Money Matters

There are so many aspects to living a vivid, engaged life that carry inherent rewards. It can be easy to overlook the practical parts of life whose rewards come more slowly. The care and attention it takes to be mindful about practical things can really pay off, though, so the time has come for us to engage with one manifestation of our life energy that can often be a source of stress: money. By keeping careful watch over our finances this month, we can gain perspective about where we are directing our resources. We can become more aware of the way money moves through our lives. We can think about the choices we make, and the burdens we struggle under.

Habit:
Pay a bill on time

Daily:
Write down every transaction, no matter how small
Think about what you’re spending money on

To Do:
Sort through your data, and figure out what you spend in a month
Sort through your data, and figure out what you earn in a month
Post to the Guild any interesting insights you’ve gained!

Reflection:
I chose to focus on money in September partially for practical reasons; our household was in a bit of an earnings crunch as our primary wage earner transitioned from one job to another. But also, finances are one of the aspects of life that it makes sense to re-engage with more mindfully periodically, regardless of life circumstances. When things are going well, it’s easy to stop paying attention. Much as I enjoy periodically checking up to see how well I’m doing with my life goals, checking up on how I’m doing with my financial goals just makes good sense.