Over the last two years our nerves and our values have been tested, but this will probably not have been the first time in your life. It’s only in moments of utter calm ( rare as they are) or stress that we are forced to consider what matters to us most.
You can watch my Fireside Chat on this topic!
While we all think that money is important, it is valued out of proportion in our lives (Of course, if you are homeless and starving then money to find food or shelter is of life and death importance). The fact that you have the technology to read this article suggests you are not in this position.
To prove the point further, the chances are someone will always lend you money when you need it most, but in those final hours when you are desperate for time… while many may want to… no-one can lend you more TIME!
How has this misalignment occurred? We have been very subtly trained to hold this belief from an early age, first through school, peers and family and then as we get older this is re-enforced through marketing and societal values.
Most young people are taught that attending university is crucial and direct path to career and therefore life success. Of course it is also a direct path to £10,000s of debt and more importantly £10,000s of missed earning opportunities as it’s not just the university debt a student must work to clear, but also the lost income.
And there you have it – trapped. Because before you can clear your debts, I guarantee you will have been sold more:
- You need to own your own car,
- You must own your own home,
- You need to wear this brand,
- Own that technology,
- Or even simply buy a coffee on the way to work every day.
But what happened to all your dreams?
I was not super brilliant at school by any measure, I did not find the teaching techniques suited my learning style. As a result I slipped into working at the airport… our local employer.
Strange because my childhood passion was to be an underwater photographer like my hero Jacques Cousteau – where did the dream go?
Later in life I went university achieved a first-class honours degree to prove to myself I wasn’t stupid. I followed that up with a master’s degree and a career as a university lecturer. I was lucky, I am so old that university education was still free then.
I lived in rented accommodation, had no car, no debt and supported my two daughters on just £400 per month (plus rent benefits) and the use of my parents washing machine at the weekends.
I was still following our societal-taught path… work, then eventually take out loans, then work to pay off loans, then buy more and take out more loans and so on until I hit the big time and took out a mortgage!
Then in my case redundancy gave me a wake-up call. Whatever path I was on, of my own design or not, I needed to be in more control of my money.
Through my marriage, my later divorce, then employment, and finally redundancy I was always reliant on someone for money, a husband, or an employer.
Let me take you back to the idea that time is more valuable than money.
Having the freedom to choose how we spend our time is what really matters, that’s the real mark of success… that is where real wealth lies.
If you have followed the current thinking about work being a path to success, then money will become the driver in your life and your passions and spare time just take a back seat.
Yes, we have to work to make money to live to pay our bills. Yet many people do not know exactly how much they need, what they spend their money on and an even more shocking, the reality is that many families don’t discuss money at all!
I encourage you to work out how you want to live FIRST, then how much money you need to live that life. Then we can work out where you can leverage your resources to create the income you need.
What if there is another way where you would be happier, less stressed, more empowered and most importantly more fulfilled.
I am someone that is naturally reflective. I often look back and work out how I got to where I am, what lessons I can learn and what insights can help me shape my future. I know I do that because I know how important time is to me and that I want to live a life of my choosing.
Maybe you want to have more choice in your life. Maybe you want to choose how you spend your time and with whom!
The five principles of a wealthy life are, I believe the steps that I took to change my life from financial dependent to financial independent. I use this methodology with clients to help them regain control and feel more open and relaxed about money. To help families unite over something that strives to divide.
Step 1 – Clarity
What life do you want to live? – it’s the point where you recognise that you want something different from the path you are currently on,
Step 2 – Control
Making conscious your thoughts and behaviours around money – becoming a conscious spender so you can become a conscious investor, of all your resources.
Step 3 – Resources
Recognising what you already have or can control.
Step 4 – Leverage
Understanding whether these resources are working hard so you don’t have to. And finally…
Step 5 – Legacy
Coming to know what change you want to happen in your life and those you care about.
As you complete steps 1 and 2 you actively confirm how much is Enough money that you would not have to work just to pay the bills.
How much do you need each month so that you can choose to spend your time doing what you love with those that matter most? Knowing that number is powerful and liberating.
Knowing that number, ‘Enough” is the first step to making a plan to live the life you want… a life of your choosing. A life centred on the principle that time is more important than money and that money is just a tool for you to create a wealthy life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vicki Wusche specialises in enabling individuals to secure their financial futures, creating wealthy lives and a positive legacy. She is a speaker, author of several books including ‘The Wealthy Retirement Plan’, and has been named as one of the Most Influential People in Property by the Telegraph.
