Hello friend, how are you? No, really…how are you doing? Often when that question is asked, very few people wait for the answer, or very few of us give the real answer. So, I ask again, how are you? If you said you’re worried, scared, stressed or you don’t know, every one of those answers is understandable.

If you said you’re fantastic, feeling good, optimistic or curious about what’s next, those answers can be true too. Wherever you are, whatever you feel, just know that I am both. I am a little stressed, a little worried, a little curious and feeling optimistic.

How can that be? Well, fortunately we are multi-dimensional beings, and we don’t have to be stuck in one feeling. We have permission to change. It gives us a tremendous opportunity to reflect and move forward. Our focus for March is about money. You may wonder, “What does that have to do with reflecting and moving forward?”

Money is one of the main stressors in our lives. Whether we worry about paying the mortgage or rent every month, feeding ourselves and our families or making sure we can retire—managing our finances is important.

My relationship with money has truly evolved, but that evolution came about through reflection and figuring out how I wanted to move forward. To help me do that I downloaded a budget Excel spreadsheet from Etsy and began tracking where my money was going. This may sound boring, but the organizer in my brain fell in love with that spreadsheet! Once I started to understand my financial habits, I could begin to be intentional in how I spent my earnings. Now, I see money as a tool to help me reach the goals I have for the life I want to live. This shift in my mindset taught me to be a better steward of my money. It is true that for most of us, it is not about the amount of money we make, it’s about the money we spend.

The work I do has more meaning, and how I safeguard that income has become paramount. Speaking of work, I know that the rug has been pulled out from underneath thousands of hard-working Americans. The job security we once had isn’t as sound as it used to be. We reached out to our friends at Oxford Planning Group to advise us how to navigate an unexpected loss of employment. I hope it sheds light on what most likely feels like dark and unchartered territory.  

Having a healthy relationship with money can empower us to be clear about what we do and don’t want. There are vacations I want to take, savings I need to start, a child’s college tuition to be paid, a mortgage, and of course, regular old bills. But now I feel much more in control and more prepared for minor unforeseen financial expenses.

In full transparency, I want to make more money, but my reasons have changed. It’s not more money for the sake of having more. It’s having more money for a purpose, and that purpose is to help me build my dream life. Hopefully, a few of the articles this month will provide comfort, direction, and inspiration for you to do the same.