Joy to the World
As with many across the world, I love this time of year! I find joy in the spirit of the season, the excitement in my kids, the time spent with family and friends, good food, a pause from the busyness of life, and ultimately the reason for the season!
I also recognized that for many it can be a stressful time of year, especially for those who are financially struggling. I’ve observed in my life and in meetings in my office, that joy is often found when there is hope. If you don’t have hope for the future, or even have a sense of where things stand, it can be unsettling and stressful. If you feel this way about your finances, a little effort to develop a plan can go a long way to providing peace, hope, and joy.
Below are a few ways to bring encouragement to your financial circumstances that may otherwise feel stressful or discouraging.
- Develop a spending plan to make sure you are purposefully spending your money towards what is most important. Be sure that in the end, there isn’t more money going out than coming in. This may sound constricting at first, but a realistic spending plan puts you in control of your finances.
- Set small achievable goals. This could be anything from treating yourself to a small splurge now and then or saving for a vacation, to paying off debts. Setting achievable goals with the expectation of achieving them is motivating.
- Right-size your lifestyle. Make sure that your lifestyle fits within your means. It’s not uncommon for people to let their finances get out of control. When this happens, it may require difficult decisions, but it will likely be worth short-term sacrifice for long-term gain.
- Consider your financial future and things you can/should be doing now to make sure it looks bright.
- Periodically review where your money is going. Does your spending reflect what is important to you or should you make adjustments?
- Count your blessings. We all have things we can be grateful for and pausing to recognize those leads to contentment and a healthy perspective.
- Give to causes you care about. Making a difference by doing your part to help an organization or cause, whether it is donating time, money, or other resources, is a great way to experience joy.
May you experience peace, love, and joy this season. Merry Christmas!
