Six Steps to a Strong Foundation, and Your Weekly Money Mindfulness Meditation

1. Shuff off the ‘shoulds’.

        – We are told what the holidays ‘should’ be like by mass marketing, by traditions, even the people around us, and all these ‘shoulds’ become stories in our heads.  Releasing stories that take us away from the moment and from our true values is the first step in gaining mastery over your holiday money.

2. Connect with your values.

        – Understanding what is genuinely important to you is essential for good money management.  Your holiday money sits inside of your greater financial picture.  Getting clear about your values and how the holidays fit within them is your next step in gaining clarity on your holiday money.

3. Pick a number.

        – Whether you’ve been wisely saving throughout the year or you plan to find your holiday money in the moment, discover the amount of money that feels balanced within your big financial picture while honoring your situation and your values as your apt amount of holiday money.
                       * Note: Remember the incidentals (happy hours, wrapping paper, underestimating a price point), remember to add roughly 8% for sales tax (it adds up!), and plan for some whimsical miscellaneous spending – ’tis the season.

4. Connect with your holiday vision.

        – Understanding what is important to you this holiday season empowers you to use you money to live your values.  This combined with “Shuffing off the ‘shoulds'” also empowers you to explore how you may create your vision in ways that involve less, or even no money.

5. Align your holiday money with your holiday vision.

        – I find using a money meditation to be particularly powerful here.  It allows you to feel the balance of the many things pulling on your pocket book, and therein feel a balance of how to use your financial resources to effectively honor these.  With my clients, I guide us to identifying percentages and work backwards to specific numbers.

6. Enjoy!

        – With these steps, you’re connected with your values,your vision and your money.  You’re off to a great start!  Connect with the moment, and enjoy!