I haven’t written anything in weeks, not a blog post or any other writing project. Not because I didn’t want to. Not because I ran out of ideas (my notebook is full of them). But because life filled every available corner.
My Mam was here. Work was full on, and still is. There were dinners and friend catch-ups and the kind of everyday busyness that feels lovely in the moment and exhausting in hindsight. Somewhere in there, I missed things I genuinely enjoy. I forgot to go online and choose my free tree from the council’s urban tree canopy project. My lovely neighbs have just had their trees delivered and planted. I didn’t carve out time for writing projects that light me up. Even this blog quietly slid down the priority list and social media has dropped off the radar completely!
Some things simply had to give.
And that’s the part we don’t talk about enough. When life gets full, we don’t drop everything evenly. We choose, consciously or not, what survives the season.
Here’s what didn’t get dropped. Every single week, I kept my financial date with myself. Yup, every week.
Saturday morning or sometimes Saturday afternoon, I sit down for at least an hour. I check my accounts. I look at my investments. I glance at market sentiment. I review what’s come in and what’s gone out. I work out what assets I’m buying this next month to keep me balanced. But mostly, these weekly finance dates are all about awareness.
It is non-negotiable.
What surprises my family I think, is that I actually enjoy it now. That was not always the case of course. There was a time when looking at my accounts felt uncomfortable, even slightly nauseating, thank goodness I got out of that terrible cycle and mindset. Avoidance was easier, but it’s also expensive. It costs you clarity, confidence, and opportunity (time in the market is your biggest win).
Over time, something shifted though. The more consistently I showed up, the less emotional it became. The more I learned and the more confident I became, it stopped being a test of whether I was “good with money” and started being a practice. Like brushing my teeth (but more fun) or going for a walk. Just something I do because it keeps things healthy.
So, when life got busy these past few months, writing could wait. Choosing a tree could wait too apparently. Other projects were all paused. But my financial date could not.
In my humble opinion, health and money are the two pillars that quietly shape almost every decision we make. If those two things wobble, everything else feels harder. If those two things are steady, life is much easier to deal with, even in chaotic seasons.
I don’t think everyone needs a Saturday ritual like mine. Maybe yours is every payday. Maybe it’s the first Sunday of the month. Maybe it’s 30 minutes midweek with a cup of tea and your banking app open. It’s the cadence that matters, just get started.
Put it in your calendar and protect that time likes it’s your first born. Treat it like an appointment you would never cancel on someone else. Because that’s exactly what it is. It’s an appointment with your future self.
So what will you do in this time you’ve allocated? Look at your numbers. Know what you’re invested in and why and if you’re not, why not? Learn about investing, go onto websites such as Questrade Learning or Morningstar Classroom to get started – or buy my book and I’ll talk you through step by step! If you are invested, notice changes in the market, in the balance of your assets and make small adjustments when needed. Let familiarity of your financial situation replace the fear or confusion that usually hangs around you when you think about money.
You don’t need to become obsessed with money (like me haha). You don’t even need to optimize every percentage point. But you do need to pay attention.
Life will always get busy, heck, I might not be back on here for two months! There will always be seasons where something has to give. The key is deciding in advance what you refuse to drop. As I mentioned, for me, it’s my health and my financial date. Everything (and everyone) else can shuffle around them. And deciding on these priorities changed everything.
If you don’t already have a financial date with yourself, this is your sign to schedule one. Open your calendar right now and block the time. Go on… Weekly, biweekly, monthly, whatever works for you. Protect it that time, and show up.
You wouldn’t ignore your kids for months at a time – that’s kind of frowned upon. Your money deserves the same respect and the same nurturing.
Small, consistent attention changes everything. Your future self will thank you.
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