Today I’d like to talk about financial fitness. What prompted me to make this video this week is that I went to see my accountant. Some of you may know that about 10 or 11 years ago, I lost everything—all my money—due to an unwise investment. There was codependency involved in that, as well as my own failure to recognise the signs.
Since then, I visit my accountant every month for what we call “financial fitness.” I check every month how things are going. I went last month because it’s coming up to the end of the financial year here in Australia. I just want to share how much relief this gives me and how it helps me relearn financial management. I’m taking steps to hold on to what I’ve got now and not make the same mistakes.
I thought it might be helpful to others to share this little tip that I’ve incorporated into my financial life. You can say what you like about money not mattering, but we all need money to live. When you lose it all, you realise how important it is. Money is a part of our being; it’s energy. I’ve done a lot of work around the energy of money—how not to waste it and how to respect it. Like everything else in life, money will stay with you if you respect and value it.
Another thing I’ve done over the last three or four years, which has been really helpful, is hire a bookkeeper. We meet every month to make sure everything is on track. I used to think I could do it all myself and didn’t need to pay anyone else. However, paying her to do my books is worth every single cent for my emotional well-being. In the past, I’d procrastinate on bank reconciliations, leading to a backlog. We all know how that can snowball.
From a financial and emotional standpoint, these practices give me huge relief and keep me on track. My accountant and I also have little chats about how I could expand financially, like preparing throughout the year to avoid a big tax bill at the end. I thought this might be helpful for others to know. The money I’m investing in these services is invaluable for my financial and emotional well-being.
Thank you.
