New Year, New You?

Happy 2020! The blog is back after an extensive holiday break, and we’re already well into January! January always brings this fresh bubble of hope with it. Emphasis lies on all of our new goals, better habits, and healthier versions of ourselves. We dream of all the things this blank canvas holds for us during this next trip around the sun. People choose focus words, join gyms, make resolutions and new commitments, and plan ways to spend more time on things they value.

Having vision to better ourselves is so healthy. Nobody dreams of a stagnant life. We all want to shake off the things that hinder us and run a better race. 

When dreaming about our futures and what we want for a new year, we often assume that if we had more money it would cause us to finally live the life we’ve dreamt of. We’d be able to do so much more! Become so much better! Or we can think that a lack of money is the reason for our unhappiness in a certain area.

But let me tell you a truth:

Money only amplifies who you already are.

Money is not powerful enough to change your life at its core. 

If you are a natural worrier and want to worry less, having more money only makes you a wealthy worrier. It won’t take away your worries. 

If you want to be more generous this year and think that having a surplus of income will get you there, it won’t. Having more money to give doesn’t automatically make you a generous person. In fact, I see that often my wealthier clients actually give away a smaller percentage of their income than my less wealthy clients. 

If you struggle with a need to prove yourself to others, having more resources won’t fill that need. There will never be enough. (We all know at least one super wealthy guy who is so showy with what he has, right?) Money amplifies that need, it doesn’t satisfy it. 

If you’re delightful, you’ll still be pleasant with more money.

If you are cranky, you’ll be even crankier with more money. 

If you are a couch potato, having more money won’t make you get up and go live. You’ll just buy a nicer couch and a bigger TV.

I’m not saying you can’t change the path, I’m just saying money is not the answer for many issues we have. And it’s tricky because we often think that it could be the answer. Because that would be an easy answer, right? And a good excuse for why we can’t change our current situation. We think the catalyst to change, having more money, is mainly out of our control.

Sure, extra income can help accomplish so many goals! Getting out of debt, more family vacations, better school for your kids, higher education, retirement…I’m here for all of it. I hope you have some of these financial goals for 2020! But be careful in your vision casting. Make sure you are clear why you have these goals, and don’t assume that money is the currency to fill the needs.

This year I want to encourage you not to rely on money as the solution to your problems. And don’t wait for more money to change the things you want to improve about yourself. Find the inner strength you have, and be intentional about who you want to be and why.

Here’s to a new year and accomplishing all of our goals, both financial and personal!