Do you also sometimes fall into that trap of thinking ‘if I have X then I will be or do Y?’ Like for example;

If I have enough money on my bank, then I will take that trip around the world.

Or

If I get that raise, then I will finally feel secure.

Or

If I have a successful business, then I will give back to others.

The only problem with this way of thinking is that in chasing a goal in the future, you short change yourself in enjoying the possibilities that you already have now.

Goals and Dreams

But what’s wrong with having goals? Shouldn’t we have something to drive us forward? Absolutely, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have pursuits. To think big.

But it’s important to keep in mind that our feeling of ‘having enough’, or the feeling of having a ‘successful business’ are relative concepts.

For by the time you reached your goal, your idea of ‘having enough’ or being ‘successful’ to feel secure will have changed as well.

You Are Richer Than You Think

So, what is the solution? The key is to recognize that you are already richer than you think. And with that I don’t just mean in finances.

You probably already have experience and knowledge right now that you can share with someone else today. Why wait?

If you think getting a promotion or an increase in income will make you feel more secure, think again.

Most people don’t have an income problem, but a spending problem. As your income grows, in most cases so will your spending.

The Latte Factor

In The Latte Factor, David Bach, one of the world’s leading financial experts, tells a parable of a young woman working in New York who can’t seem to get out of her spiral of credit card debt and student loans.

Using an easy to read format of story-telling (Bach wrote it so his 15-year old son would read it), we learn that the young woman starts to live life on her own terms, by changing her mindset on what it means to be wealthy.

A Way of Life

On the surface level, Bach’s book seems like it is about finances, but it is actually deeper than that. It’s really a philosophy for life.

While ‘The Latte Factor’ refers to the amount you could afford to save and reinvest, it is actually not about denying yourself the coffee but an invitation to live life more intentionally. Whether it is your spending habits or the idea that you need something in the future to make you feel happy now.

What could you do today to feel wealthy? Why wait until someday maybe, when in the end, all we really have is now?

“Money is not an end in itself. It is merely a tool to help us achieve some particular goal. If the way we handle our money conflicts with our personal values, we are not going to wind up living happy and fulfilled lives.” 

– David Bach, Author of The Latte Factor