Read enough articles, books, and research on better health and self-improvement and you'll notice a pattern—they almost all encourage a certain activity that seems too simple to have any grand significance. But when you put it into practice yourself, you start to see how powerful it is.
This activity is the backbone of my own financial planning, diet, "fitness" routine, and self-development. I don't even think about it that often anymore, but was reminded about it by a recent video my wife sent me. This activity is simply paying attention.
In the video, Codie Sanchez, a young, successful entrepreneur recounts the advice of a wealthy man, David Osborne, who had asked her about her income, savings, and spending to which she replied that she was not certain of the exact figures. Osborne, a mentor to her, gently admonished her and said that "money is a cruel mistress, if you don't pay attention to her, she will leave you for someone else," she recounted.
This one simple truth transformed how my wife and I managed our own money years ago. We don't do much really, but we review all our spending monthly and hold it up against our typically optimistic budget.
Simply watching something, paying attention to it, can have a potent effect on your behavior. In business circles, there is a saying that suggests you need to measure what you manage. That might be more complicated than what I am suggesting, but the ideas hold the same space...
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