disagree?

When you are willing, consider the following practice with your partner.

Practice:
Note: this practice can be completed in 5 minutes or you can choose to extend your time. Use a timer to support your connected focus.

Sit comfortably face-to-face, and take a few moments to get relaxed by breathing into your belly center.

  • Each person states: “I commit to learning about our money conflict and shifting it to serve our relationship.” Decide who will speak first.
  • For two minutes (can be longer if you choose), Person One shares anything s/he wants about your relationship money conflict. Person Two listens without saying a word, breathing into the belly center if remarks from partner cause a “ruffle.”
  • After two minutes, Person Two says, “thank you for sharing.” Switch roles.
  • At the end of the practice, make one statement to your partner about something new you learned about him/her.

3. Summer – Expansion: Using your days and energy

Human capital is one of the most important aspects of money well-being. It includes your character, skills and identity … and it includes your capacity to earn.

In summer, when you are enjoying longer days and expanded life, expand your awareness of capital beyond financial capital. Often, human capital is more important than financial capital (resources to invest and support lifestyle).

It can be more important because human capital is dynamic and it evolves as times change and individuals grow. Human capital allows an individual to meet the needs of present life and offer an exchange of talent for income. For this reason, it is vital to 1) recognize your unique gifts, 2) investigate the marketplace and what talent/gifts are necessary for the current situation, 3) match your unique talents with the marketplace.

Where there is a mis-match, determine how you need to develop in order to stay relevant and sustain your capacity to earn an income.

Questions:
Use the attached PDF to discover or affirm your unique genius.

Practice:

Exercise a new muscle and expand your human capital by choosing a new activity this summer. For example, take an art or dance class, try a new sport, read a different kind of book, explore nature, or engage in any activity that is new to you. Expanding your horizons offers an opportunity for new skills, connections, and insights.

4. Fall – Harvest your bounty: Appreciation

When it comes to money, there is a lot to complain about, whether it is inside, where you hold limiting beliefs that cause you suffering, or outside, where the economy, media, financial markets, advertising, and so on, expose dire circumstances, escalating anxiety and anger.

In the fall, we are treated to a wellspring of abundance if we are willing to come from appreciation. Consider dropping the view of what’s wrong and look at what is going well.

Use the following questions to support your shift to a new perspective. Again, get your journal (notebook) and answer the questions. Notice how easy or difficult it is to come from appreciation.

Questions:

  • What’s going well? What’s making you happy? What can you celebrate?
  • Who’s contributing to these successes? How do you feel? What’s your role and contribution?
  • When have you successfully saved (earned, or invested) money towards a goal? What/who was helpful? What have you learned from that that can help you?
  • What excites you about your life? What gives you energy? What skills and resources have you marshaled in the past?

Practice:
Use your journal for expressing gratitude. Expand your capacity for appreciation by creating and implementing a Gratitude Journal. Each night before you go to bed, write about five aspects of your day for which you are grateful. They could be about any aspect of wealth in your life: money, time, loving connections, inspiring work, health – the possibilities are rich and bountiful.