What Can You Do to Avoid a Conversation With Your Financial Doctor?

Have you ever been in a hospital room, either as a visitor or a patient? I find hospitals kind of freaky; the hard beds with clean, starched sheets; the colourless, sterile environment that doesn’t speak of life and vitality; the quietness about hospitals that I think adds to the mystique; and flowers, loads of flowers.

Hospitals are always busy. Nurses move about swiftly, reminding me of busy bees collecting pollen. The silence is dissected by the monitors beeping three rooms down the hallway. The person in the next bed is trying to read their magazine while listening to your conversation. The hallways are full of all sorts of people, most of them wandering around in a daze trying not to get in the way.

And then there’s the conversation you have with the doctor…

Delivering news as a doctor must be tough, especially when there is no message of hope. As a financial coach I am happy that, no matter how bad the news, my news is never fatal.

But there is a responsibility of a doctor that I share as a financial coach and that is this: highlighting behaviours that cause the illness or injury so that future pain can be avoided.

That’s why I help people to overcome unhealthy financial habits. It’s those little habits that most people are not even aware of that cause the most long term damage. What are some of those habits and how can you make sure they don’t lead to an unwanted conversation with your financial doctor?

Perhaps some of these unhealthy habits sound familiar:

Not having a clue where the money goes, but being very aware that there is none left!

Constantly arguing about money with family, stressing that others waste it and not being able to work together on future goals.

Always being bombarded by bills, never knowing where the next one is coming from or how it’s going to be paid.

Knowing that you are role modeling bad behaviours to your kids, but not having any idea what to do to change this.

Let’s not spend all our time together focusing on the negative, rather let’s keep our eyes on the life we want to live and the future we dream of living.

What can I do to help people who may have one or two unhealthy financial habits?

When I teach people about money I teach them strategies that my wife and I used to take control of our money, simple things we did to overcome all the unhealthy financial habits you read about above. These principles are not rocket science, but easy to apply if you do them in the right order.

Here are some positive examples of what your financial life can look like ensuring you do not have to have that conversation with you financial doctor:

Understand and apply powerful money mindsets that give you the control over your money.

Put simple and proven strategies in place that give you the ability to achieve more with the money you have.

Start having positive money discussions with your spouse that do not lead to arguments.

Resolve differences so that all family members are happy with financial decisions.

Accelerate progress towards financial success, building a legacy that will outlive you.

Pass on constructive financial disciplines to future generations so they do not make the same mistakes you did.

You can learn the financial habits required to achieve this kind of lifestyle. And when you do, imagine the hugely positive overflow that you will experience in other areas of your life.

How do you get your hands on the information that will give you this?

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