No One Size Fits All in Finance

I have been ruminating lately on all of the different struggles that some of my clients face with their finances. What has been coming through for me time and time again, is that while there is some advice that is considered universal, there is no one approach to mastering money that will work for everyone.

Each individual will be faced with unique challenges and have, in contrast, their own unique advantages as well. In order for each person to fully benefit from an increased awareness of their financial state they have to first accept that they are trying to create their own mould and not fit into one.

While having certain financial foundations in place, such as a good relationship with credit, emergency savings and budgeting habits are hard to argue against, they may not fit in with your current situation. In the latter cases it may even be something that does not suit your style of living.

You may be perfectly happy operating without a budget or a cash cushion and until such changes you should continue to do what makes you feel most comfortable. While some gurus may consider this disastrous financial advice, I find that altering your behaviour is most successful when you are genuinely motivated by a want to change.

Change in itself works best when it is done in a deliberate manner, and it will stick when you are fully engaged in the process. Being engaged means that the changes that you are making have to resonate with you on a base level.

This is why it is important to not only take the advice of a guide, but to make sure that this advice sits well with you. If you give something an honest try and it leaves you feeling drained and uncomfortable, this could be a sign that you need to direct your energy to improving in another area.

I have learned from experience that trying to enforce a habit change before you are truly ready to do it, is not much more useful than banging your head against a brick wall.

What is needed is that you have a firm sense of what works for you and what does not. It is never too late to take a look at your finances and see if there is anything that you are overlooking or under-doing. Today is always soon enough to make a positive change.