
It’s been said that you treat your money and finances the way you would your health and fitness. As a woman, I am conscious about my health. The most important reason is that I’d like to stay alive and healthy for my kids. The second reason being that I LOVE to look good; so whatever state of fitness that I consider “good” to me is what I strive to achieve and maintain. I guess the same can be said for my money and finances generally.
You might be wondering what the distinction between money and finance(s) is. Well, I’d say money refers to my current state of liquidity I.e. what I have in cash, near cash and potential cash. Finances however will be the totality of your money, assets and liabilities in the immediate and in the future. I cannot stress this enough – you have to be deliberate about your finances. This is what sets the wealthy people apart. It is a conscious effort to ensure that you have the right strategy and more importantly, that you stay focused and committed to strategy. It is much like owning a business or planning towards our kid’s future, or even our career path at work. For instance, as a business owner, it is hoped that you have a strategy for success that you have identified which you expect will bring you optimal success in your endeavour. So you plow the field, make specific plans, and take daily steps towards this ultimate goal – success.
In the same vein as a mother, it is hoped that you are committed to raising well rounded adults. So you begin daily by instilling the values that you hope will help achieve this great feat. You nurture your kids, you educate them, you talk to them, you ensure that the training and value they require to be well rounded adults are instilled in them daily, in the big and little things that you do and say. I could go on and talk about the career path. One day, you are an analyst. You know that you’d like to move up to associate level in the next 2-3 years and then VP level shortly thereafter. Then you begin to strategize, you take initiative at work, you ensure diligence in the tasks you’re given, you go above and beyond…etc.
That same level of commitment is required to achieve your financial goals. You need to set SPECIFIC financial goals that speak to what you’d like to achieve with your finances. It is not enough to say “I’d like to have N10m in the bank in 5 years” or “I’d like to be rich by the time I am forty” or “I would like to be able afford to pay my children’s school fees without worry” or the winner – I just want to be comfortable”. This is akin to saying, i want to be “hot (er)” but you keep eating all the things that make you “not-hot”.
Speaking with a Wealth Planner is the first step towards achieving a healthy and balanced money and financial life. “A wealth planner or personal wealth planner is a professional who prepares wealth and lifestyle plans for people. These plans often cover cash flow management, retirement planning, investment planning, financial risk management, insurance, tax planning, estate planning and business succession planning (for business owners).” Simply put, a wealth planner can help with setting your financial priorities, mapping out a clear plan towards achieving them and stay with you to ensure the identified path is followed through.
Remember, looking good is feeling good…so also, a beautiful asset base is bae!
…deliberately wealthy
Leave a Reply