People think financial planning is about money. It’s not. It’s about you.
I recently had the opportunity to complete a short exercise where I was asked to take a moment to review different parts of my life. These parts ended up being areas I valued, such as Family, Career, Parenting, Couples, Self-Care, Play/Recreation, Spirituality, Art/Music/Beauty, Education, etc. There was a total of 12 altogether.
Imagine these areas to be plants in a garden, my garden, that need watering. Looking back over the past year, I noted next to each area to indicate where I have poured a lot of myself or just a small amount. Not just how much time I spent in these areas, but also how much attention, care, and effort were given. My answer key wasn’t complicated: enough, not enough, or about right.
At some level, I knew the results of the exercise, but the clarity I gained as it relates to making life decisions has been invaluable. For example, as is likely the case with many parent professionals, I have spread myself pretty thin between my career, my family, and myself. It often feels that instead of doing a great job in any one of these areas, I’m actually falling short in all of these areas!
Through this exercise, I can see where I might have the opportunity to free up some of my time from one area and to devote it to another area that is meaningful to me. For example, I might choose a volunteer activity that I can do with my kids instead of a business-type position, such as treasurer which is my normal tendency. Another example would be to limit my daily social media use (which is often what I use to decompress) and instead spend 20 minutes in meditation applying the techniques I’ve learned to be mindful and actually create space in my brain, not use up more!
Who I am and how I show up in life, my whole life is about me. What’s important to you? How can you live a life that has purpose and meaning?