What is Your Why? {Day 1 of 21 Days of Hope + Help for Your Money}

This is Day 1 of 21 Days of Hope + Help for Your Money, a series providing you encouragement and tips to start the year off on a note of hope. For future posts, come back daily or subscribe to have them emailed directly to you.

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

Why do you want to improve your finances? This question may elicit an eye-roll or two. Don’t we all want to improve our finances so we can be financially secure? Well, yeah, but we each have a deeper reason than that. You have a deeper reason than that. You have a “why.”

Your “why” is the motivation behind wanting to improve your financial situation. It answers these questions:

Why do you want to be financially secure?
What does it mean to you?
What will financial security allow you to do?
What does it look like for you?

It’s bigger and deeper than a financial goal. It’s your financial purpose. Think of your “why” as an umbrella over your financial goals.

When your “why” is unclear, then it’s easy to be a “financial wanderer” and make decisions that are contrary to your overall purpose. But when it is clear, it gives a reason for the sacrifice and the hard work necessary to meet your financial goals.

If you have to cut back on your spending or pick up another job, keeping your “why” in front of you helps you remember that those sacrifices are temporary and they’re not in vain.

Your “why” could be early retirement or living a life of generosity or changing your family’s financial legacy. It could be any number of things. There’s no right or wrong “why” or one that is more worthy than another.

Your “why” is uniquely yours and once you are aware of it, you’ll have a better perspective on the “what” and the “how” of managing your money.

Action Step

Identify Your Why

Take a moment to define your “why.” What’s your motivation behind wanting to improve your finances? Write your “why” down, and put it somewhere you can see it.

It could be a note in your wallet, on your fridge, or even a memo on your phone—anything that will serve as a reminder of what you are working towards.