Financial New Year’s resolutions rarely stick. These reflections help you rethink money and focus on ‘big life’ questions.

Well here we are. The dawn of 2022. It’s the time of year you’re likely hearing from your bank and financial adviser and every “finfluencer” on the planet that you should be setting some financial new year’s resolutions.

And whilst many financial and business advisers are wound up ‘wealth’ and bogged down in ‘balance sheets’… we’re here to tell you this is not the most important thing that we do. In fact, it utterly undersells the depth and gravity of the coaching we actually provide.⁠

⁠A good financial adviser is actually here to ask the ‘big life’ questions; mediate those critical ‘what’s it all for’ conversations; celebrate you as you bend and weave on your chosen quest.⁠⁠

Money is just an enabler… the keys… a tool. It’s the thought behind it and what you choose to do with it that really counts.

So we’ve pulled together a little list for you. Here are the things we think are really worth reflecting upon at the dawn of a new year. ⁠

Whether you own, lead or work in a business OR are simply looking to make your laps around the sun a bit more meaningful, there’s something in this for you. 

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What is actually ‘enough’?

What does it mean to you? When is it, where is it and how do you manifest it? 

Giving ‘enough’ some considered thought can reveal crucial life decisions or shifts you need to make. It also might just reveal ‘enough’ is closer than you thought and not actually on the other side of that next <pay rise, expensive car, big house>.

What’s one thing that would improve your sense of work/life balance?

There’s so much talk about work/life balance; especially after two years of WFH and the blurred boundaries of both.

The 40 hour work week was introduced by a bunch of stonemasons here in Melbourne in 1856, before catching on worldwide. It was a great idea then. But what’s next?

What’s better suited to your present and future self, and how can you start shifting in that direction now?

How can you build a ‘craft mindset’ in your current role?

More than big bonuses or flashy job titles, we know that it’s actually in the pursuit of craft that we find purpose and the great satisfaction of mastery.

So, how can you push your own role and/or your thinking from ‘going to work’ to ‘honing my craft’? How can you seek out mastery in what you currently do?

What did you suck at last year?

We all suck sometimes. It’s just that simple. So, what was a big flop for you in 2021?

What learning did you take from this experience? And, how could you harness this discomfort into meaningful growth for next time?

What’s one obstacle that stood between you and your goals in 2021, and how will you tackle it this year?

What got in your way and knocked you off your course?

Did someone or something derail your progress towards your goals? What was your part in this?

How will you get on the offence to ensure you’re equipped to weather the knocks that may await us in 2022?

Were your failures actually derailment, or simply delay?

We all know the past two years have strained plans, dashed hopes and left our goals bruised and battered.

If you’re in the process of building towards your next role, leading a team or running a business, it’s easy to feel ‘derailed’ or ‘defeated’. But we’re here to say: so you didn’t advance your goals as you’d hoped last year… who cares. You’re living through a global pandemic. Life is a bit upside down at the moment.

So, rather than see 2021 as a wash out, it’s really helpful to reframe your disappointment as temporary ‘delay’. Those with growth mindsets are quick to recognise that failure is not a permanent state and that means anything is possible for 2022. Onward Ho!

Who was in your corner last year?

Who fronted up when you were down? Did someone get in your corner and have your back?

Name them. Then make a plan to nurture those key relationships in 2022.

If you’re feeling extra inspired, take the step to let them know you noticed, and appreciated their support. Everyone loves to be acknowledged and you’ll be building bridges with those who are likely to be your biggest allies in the new year.

Whose corner were you in?

Who did you get behind when their going got tough? What did you do and what might you do differently next time?

How did you make the world a little bit better?

Not every great deed is front page news. What did you and yours do to shift the needle, spread kindness, do good and make the world a better place?

Did you give your time, energy or money to something that matters? How did you make an impact?

And, what will you do in 2022?