Full confession: I used to be glued to CNBC and all the talking heads on anything related to the economy. I made a point of keeping up to date on currencies, the latest stock prices and anything news worthy related to money. If it had to do with the economy or the markets I wanted to know.
Then I stopped… for a while.
I realized that trying to keep up with all the news and the economy was impossible. Plus a lot of the time there wasn’t any news.
But a 24 hour news station can’t say: “Nothing new to report, try again tomorrow.” So they make it sound like something big is going to happen next. But it rarely ever does.
It should have been easy to stop…But like this cute GIF of a puppy, I had to look again and again
As an impressionable 20-something I kept watching. I allowed myself to get sucked in to what was happening to the economy, and worrying about how it could affect the people around us.
24 hour financial news was like a money-nerd drug, the negativity kept dragging me back. It was back when the economy was terrible, or at least that’s what was being told to me in between commercial breaks, and I needed to see if it was going to get better or worse. (FYI, it never gets better when you watch the news, that doesn’t sell).
Then someone said something that made me break away from it.
“How’s your personal economy?”
“Huh?” I replied, never getting what they were saying (by now you should know I’m a slow learner,…like turtle with a broken foot slow)
“Well, the economy might be in shambles. But how are you doing? How’s your personal economy?” He asked.
It gave my head a shake. Until then I was always tying my fate to the masses.
You see my friends, markets are going to do what they are going to do. You don’t get to control that anymore than you can control the tides.
But your personal economy, that is something you have total control over.
The real question is: How is your personal economy doing?
Your big focus should be on your personal economy. How you are doing in the economy of your own life.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you making more this year than last year?
- Have you been growing your income streams?
- Do you have income streams, or is it just one stream?
- Have you gotten rid of useless expenses?
- Do you need to start working on ways to build up your reserves, cut expenses, and invest?
Taking stock of where you are is a great way to know if you are moving ahead, stalled out, or falling behind. By ensuring that you have been growing your personal economy what happens around you has little to no impact in your life. But it’s easy to look at everyone else’s personal economy and judge ourselves by their yardstick.
You see, we all have a tendency to compare ourselves to others.
It’s normal, and it’s wrong.
We shouldn’t compare ourselves to others. You didn’t have the same opportunities and set backs as me. So why would you compare yourself to me?
Side Note While We Are On Comparing Ourselves To Others
If you must compare yourself to someone else. Compare all of them to all of you. Not just the part they have that you want. That’s too easy and it’s what everyone else does. Everyone else is miserable from playing the compare game. So next time you compare your financial situation to someone else and feel bad, I want you to also compare health, happiness, family life, friends, enemies, and lifestyle. If after comparing every aspect of someone else life you still want it. Then start figuring out how you can lead a similar life. But I’m guessing after doing the full comparison you won’t feel as good about that other persons life.
Let’s Get Back To Your Personal Economy
You need to think of yourself as self-employed. Not because everyone on the internet says being self-employed is the be all, end all. But because you need to hold yourself accountable to yourself. Not the person who signs your checks.
When you start seeing yourself as “self-employed” you will realize that you are in full control of your income, your life, and your personal economy. There’s a lot to be said when you feel like you are in control of your life. Life shifts to a better perspective.
Seeing yourself as self employed will strengthen your vision. You will feel empowered. Don’t get me wrong, it can be scary at first.
Many people… ok most people, shy away from it.
Taking responsibility for everything in your life isn’t easy.
But it is rewarding.
Because by taking control of your life and your personal economy you get to build something amazing. You get to build a life that is entirely yours. That my friends is a life worth living, because it’s yours.
Consider this your wake up call. A better life is out there and you deserve to go out and get it.
So get out there and start building your better personal economy! And stop comparing yourself to others, you’re one of the awesome ones!
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So many things in life are mindset related – considering yourself “self-employed” is a powerful one. I remember when I realized I had to be my own advocate, it was a big change. Until that point, all through school, you just followed the path. You advance through the various grades, you graduate, you move onto another school… etc. You didn’t really have to be your own advocate, your grades spoke for you. Then you hit the real world and the grades become subjective and the rules of the game change on you. 🙂
I like to think life is 80% mindset 20% mechanics, if you can get your head right you can be best prepared for what is ahead. I hear you on the self-employed thing, the first time I heard it my whole life shifted. It was a big change in my finances.
Those questions – particularly: Are you making more this year than last year? Have you been growing your income streams? are though to ask but need to be. Lethargy and procrastinating is not a choice.
Great read… So true that there’s way too much investment “noise” out there.
Your idea on thinking like an onwer is a good one. It makes you think bigger and broader. Thanks for sharing!
Extreme ownership/responsibility. I love it. Once I realized that no one cared more about my life and personal economy than I, everything changed for the better. I also got a boost from ditching cable almost three years ago. The “noise” only made me covet things I didn’t need and fret over things I couldn’t control. Very insightful post, my friend. Thanks.
I like the philosophy behind this post. I have houseguests at the moment and they switch on the news Every. Single. Night.
I stopped doing that a year or two ago. (I figure that if we declare war on a country, someone will tell me…!) The noise and doom and gloom is amazing. And they drink it up by the bucketful.
I gave it up years ago and have felt better since. Every time someone comes up to me and says “Did you hear about (insert gloomy news here)” I just stare at them and say, “Nope, don’t watch the news.” Helps avoid the awfulness out there for sure!