The same value tradeoff is at work when we decide where to spend our limited time. For most of us, when we have finished work, we want to kick back, relax, or choose a way to have fun. And popular culture accommodates us with all sorts of possibilities for how we spend our time. We are surrounded with images of carefree people sipping cocktails, sailing at sunset, and building sand castles on the beach.We are encouraged to watch the latest movies, join friends at trendy restaurants, or drive the vehicle of our dreams - at top speed - through fantasy city streets or mountain scenery. But if we look at where these messages are coming from, we find that most of our ideas of pleasure come from marketers intent on splitting us from our money. Ford, Bacardi, and the travel industry are not concerned with our well-being. They are Pied Pipers seducing us to come out and play.
It is easy enough to fall for these messages and to believe that material goods and indulgent experiences bring us the pleasure we crave and deserve. But wait. Maybe we could substitute learning to become "Captains of our own Financial Destiny" and find great pleasure in that. If you think about it, most of our ideas of fun are like empty calories in a candy bar. There is an immediate rush and then emptiness later. But when we begin looking at our financial chores as activities that can really bring us pleasure, and if we factor in personal satisfaction, we get the best of both worlds. By replacing that candy bar with a power bar, we satisfy our immediate craving and have the rush, but we continue to feel good later.
Looking for more personal satisfaction in our otherwise "boring" dayto- day activities can be incredibly rewarding. Billie Jean King, the grand slam tennis champion whose crusading efforts helped revolutionize the landscape of sports and society, won a huge honor when the U.S. Open complex was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. When describing in Sports Illustrated her inspiration to learn how to play tennis in the first place, she said, "It's about learning your craft. That's a wonderful thing - especially with today's consumerism and instant gratification. You can't buy that."
Given that you are reading this article, you have made a decision to become competent about your financial management - to hone this all important craft. Tackling your spending priorities, bringing your goals in sync with your values, and learning to save and invest wisely are all endeavors similar to Billie Jean King's (and Andy Roddick's, Serena Williams', and the Pro's at your neighborhood tennis center). Watch them in your mind hitting tennis ball after tennis ball after tennis ball after tennis ball to become masters of their game. In fact, getting on top of your financial game can be absolutely as rewarding as winning at any sport or activity you enjoy. It can be your "next wonderful thing." It all comes down to altering your definitions of "fun" by setting aside time to discover the more lasting pleasure that comes from knowing, "Yes, I can do this!" while building a solid financial base for the future.
Remember when you learned how to drive a car? You sat through drivers' education classes, went out on the road with a trained instructor, and practiced with a patient adult who guided you and offered encouragement. There might have been a few halting moments or times when you accidentally went into reverse instead of first gear. You might have heard gasps from the parent in the passenger seat, but one day you "got it," and you confidently maneuvered through traffic on your own. From then on, knowing how to drive has enriched your life in too many ways to count.
Researchers call the feeling of pride in accomplishment "self-efficacy," a hallmark American value." Until we get to that point, however, another trait is also at work: resistance.We stubbornly resist change and experience negative attitudes about whatever it is we think we do not want to do. But the problem is that most people don't know what they don't know. They don't realize how much their lack of knowledge about financial topics is hurting their financial situation.
It is so natural for us to avoid change that before we actually try something new or different, we can stubbornly cling to the notion that we just don't like doing it! How silly is that? Peggy remembers that feeling all too well. Until she examined her relationship to her money and finances, Peggy was a person who, like many people, "hated all things financial."
Exactly why Peggy felt financially timid doesn't matter. When her finances were in trouble, Peggy assumed that she wasn't good at dealing with financial matters. She left the bills to her husband and refused to deal with financial matters or to even talk about finances. It was years before she decided that she wasn't being fair and started to pitch in. She was stunned when their finances began to interest her. One day as Peggy pored over the family finances, she remembered that she had been very frugal when she was a poor college student. She stretched her budget so tight that she could hear her pennies scream. Remembering those days helped Peggy to take charge and get over her fear. Peggy knew she could always go back to being college-thrifty if she had to. Her "Eureka Moment" was just that simple.
Peggy decided to dive into the investment side of their finances. Newly competent and no longer afraid, she and her husband found a gifted advisor. They also hired a certified public accountant for tax planning. They found out quickly enough that two heads were better at planning a financial future than just one. Long story short, Peggy no longer had to stay on the sidelines of this essential part of their family life. She changed her poor judgment about her abilities and got back in the game - to her husband's relief and her own increasing pleasure. You may be like Peggy, who built the idea of financial management into a chore that was beyond her ability, when in fact, she had known the basics all along. Perhaps it is something you have not yet learned that will lead you to your Eureka Moment. The best way to reach that Eureka Moment is to start small. You do not need to commit to extravagant goals. According to a study by the Fannie Mae Foundation, if a task is perceived as difficult, it is seen as undesirable. A lot of people have the perception that managing money is difficult, that they are not good at it. But learning influences action, and learning also changes attitudes. After receiving even a modest level of education, most people realize it isn't rocket science and gain more and more confidence. Basically, what this means is that personal financial planning and managing money has gotten a bad reputation. But learning just a little bit will lead you to discover that, like driving a car, you can do it.And if you do, you will enrich your life in ways too numerous to count.
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