A big reason many of my clients feel at war with money is because they have never figured out with any clarity what they really want with it. They may focus intensely on money, but the focus is on everything that is wrong in their relationship to money and not much on what is right. There is clearly no ease and little grace in this scenario. In my post of May 24 “What Creates Money Peace?” I promised I’d write about clarity and focus in regard to money.
When we have clarity, we can see what is there before us. Both the useful and that which is not so useful. Clarity with money often begins with looking, eyes wide open, at where you stand financially. This means discovering how much money you have, how much you owe, both in monthly expenses and debt, and realistically assessing the value of what you own.
Clarity also means becoming clear about what you want money to do for you. What is your vision for your life and money? What are your goals around money? And how does money fit into the plans you have? What amounts will you require? Where do you intend for it to come from (in-come)?
Once you have some money clarity, it’s time to focus on what is needed to get to what you want. Imagine you want to hit a target with an arrow, but you are in heavy fog and don’t know which direction to aim. You can focus all you want, but until you know where the target actually is, you’d more than likely miss it. So too with money goals. Unless you are clear where you are aiming and THEN apply your focus to take steps to get there, you would be likely to miss. In fact, you might go muddling round and round in a fog.
As you gain clarity, though, and begin to take focused steps, aimed in the direction of what you truly want, you’ll make progress. Staying true to the path, even when there are distractions, takes focus. But the reward is there at the end. You may discover obstacles or challenges that need to be overcome. As you address those challenges, ever keeping your aim at what you want, you will make progress. And the more obstacles you clear, the more you’ll find yourself experiencing greater success. And all this contributes to ease. But only if you let it.
There is grace in keeping your word – knowing what you want and pursuing it with clear intention and integrity. So, really! What do YOU want with your money? If clarity and peace are among the things you want, include it in your vision and plans for your life. And, especially, ask and then hold for clarity and peace with money.