January is great time of year for fresh starts. Lifestyle Guru and ‘organising consultant’, Marie Kondo has everybody talking about decluttering your home and only keeping things that ‘spark joy’ in your life.
Inspired by her books and shows, many people follow the simple KonMari Method, focussing on what really matters to them. This got us thinking about how we should declutter our minds and keeping (or starting!) habits that ‘spark joy’ in ourselves each day.
1.Mindful Window Shopping
Making active decisions about what stays with you and what goes is a great skill to practice in all areas of life, so, inspired by this concept, we’ve put together a list of 5 financial habits which may help you find more joy throughout 2019!
How do you feel when you spend money? Do you buy things because they are a bargain? What difference would owning a new item mean to you?
Sometimes the ‘spark’ of joy can come from appreciating the feelings gained from items without actually buying them. A mindful “shopping” spree might help to re-evaluate your spending habits and current possessions, to spark joy in your everyday life. Reflection on about whether you need an item, or how it will make you feel, could be enough to break the buying habit and save for experiences that will make you feel good!Broaden your financial knowledge.
2. Broaden your financial knowledge
Learning new things always gives a confidence boost. Why not learn more about finances, to aid you with conquering financial fears and empower you to take control?
Magenta has various blogs on this topic and toolkits available to download, designed to guide you through key life events and money matters. You can find these here.
Mastering understanding your finances and feeling in control will help you to become more confident, informed and ‘spark joy’!
3. Let go of self-criticism
You might feel like you are not saving enough or you are miles away from your financial goals. As long as you have started and you keep going, you are taking steps towards achieving your goals and you will get better at whatever you set your mind to.
Taking control of your financial goals and finance planning is a long term project – making savings here and there and investing for the long term. Many people feel down from time to time about money, but all you need to do is make a plan and then check you are staying on track, keep focussed on the end goal and you will make it!
4. Ask for help, you’re not alone
If you are honest with yourself, does thinking about your finances and your future ‘spark joy’? If not, do you need help? Asking others for their help is not a sign of weakness. Family and friends can share their experiences and having someone who understands will make a huge difference to how you feel.
You can also have a friendly chat about your financial and life decisions, with Magenta, if you don’t know where to start. We aim to help you feel confident and reassured that your finances are on track to achieve your lifetime security and happiness.
5. Be bold, be honest
Don’t be afraid of setting yourself a target which you feel passionate about, no matter what others think! You should be able to look to make changes in your life which are right for you – but make sure you set a goal that isn’t unachievable and that you put the groundwork in to know what is needed to reach your target (amounts, time frames and make sure to assess any stumbling blocks along the way). If you do this, you can avoid unnecessary stress and pressure.
These 5 habits may seem small and insignificant, however, with the pressures of every day life, with stressful jobs, busy family lives and social media pressure to keep up with popular trends and expensive items it can be easy to get swept along and forget to focus on the bigger picture – ultimately creating more financial strain and worry over money.
We hope you can incorporate these tips to form new habits into 2019 and that your new financial mindset will ‘spark’ more joy in your life!
Guest Blog written by Diana Hall