Here’s the deal. No one cares about the money you make more than you.
That’s right. Nobody.
Not your mom. Not your family. Not your wife or husband. Nobody.
Let that thought percolate.
Your money, Your choices
Only you know what it has taken to earn your money. The sacrifices it takes, the choices it reflects. Only you’ve sat all those hours at the office, or been on your feet selling all day, or been in classroom teaching kids that sometimes seem not to care.
Do you think anyone else knows about those few dollars you’ve stashed away from your job as a kid? You’re the only one who remembers where it came from. How sweet it felt to hustle for it. How could anyone else know these feelings?
So I’m betting that money means something to you. It represents effort. No matter how much or how little money you’ve earned is an achievement.
It’s also your stake for the future. You have the chance to try to make it grow. To make it work for you to achieve your goals–whatever those are.
Just stay aware
As we start making responsible money choices all you need to remember is that no one cares more about your money than you. That one thought alone is enough to get you started. It will let you bounce back from setbacks and stay on your path.
So if no one cares more than you about your money, do you think they’ll look after it with the same care you will? Something tells me they will not.
Let it act like a little spark of awareness. You care about your money. You should know something about it. Maybe that awareness will start to bother you enough to take some basic steps towards securing and building your stake. Or at least it may drive you to get smarter about the impacts of the decisions you make and don’t make.
By the way, this isn’t a personal attack against financial advisors. Some offer valuable expertise. But they won’t spend as much attention on your finances as you. They just aren’t as compelled too. They have lots of different clients. They have their own money to deal with. They won’t feel the loss of a few thousand dollars like you. They even get paid in a way that doesn’t always align their incentives perfectly.
Bottom line: No matter how good they are, they will never be in your shoes.
Because you worked so hard for your money it would be a shame to lose it through apathy, fear, or ignorance.
Losing money on an investment is OK. Pissing away your money because you’re paralyzed about acting is avoidable. Thus you should avoid it.
You just have to care…a little.
Last modified: January 5, 2015
