How Not to be Alone in Your Financial Life
As I’m coming off the extra work of putting The Financial Forecasting Experience out into the world (Yay!), I have some space to take stock of where I am in my life and what I want.
This time of year, I participate in Advent Dark Journal, a nourishing practice led by my incredible teacher, Suzi Banks Baum (@suzibb on IG). It starts right after Thanksgiving and goes into the new year. It’s a practice of daily creativity, connecting with nature, writing, bookmaking, and more.
The practices help me make time to care for myself during the holidays when we can run ourselves ragged and focus on other people's needs and wants while putting our own aside.
Advent Dark Journal puts the individual's needs in a prominent place. A place that is quiet and can connect to the self. I love the benefits it brings to my life. I am calm, centered, grounded, and focused on joy and peace.
And I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t in the Advent Dark Journal container. It can be like this in our financial life too.
In The Financial Forecasting Experience, I told everyone that the tools are 20% and that having time on the calendar to show up to spend time with your numbers is 80%. You know the 80/20 rule. It shows up everywhere!
Nothing happens if you don’t do it. And, like self-care during the holidays, it’s easy not to make time for it. I know.
The participants in The Financial Forecasting Experience are showing up, and their numbers are improving. They spend more time with their numbers, and the relationship is deepening. They are getting caught up on their bookkeeping and developing their ability to look into the future financially.
Do you think that would be happening if they hadn’t signed up for this experience and simply intended to do it on their own?
I know I wouldn’t have allowed myself the beautiful mess of art to take over my living room if I wasn’t doing Advent Dark Journal.
I probably wouldn't. But because I have the accountability of being in a group of people working towards peace during the holidays and starting the new year with intention, I show up. I show up because I have this other force of energy calling me in, comforting me, holding me, and helping me feel I'm not alone. It makes me feel hopeful and loved.
I am meeting my needs just like spending time with your numbers meets your business's needs.
One thing that has become clear from leading The Finacial Forecasting Experience is that people could use a lot more support in making time to get their bookkeeping done. In response, we added extra co-working time that is making a difference for people.
A desire for things to be different + time on the calendar + accountability + community = success.
It’s a little early to tell you this, but I’m excited about it! In January, I'm offering Nurture Your Numbers - A Bookkeeping (or any financial task) Co-working time twice a month to support you in taking care of your business finances.
The first session is on January 26th from 3 - 4:30 EST, and it will be the second and fourth Tuesday of each month moving forward. Mark your calendars and start the new year off with support. For things to be different, we need to do things differently.
With love,
Carol
PS. Here is a page from last year's Advent Dark Journal
