Always Base your Financial Goals on Your Values: Here’s Why

I’m not a big fan of making money for no reason. When we have an abstract number in our head about how much we want to make, this can be distracting and counterproductive at best, and leave us feeling empty at worst. Financial goals shouldn’t be based on round, nice-sounding numbers that carry an air of success. They should be based on what we actually want to get out of life!

Your Values = Your Satisfaction

The way I see it, your values are pretty simple. The more you incorporate the things you value into your life, the more satisfied you are. In other blog posts, I’ve written about Vicki Robin’s concept of enough, and Lynn Twist’s ideas of sufficiency. Having enough, feeling sufficient and satisfied – isn’t that what most of us really want out of life? Your business, your finances, and your goals should enable you to have enough of the things you value in your life to feel satisfied.

For more thoughts on identifying your values, I suggest reading “What’s Your Money Why?”

Stay the Course

This is much easier said than done! We live in a world where we are met with many different distractions that make us feel insufficient. This can be especially difficult for business owners, because we can get caught up comparing our incomes and lifestyles to others, instead of staying focused on what we want for ourselves.

Creating goals that are based on your values helps you maintain your focus on your own ideas of success. It can help you avoid anxious behaviors like overworking and over-saving.

Assign a Number

Rather than falling for some number that “sounds like success,” it’s important to assign a number to your goals and dreams.

For example, you take time to really analyze your values and your dreams. You decide that what you want is more fun in your life, specifically through taking an aerial silks class (or whatever intentional choice you might make to increase your value of fun). You would then assign a number to that dream by calculating how much a class and any necessary supplies would cost, plus any other associated expenses you might want to be aware of. That gives you a dollar value that can help inform your financial goals.

Happy goal setting! If you enjoyed this post, you’ll probably like my free e-Book, Reach Your Life Goals: A Business Owner’s Guide. Click there or below to download your free copy.

This post was first published in 2021. 

By |2023-01-27T09:48:00-08:00January 27th, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Want a Meaningful Life? Check In With Your Values Regularly

You’ve done it – you’ve figured out what you value in life, you’ve culled your spending, and made a savings plan. You are well on your way to having your money bring real meaning to your life. Now what?

Obviously, first let’s celebrate all the amazing work you just put in! Congratulations!

Next, it’s important to know that the work doesn’t stop here. Let’s talk a little about why it’s important to check in with your values on a regular basis.

What You Value Changes Over Time

I’m going to venture a guess that you’re probably not the same person you were 15, 10, or even 5 years ago. Life is full of change, and our priorities shift with it. Although you’ve just done all this good work to set up a financial plan for yourself, don’t expect it to remain static. Give yourself room to change by resolving to check in with your values and update your money system regularly. This could be every 6 months, 3 months, or every year – find a frequency that works for you!

As Your Resources Change, So Might Your Desires

As we deepen our financial learning and grow our wealth, we may find that what we want, changes. Let me share a quote from my mentor Karen McCall that illustrates this point perfectly:

As people continue working through the Financial Recovery process, identifying areas of deprivation and discerning needs from wants, an amazing and intriguing thing begins to happen. They start to access deep desires that they may never have spoken about before or even known existed. Soon they discover buried dreams of buying a home, taking piano lessons, or learning about photography. Some talk of their fantasy of taking a sabbatical or learning about their family’s roots by visiting the homeland of their grandparents. People begin wondering aloud about their dreams of starting a philanthropic foundation or taking time away from work to volunteer for causes they hold dear.

I love this quote because it illustrates how the process of growing your financial literacy can unfold. Once you start to really become aware of the possibilities, you may find that you no longer want to deprive yourself of certain things you didn’t even know you wanted! The key here is intentionality. Checking in with your values on a regular basis, in an intentional way, gives you space for these changes to unfold and get incorporated into your spending and savings plans.

Stay Open to New Delights

Let me share a personal example with you for some encouragement. These days, I am relishing taking really good care of myself. I get facials from Me Time with Francoise, massages, chiropractic, and recently participated in Stasia’s Savasuk’s style school. I feel blessed to have the freedom to support other business owners while also taking great care of myself.

In the past, these things might not have seemed relevant or important to me. As I’ve continued to check in with myself about what’s important to my life, these values have evolved! 

If you liked this article, I have a free e-Book for you! I’m sure you will enjoy 9 Secrets to Financial Self Care. Click to get your free copy!

By |2022-07-28T13:56:34-07:00July 28th, 2022|Categories: Money Mindset, Personal Savings, Personal Spending|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

The Key to Doing Money Well? It’s Your Values

It’s the New Year, and goals are on everyone’s mind. You might be thinking about a few potential financial goals. Perhaps you want to save more, pay down some debt, or spend less. All of these are honorable pursuits, but we need to make sure your goals get started off on the right foot. How do we do that? By getting clear on what you value in life.

Your values hold the key to setting meaningful financial goals and designing relevant money systems. In this blog post, I go over a couple different strategies for uncovering them.

Finding Enough

What exactly does “enough” mean in a financial context? Here’s the way I like to define it: it’s that point where you’re not over-spending, over-saving, or over-working. I love this quote from Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez, the authors of Your Money or Your Life:

“Enough for our survival. Enough comforts. And even enough little “luxuries.” We have everything we need; there’s nothing extra to weigh us down, distract or distress us, nothing we’ve bought on time, have never used and are slaving to pay off. Enough is a fearless place. A trusting place. An honest and self-observant place. It’s appreciating and fully enjoying what money brings into your life and yet never purchasing anything that isn’t needed or wanted.”

Finding this point relies on adopting a mindset of sufficiency, as Lynne Twist write about in The Soul of Money. It means you need to assess what your needs and wants are, and identify those comforts and little luxuries.

Needs Vs. Wants

I’ve written about needs vs. wants before in terms of how defining both can be helpful for spending. You can read that article here. In this post, I want to share an exercise straight from Karen McCall, my mentor and author of Financial Recovery.

Karen advises to make a needs and wants list, by simply dividing a piece of paper in half and beginning to sort things onto either side of the page. “Let yourself envision items or experiences that seem to be missing from your life. These can be small things like new walking shoes or bigger experiences like sharing a trip to Hawaii with a friend or loved one.” She counsels that we don’t need to get too hung up on categorizing things perfectly, but should instead plan on coming back to the list to reflect and revise. Doing this process repeatedly brings a new level of clarity to our values and how we want to allocate our resources.

Leaving Room to Dream

In her wonderful book, 55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal, Elizabeth White asks us to consider what it would be like to “live a life not defined by things.” She suggests focusing on meeting our needs and wants creatively and inexpensively, an approach also suggested by Karen McCall. Within this framework, there is freedom to dream about what you want in your life and how to get it. Karen McCall talks about a similar phenomenon when she writes,

“As you develop an ability to meet your most essential needs, the noise and distraction created by a troubled relationship with money are quieted. Without the deafening noise of worry, obsession, fear, and deprivation, you’re able to hear and value that quiet voice inside that utters your deepest desires.”

As you find ways to bring the things you value most into your life, you may start to uncover more about yourself and your wishes. This is perfectly ok and I recommend leaving space for yourself to keep dreaming as you get in touch with your values.

I also love doing this work with clients! If you’d like to work with a guide through this process, schedule a free Financial Self Care Consultation to see if financial coaching is right for you.

☮

Angela

Photo by Eye for Ebony

By |2022-01-13T11:13:17-08:00January 13th, 2022|Categories: Financial Clarity|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Avoid This Impostor Syndrome Pitfall By Connecting With Your Values

One major impostor-syndrome-induced pitfall I see people struggle with is this: overcompensation. Perhaps they’re not getting enough paying clients, or not keeping track of their finances. Or they’re missing some other metric in their business that makes them feel like they’re “getting somewhere.”

Whatever the reason, people in this type of situation can sometimes fall into a pattern of overcompensating. This can become a financial or non-financial issue. For example, many people in this situation may feel their circumstances are due to the fact that they need to learn more. Other people can struggle with feeling like they need to “spend money to make money” and get preoccupied with gear, expensive software, etc.

Especially because you’re the one calling the shots in your business, making these decisions all comes down to you. That’s why it’s important to work through emotional mirages like impostor syndrome before making a financial or business decision. Let’s dive into both of these examples, and then talk about banishing impostor syndrome by connecting with your values:

“I Don’t Know Enough”

People with this story can get caught up on an information hamster wheel. This is especially easy to do with the whole Internet at our fingertips! People might feel that their business isn’t succeeding because they’re missing something, or don’t have the right training, etc. As a result, they sign up for courses, trainings, and coaching engagements. Or perhaps they spend a lot of time listening to podcasts and working through free opt-ins. Whether this version of impostor syndrome results in financial investments or not, it can also make running your business feel murky and difficult.

Exercise: Show yourself what you do know. If there’s a particular subject or specialty that you’ve been researching or wanting to get training in, spend some time writing down everything you already do know it. Just taking a breather and doing this for 5 minutes can remind you of all the knowledge you already hold!

“I Need to Spend Money to Make Money”

This is one of those longstanding business myths that many people can get convinced of unknowingly. I wrote about how people just starting businesses can avoid this pitfall here. What’s important is to keep in mind how you want to do things, rather than looking at how other business owners do them. If we play the comparison game we ultimately end up losing. Social media and comparing yourself to other more established businesses can intensify this feeling.

Exercise: Take stock of what you have. What software systems, supplies, gear, business accessories, etc. do you have that you love working with? Celebrate those and be thankful for them, just for a few minutes.

The Answer? Connect With Your Values

Just to be clear, there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all solution to impostor syndrome. But connecting with your values by tapping into what feels authentically joyful for you is a great step forward. You don’t have to be the industry expert or have all the bells and whistles to run an awesome business! You just have to do things in the way that feels right for you. So take some time to consider what that actually looks like!

It might be the case that you really do value education or having the latest tech for your business. Just make sure you tease those values apart from the feelings of urgency and “less-than” that come with impostor syndrome. Let yourself come to conclusions about what you want on your own, without outside influence, as much as possible.

If you enjoyed this post, you’ll probably like reading through my free e-Book, Three Essential Steps to Starting a Business, particularly the section on having a purpose and a plan for your money. Download it here!

☮

Angela

Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

By |2021-08-24T11:12:22-07:00August 24th, 2021|Categories: Money Mindset, Small Business, solopreneurs|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Why You Should Always Base your Financial Goals on Your Values

I’m not a big fan of making money for no reason. When we have an abstract number in our head about how much we want to make, this can be distracting and counterproductive at best, and leave us feeling empty at worst. Financial goals shouldn’t be based on round, nice-sounding numbers that carry an air of success. They should be based on what we actually want to get out of life!

Your Values = Your Satisfaction

The way I see it, your values are pretty simple. The more you incorporate the things you value into your life, the more satisfied you are. In other blog posts, I’ve written about Vicki Robin’s concept of enough, and Lynn Twist’s ideas of sufficiency. Having enough, feeling sufficient and satisfied – isn’t that what most of us really want out of life? Your business, your finances, and your goals should enable you to have enough of the things you value in your life to feel satisfied.

For more thoughts on identifying your values, I suggest reading “What’s Your Money Why?”

Stay the Course

This is much easier said than done! We live in a world where we are met with many different distractions that make us feel insufficient. This can be especially difficult for business owners, because we can get caught up comparing our incomes and lifestyles to others, instead of staying focused on what we want for ourselves.

Creating goals that are based on your values helps you maintain your focus on your own ideas of success. It can help you avoid anxious behaviors like overworking and over-saving.

Assign a Number

Rather than falling for some number that “sounds like success,” it’s important to assign a number to your goals and dreams.

For example, you take time to really analyze your values and your dreams. You decide that what you want is more fun in your life, specifically through taking an aerial silks class (or whatever intentional choice you might make to increase your value of fun). You would then assign a number to that dream by calculating how much a class and any necessary supplies would cost, plus any other associated expenses you might want to be aware of. That gives you a dollar value that can help inform your financial goals.

I go more in depth on this process in my free e-Book, Reach Your Life Goals: A Business Owner’s Guide, which you can download by filling in the pop-up window here.

What it comes down to is that your financial goals should be intentional reflections of what you want to create in your life – otherwise, do you really want to achieve them? For more thoughts on this topic, check out my Facebook Live video, part of Financial Self Care Friday. And if you would like to work with an accountability partner and guide to identify your values and shape your finances around them, check out 4 Week Money Refresh, a package of 4 private 1 hour personal financial coaching sessions on early bird sale through April 15th!

Happy goal setting!

☮

Angela

Image: Tyler Nix

By |2021-04-09T12:11:21-07:00April 9th, 2021|Categories: Financial Clarity|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Why Your Finances are the Key to Self Care

We know that self care is important. We know it’s important to do things like unplug from electronic devices, get exercise, and treat ourselves. But oftentimes the conversation about self care can leave out one important aspect: financial self care.

Financial self care is the foundation of all other self care in your life, so it’s a shame that it gets forgotten! By financial self care, I mean doing the routine maintenance and occasional projects to keep your finances in good order. Things like reviewing your spending plan on a weekly basis and planning for irregular expenses are key to other aspects of your life. When your money is in order, it is so much easier to care for yourself. Your physical, spiritual, and mental health benefit when you are confident in your financial situation.

What are some areas of your life that need more care? Take a moment to really think about this. Perhaps you want to be able to purchase organic food or pay for a medical treatment. Maybe you want the ability to work less and turn down certain engagements. Or maybe you would benefit from seeing a therapist or spiritual worker.

Underlying all of these self care actions is a financial decision. When you engage in a regular financial self care routine, these decisions get easier. When you know whether you’ve met your spending limit for a category, deciding whether or not to spend the money to get that massage is much more simple. Regular financial self care takes that guesswork away and helps you get clear.

Financial self care involves engaging in a process of setting financial goals and working out what you actually want to spend your money on. When you’ve got this worked out, it makes it much easier to decide what to spend money on in order to take care of yourself. This process can illuminate what you really need and want. Therefore, it can deeply assist your overall journey of self care.

9 Secrets to Financial Self Care Book Cover

I created a full e-Book on the concept of financial self care, which you can download by clicking here. This e-Book goes into depth on many different strategies to infuse your days with financial self care and build a solid routine for yourself. If you are interested in exploring how financial self care can support your life, I recommend giving it a read!

☮

Angela

By |2021-04-08T14:27:43-07:00December 8th, 2020|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

Live Your Dreams

The Power of a Seed: At Peace With Money

I originally posted this as “The Power of a Seed” last year as I was heading off to Sturgis. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’m on the road again, so I wanted to put this post out again. This post is meant to encourage you to follow your dreams, no matter how crazy or effort-intensive they seem. This is my second year riding my own bike, and it’s been great. If I can do it, you can do it. Read on: 

I am about to take off on a bucket list trip: I will be riding a motorcycle 1,400 miles to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Three years ago, my husband and I went to the Sturgis motorcycle rally for the first time. I rode on the back of a Harley we rented for the trip. My husband has been riding motorcycles all his life, but this was a big trip for him to take on at that time.  While we were in Sturgis that first year, I saw a lot of women riding bikes and found myself wanting to do the same. These women planted the first seed of inspiration in my mind. My husband has actually tried to teach me to ride before, but it usually ended in disappointment and a few choice words.

After going a second year to Sturgis as a passenger, I again saw lots of women on bikes. I noticed that these women weren’t particularly large or strong, or even necessarily young. They were a lot like me. That’s when I decided thatif these women could ride Harleys and other large bikes, I could too. Upon returning from that trip, I completed my local motorcycle safety program and got my license. We bought a Honda Rebel 250 and I set a goal to ride my first 500 miles. Then I set my sights on a bigger bike, more mileage, and a longer trip. Three years ago in Sturgis, my friends took a picture of me sitting on a red Indian motorcycle, just as a joke. This week I’m going to be riding my new red Indian motorcycle on this trip.

The Power of a Seed: At Peace With Money

I’m not recounting this story simply to tell you that I’m a “badass biker chick”. I’m also a 53 year-old mom that makes a living as bookkeeper and finance coach. But I am a badass because a seed was planted, which I started to believe in and nourish. I set some goals and accomplished them one at a time. Now, I’ve achieved my dream.

If you are struggling to make a change or believe in your goals, I hope my story can inspire you this week. Whether your goals are business related or purely personal, I want you to remember to take one step at a time, and know that you can get there eventually.

☮

Angela

Image Sources:  Guilherme Veloso, JanFillem

By |2019-08-10T22:37:44-07:00August 10th, 2019|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More

The Power of a Seed

The Power of a Seed: At Peace With MoneyI am about to take off on a bucket list trip: I will be riding a motorcycle 1,400 miles to Sturgis, South Dakota.

Three years ago, my husband and I went to the Sturgis motorcycle rally for the first time. I rode on the back of a Harley we rented for the trip. My husband has been riding motorcycles all his life, but this was a big trip for him to take on at that time.  While we were in Sturgis that first year, I saw a lot of women riding bikes and found myself wanting to do the same. These women planted the first seed of inspiration in my mind. My husband has actually tried to teach me to ride before, but it usually ended in disappointment and a few choice words.

After going a second year to Sturgis as a passenger, I again saw lots of women on bikes. I noticed that these women weren’t particularly large or strong, or even necessarily young. They were a lot like me. That’s when I decided thatif these women could ride Harleys and other large bikes, I could too. Upon returning from that trip, I completed my local motorcycle safety program and got my license. We bought a Honda Rebel 250 and I set a goal to ride my first 500 miles. Then I set my sights on a bigger bike, more mileage, and a longer trip. Three years ago in Sturgis, my friends took a picture of me sitting on a red Indian motorcycle, just as a joke. This week I’m going to be riding my new red Indian motorcycle on this trip.

The Power of a Seed: At Peace With Money

I’m not recounting this story simply to tell you that I’m a “badass biker chick”. I’m also a 52 year-old mom that makes a living as bookkeeper and finance coach. But I am a badass because a seed was planted, which I started to believe in and nourish. I set some goals and accomplished them one at a time. Now, I’ve achieved my dream. 

If you are struggling to make a change or believe in your goals, I hope my story can inspire you this week. Whetheryour goals are business related or purely personal, I want you to remember to take one step at a time, and know that you can get there eventually.

☮

Angela

Image Sources:  Guilherme Veloso, JanFillem

By |2018-09-17T04:55:00-07:00July 30th, 2018|Categories: Money Mindset|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
Read More
Go to Top