You’re Not Broke, You’re *Pre-Rich*
Written by Emilie
Bellet. [Cassell. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. London, 2019]
How to streamline your
finances, stay in control of your bank balance & have more £££
CHAPTER 1
What is Money and what
does it mean to you?
Does it make you
happy? How can you use it to make you
happier?
How can we talk more
freely and usefully about our finances?
IT’S NOT REALLY ABOUT
THE MONEY – IT’S ABOUT THE FREEDOM.
In the past hour, in
53 pages, I’ve learnt I treat money like I am only investing in my present and near-future
self. I don’t know and can’t see how to
balance that and introduce investing in my actual future self. Initially intimidated to look at my finances
and assess where I need to improve and how, it is only now that I have been
made redundant and must confront what I have literally got left being whittled
down into nothing, that I am finally facing this daunting task.
However, from chapter
1, I can already see that this does not to be as overwhelming as I have made
it. [Granted, this comes from a very privileged
stance, where I have support behind me to continue living relatively
comfortably should I not make any money in the next few months.] If by using
this book and other tools, and putting on a can-do attitude, I can develop and
learn new habits and plan for a stabler, stress free future, day by day, chapter
by chapter.
The analogy of ‘fixed’
and ‘growth’ mindsets helped a lot. I do fluctuate between wanting to be
challenged and enjoying the hard work, to the imposter syndrome of accepting a
challenge then suddenly thinking ‘I can’t do this, I am not qualified to do
this’ or even not accepting said challenge in the first place due to those intrusive
thoughts. In fact, I am currently in
this vicious cycle with my seemingly never-ending hunt for a new job after
being made redundant at the beginning of February! I do recognise, as Bellet says, ‘None of
us are definitively ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’: we’re all a combination of both.’ And her developed ‘growth’ mindset over time
gives me hope that I too can start on the path to achieve the same. It is all about adjusting your automatic mind
state from feeling ‘daunted by something that initially feels impossible’.
I realise now, that I
have countless examples of moments I overcame such obstacles, where the voices
of negativity and doubt were not loud enough to break my determination to
complete a task. Life is about learning –
so what you don’t know how to do a thing?
Doesn’t mean you can’t learn and complete it. God, the amount of job roles I’ve simply not
applied to because there are one or two requirements on the ad I don’t
recognise as qualities or skills I possess.
You are not supposed to be the complete package from the get-go. Just go in with a will to find out more and
progress, and you can achieve wonders you never thought you could.
No more asking myself ‘What if I fail? What if they realise I’m not good
enough? What if I’m a disappointment?’. Next time and going forward, I will ask
myself ‘What can I learn? Where can I
find the resources? Why don’t I take the leap and TRY before I sell myself short?’
Once I start to apply
this to one part of my life, I know it will start to echo through the others. Yes, I am stuck right now without a job,
during a pandemic and general world crisis.
However, by applying this thinking, I open my eyes up to the many
possibilities I have before me and utilise this time to my advantage - which can
only stand to benefit myself and prospects in the long run, and, who knows, may
be the difference that gets me a new job, or perhaps a new venture. Equally, I will learn from this financially,
and apply it to my spending now [though they be little and based on survival at
the mo’] and to my spending in future. I
need to find that balance between present and future and understand what makes
a good investment in myself to ensure ongoing happiness.
When it relates so
keenly to my contentment in life, the time is now upon me to confront my
finances and financial woes, but I am not as intimidated by that as I was 53
pages ago.
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