Challenge #4 Defining your Priorities (Financial Priorities)
According to the online dictionary Merriam-Webster.com, the word finance means “the money or other liquid resources of an individual.”
With this in mind, you can see why your financial priorities are the most tangible of all your priorities: Money purchases both our basic needs and our luxuries. In other words, you can taste your food (a basic need), feel the protection of your home (a basic need), touch your shiny new car (a luxury, and listen to the latest album on your iPod (a luxury) – but you may not, for example, be able to see the immediate results of your attempts to send more handwritten cards to your friends (a social priority).
Here are just a few examples of financial priorities:
• You want to implement all the advice from The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. (Supports your desire to be smarter about your money choices.)
• You want o hire a financial expert to set up your personal portfolio. (Supports your need to ask for professional help and advice.)
• You want to pay off all your credit card debt within the next 12 months. (Supports your wish to eliminate the money clutter that is bogging you down.)
• You want to give 10% of your income to charity each year. (Supports your belief that karma comes back around.)
• You want to buy coffee once a week instead of every day, and save the extra cash for a fun trip. (Supports you desire to be smarter about your money choices.)
Ultimately, whenever your make choices about how to live your life, your financial priorities should be right there with you.
Remember, in every moment of your life you live in choice! So you want to ensure you make decisions that will allow you to live your best life. But don’t worry – your financial priorities and core values will act not only as a filter to keep out the bad (clutter), but also as a compass to lead you in the best direction: toward serenity, as defined by you.
To help you identify your financial priorities, please answer the questions below with an open heart and mind.
Financial Priorities
Answer the following questions.
1) Set timers for five minutes and allow your thoughts to flow freely. During the allotted time, list any financial priorities that spring to mind.
2) Review the list of financial priorities you brainstormed for the question above. Pick your top five and write them below.
3) Review the list of five financial priorities you brainstormed for the question above. Pick the one that is most important to you and write it below.
Then write it somewhere you can see it daily– manifest it into being! Energy goes where attention flows- so throw up your hands and bring it to the heart center … give it the attention it needs to become the framework around which all other choices will be made!
Here’s to you ~
love xoxo
Leah
