Welcome to 2019! The New Year brings with it a sense of hope, new beginnings, and change. And while many folks are jumping into January in an effort to change the numbers of their waistband, I’m proposing we change the numbers in our bank account (by changing how we think, feel, and act around money!)
I’m not promising that this month will bring you a surprise windfall or that any of your financial problems will just magically disappear. (It would be nice though, wouldn’t it?)
What daily journaling can give you is space to think about what it is you want to change, motivation to learn more about money, head space to break through your fears and insecurities about money, and start making the changes you need to see to get comfortable around finance.
The journey to financial peace is constant. There’s a lot to learn. We have to shift our mindsets, address our fears, get out of our own way, and put in the time to learn and take action.
Start with choosing your goals.
What are your main money goals? What are you hoping to focus on during finance month? Choose a few goals from the list below or write down your own. Identifying what you want to work on will help clear the path for learning and growth.
Spend less
Earn more
Get out of debt
Reduce debt
Get secure with monthly payments
Reduce bills
Learn more about budgeting
Learn more about money
Identify fears about money
Address fears about debt
Learn more about retirement
Start a retirement
Boost current retirement
Start savings plan for kids
Talk with a money advisor
Grow my emergency savings
Invest in something
Make spending changes
Make saving changes
Make accounts more secure
Freeze kids’ social security numbers
Finance Guided Journal Weekly Break Down
Week 1: Money & Us
Week 2: Money & Our Kids
Week 3: Money Education
Week 4: Take Action
Money Story
We all have a money story with a past, present, and future. We’ll spend time this month taking time to uncover it and see what shifts and growth we need to make so that we have more control over the future of our individual stories.
We don’t know what we don’t know. We do the best with the information we have. And when we need to do better, it’s time to learn more. There is a LOT to learn about money. It can feel overwhelming, but it has to be done.
Taking Time
Just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. We need time to THINK about our money, behaviors, and goals. We need time to EVALUATE our past habits, present habits, and future goals. Plans require time to plan. Give yourself permission to take time to work through emotions, evaluate your beliefs, and move toward your goals.
Resources
The sheer volume of finance resources available is overwhelming, to the point that people don’t even pick up books or tune into podcasts because they don’t know where to start. I’ve narrowed down a few resources that keep showing up in my own finance research. Have I read every single one or listened to every podcast? No. But they are on my own list to explore. It’s a starting point as we move past the overwhelm and start to take action. Pick one. Try it. See how it goes. It’s a step forward and that’s what we’re after.
This month’s daily challenge will be to explore a finance resource at least once a day—this could look like reading an article about money, listening to a podcast, or tackling as much of a chapter in a book as you can. There will be a space for you to note the resource after each journal prompt. Use it. Let it motivate you. Read more, listen more, learn more.
Books:
Rich Dad, Poor Dad
David Ramsey
Financial Peace University
Broke Millennial
You Are A Badass at Making Money
I Will Teach You to Be Rich
Automatic Millionaire
The Financial Diet
Girl, Get Your $hit Together
Podcasts:
The Stacking Benjamins Show
So Money
Smart Passive Income
The Dave Ramsey Show
Side Hustle Show
The Time Ferris Show
You Need a Budget
Radical Personal Finance
Girlboss Radio
The Pineapple Project
Listen, Money Matters
Being Boss
Money for the Rest of Us
ChooseFI
Planet Money
The Fairer Cents
Afford Anything
Death, Sex, & Money
Rich Dad Radio Show
The Truth About Money
Bigger Pockets Podcast
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