Money Matters 2

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. This challenge offers a chance to build resilience in a very practical way: by being aware of our finances.

Habit:
Pay a bill on time

Daily:
Record (or review) today’s financial transactions

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

Reflection:
This was one of the hardest challenges I’ve tackled–and not because of the content! From a physical perspective, the kind of computer use that it takes to muddle around with my financial records on Mint.com and put together some spreadsheets for my illumination is some of the roughest on my chronic pain. So I took this challenge as an opportunity to practice my self-discipline and patience, only working on it for 15 minutes at a time, a few times a week. And then I had to engage my self-compassion, when I didn’t get it finished by my end-of-the-month deadline! But I’m in the home stretch now, and it certainly feels good to have a better handle on the financial side of life. (Pictured below, a polka-dot plant from the botanic garden of a local college. Strolling through the greenhouse on a winter’s day was some good free fun!)