New Year. The time to make resolutions.
I am going to go on a diet. I am going to start a workout routine. I am going to start a skin care regimen. I am going to get a new job. I am going to fix up my house. I am going to take better care of my finances. I am going to start planning for my future.
We all intend follow through with these resolutions. New Year – New You! The holidays are over, and it is time to start fresh.
We clean out our cabinets to get rid of the cookies and chips. We fill the refrigerator with fruits and vegetables.
We join a gym or sign up for a yoga class we have been meaning to try.
We create a profile on LinkedIn and send a resume to Indeed.
We spend a fortune on new skin products that claim to make us look younger.
We begin to look at paint colors or wallpaper to freshen up our homes.
We pull out all our financial paperwork to try to make sense of it, or call our financial advisor hoping for a new way to make money.
We all have good intentions. We may follow through on some of our resolutions, but often they fail.
We may try just one cookie, which turns into five. We may go to the gym or yoga once or twice, but then find it hard to fit into our schedules. We may settle back into our jobs and feel that maybe it’s not “worth it” to make a move. Those skin care products may do nothing more than take up space in our bathrooms. We may feel that our old paint color is just fine.
One of these resolutions may be easier to keep than you realize – taking care of your finances.
Sometimes, even though something may not appear to be broken, it still might need to be fixed. You might stick with the same financial plan year after year. Although that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is very easy to get “stuck” doing things the way you have always done them.
Today, sticking with the status quo on certain things might be fine. There would be no consequences if you did not change your paint color or if you decided you disliked those new moisturizers.
But, in the world of finance, sometimes things may need some shaking up. We all need to plan for our futures and make sure we are financially fit. Most of us do not worry about retirement when we feel it is something way off into the future. The truth is, “not doing anything” catches up with you pretty quickly. It is important to have strategies in motion so that you are prepared for a financially fit future.
We all need a little help sometimes. If you need help with losing weight, you may go to a program such as “Weight Watchers”. They help you achieve your goal by holding you accountable. You need to check in with them to see how you are doing, plus they cheer you on in the process.
It can be the same with finances. It is so helpful to have someone who supports you and holds you accountable for taking care of your money, which will help to pursue your own goals and dreams.
It is never too early to evaluate, or reevaluate, where you want to go, and how best to get there.
Putting off taking care of your finances today will only mean that they will need to be addressed tomorrow. Wouldn’t it be a comfort to know that you are in good hands and on your way to a financially fit future? I know it is for me ��