#GrowYourLife #BuildYourBusiness
Life Area: Personal
Topic: Gratitude
Money is a Tool, Not a Goal
If your goal in life is always to have more money, you will never be satisfied. There will always be an urge to constantly chase money, which will only cause unnecessary stress and dissatisfaction. Conversely, if you view money as a tool to achieve what really matters in your life, you will start to focus on the things that bring you the utmost satisfaction.
In our consumer culture, we’ve been conditioned to believe that buying more stuff will lead to greater levels of happiness. In my experience, this is a horrible misconception. No matter how many possessions you own, there will never be enough. The richest people in the world “have it all” but many are still starving for happiness.
Here are 5 things that I believe you should be spending your money on:
- Experiences
Material possessions may give you a temporary pleasure high, but they won’t lead to lasting happiness and fulfillment. Psychologists call this “hedonic adaptation.” In other words, the excitement of that new car or expensive purse that you buy will quickly fade. However, nobody can ever take away your life experiences.
It’s not until you’ve acquired everything that you realize that these things don’t enhance your life. The exotic cars that I’ve owned will never replace the travel experiences and memory-making with my kids. Money allows you to experience more.
“Set a goal to become a millionaire, for the person it will make you to achieve it.”
– Jim Rohn
- Health
Your mind and body are connected. What you put into your body affects your level of happiness. If you are eating junk food, how do you think you will feel? If you want to be successful in life, you need to make sure that your body is operating at the highest possible level.
Money allows you to invest more into your health. By having money I’ve been able to biohack my health. I invested in things like regular physicals and blood testing and better nutrition to optimize my health, energy and well-being.
- Time
Time is a depreciating asset. You only have so much time, which is why you need to be mindful of how you are spending it and with whom. More money will buy you more time. It is possible that there are things that you are currently doing in your life that are making you unhappy that money can solve for you. This could be in the form of cooking, cleaning or bookkeeping. I encourage you to leverage other people so that you can focus more on what matters in your life and help them earn money for theirs.
- Personal Growth
Investing in yourself is one of the best investments that you will ever make. I’ve spent money on my personal growth and development my entire adult life, and I will continue to do so. The more that I invest in myself, the better quality of life I have. Money can allow you to get access to the best coaches, therapists, trainers, and seminars. Your future depends on your ability to grow and become more. Make it a spending money on personal growth a priority.
- Giving
My happiness levels have been most influenced by my acts of contribution. When you give to others, you experience a sense of fulfillment that is beyond anything you will ever experience. Yes, you’ve heard of my Oaktree Foundation with which my real estate projects contribute back into the communities in which I build. But giving doesn’t have to be big. I carry a case of water in my car for the purpose of giving it out to the homeless that we all see at key intersections and highway exits. I figure that even if they’re not homeless, anyone could use a water if they’re standing in the elements asking for a handout. Seeing the impact of my contribution, whether big or small, is such a humbling experience, because but for the grace of God, there go I. And giving is one of those rare things in life that actual give to you when you are giving to others. So remember, money is a tool that allows you to make a difference in the world.
Money buys happiness.
So you see, in a way money does buy happiness; that is why it is worthy of pursuing. When you know what to invest your money in, it will make a measurable difference in your happiness over the long-term. In the words of Jim Rohn, “Set a goal to become a millionaire, for the person it will make you to achieve it.”
What will you invest your money into? Experiences? Your health? Your time? Your self-development? Your giving? Or, all the above?
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My mission is to inspire people and organizations to live their highest vision.
I am a Success Strategist and Master Coach. I provide transformational coaching and training for individuals and organizations to help you Grow Your Life and Build Your Business by getting clear and focused on what you want, why you want it, and how to create it. Learn more about me at SuccessSeriesLLC.com.
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