It’s all about the small steps
How have two weeks gone so quickly and yet so slowly?
I don’t know if you’re like me, but my last two weeks have been consumed by home schooling my children, acting as their PA for various Zoom lessons and virtual playdates, and trying to fit the rest of my to do list in when I can. It has left me overwhelmed at times, and certainly feeling like I’m not doing enough especially when it comes to my work, business or my finances.
My epiphany
Thankfully one thing I did squeeze in was a catch up with my career coach (yes, I have found coaching incredibly helpful too!) and now dear friend. As we filled each other in on events from the last two months, I realized that my list of the “small things I squeezed in” was actually rather long. My friend encouraged me to pause and re-frame how all these small things add up. 10 mins one day to draft a LinkedIn post, 10 mins another day to work up the nerve to post it, 10 mins the next day to follow up on the comments, 10 mins to draft my (manageable) goals for the week, 10 mins to check in on my spending, and investments etc., … you get the idea. It means steady progress! I now look back over Lockdown 3.0 and feel like I’ve accomplished something towards my work and financial goals despite the home schooling. Winning!
Congrats, but how does this relate to my money?
Building financial confidence doesn’t need to feel insurmountable. It is all about the steady progress. What does this look like? It could be:
10 mins to write out your major financial goals for 2021, so you have a reference point and purpose when tempted by the latest impulse purchase
10 mins a week to start tracking your actual spend to build awareness of how much you’re spending and trends
10 mins to set up the auto-transfer from your current account to savings after each pay day (start small and see if you notice it “missing”)
10 mins decluttering old paper bank statements you no longer need
10 mins to write down which pensions you may have from your various jobs. Granted give yourself another 10 mins to track down account / log in details and more time separately to figure out their value
Each of these are tangible goals you can create for yourself to tackle … even 1 a month. You’d be surprised how quickly they add up and you feel like you know a whole lot more about your finances that you did at the start of the year.
Of course, if that still sounds like a lot, a financial coach can always help you through it and help you develop your own epiphanies!
What small 10 min goal regarding your money do you want to accomplish this week?
You could also spend 10 mins spent reading relevant articles on personal finances. Here are a few highlights I’ve been reading the past two weeks:
- Emotional spending is real – see this great article in The Guardian
- 12 Money Mistakes You’re Teaching Your Kids – we inherit beliefs and emotions about money from childhood, so it is good to think about what we’re teaching our kids
- America’s Mothers Are In Crisis – while this is from the US, I think many of us can relate. Indirectly related to finances, but important and relevant nonetheless
- If books are more your thing, check out some of these new books for 2021. I’d add to this list The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel which I’m currently enjoying
And with that, I will celebrate another small step taken this week … not to mention another week of zero clothing spend. Whoo hoo!
As always, if you like what you see, please share and encourage friends to sign up at www.tansercoaching.com. And if you have any questions or suggestions for future newsletters, please drop me a note at hello@tansercoaching.com.
Have a great week,
Anne