Your Money Mission Statement
Details
Kim Potgieter
This is my purpose – to search for teachers who inspire me, to inspire as many people as I can, to be brave while doing it and to purposefully help others with their relationship with money. My money mission as a Certified Financial Planner® is to share my learnings about money relationships and to transform mindsets to align money with meaning to enable positive transitions.
I am as clear on this as I am on my Life Plan. But it’s not always been a clear path for me. To get to this point took a good dose of hard work and a huge dollop of courage.
I’ve had a long, personal struggle with my money story and believe wholeheartedly that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. In my search for learning about our relationship with money, I came across many references to David Krueger. After reading his book, The Secret Language of Money, I enrolled for his coaching course and qualified as a New Money Story® Mentor Coach in 2016.
This has helped me to understand my money story and in turn, I am better able to help my clients put money its proper place. I truly believe that if you are able to put money in the right place, it can enable your dreams, making it possible for you to live your best life possible.
Meeting David Krueger
After reading David Krueger’s new book published in May this year, Your New Money Story – the Beliefs, Behaviors and Brain Science to Rewire for Wealth, I really wanted to connect with him again. I was ready to learn more, and the teacher appeared when David Krueger invited me to lunch during my recent visit to the States.
He generously shared all his wisdom and I am excited to be sharing one exercise with you that has helped me stay focussed and prioritise what means the most to me.
Why a money mission statement?
Planning for your life is as important as planning for your money. Knowing what you want to achieve and then formulating a clear vision for your life is the most important step to achieving your goals and dreams. And your money enables your vision. So it makes sense then, to have a clear vision for your money – a money mission statement.
A money mission statement defines the essence of your financial goals and the philosophies underlying them. It declares the meaning, use, and value of money to you and clearly defines the purpose of money in your life.
Writing your own money mission statement
Step 1: Write your current money story
Start by writing an outline for your money story: where you are in your story with money, how far you’ve come and how far you have to go to reach certain goals.
Step 2: Identify your core values
Knowing what our core values are is vital if we want to understand our relationship with money. Our core values set us on a clear course and provide a compass for our life path. You may have done this exercise before, but please re-visit it, as your core values may have shifted or evolved. Click here to find David Krueger’s exercise on identifying your core values or principles.
My core values are Learning & Authenticity.
Step 3: Define your purpose
Think about what motivates you; what matters most; the reason you get up in the morning.
Step 4: Strategy
How will you achieve your purpose? Think about your plan of action and write your strategy down. It is helpful to keep a journal and refer back to your notes as often as you can.
My action plan started by qualifying as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional and to continue researching, learning and studying all aspects of life planning, money stories and how our psychology with money affects our relationships. Not only do I want to help people with their relationships with money, I want to be part of transforming the financial planning industry to a place where money is aligned with the plans you have for your life.
Step 5: Goals
Decide on the steps you will take to realise your purpose. Write down your SMART goals – SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
I have created a vision board that reminds me of my money mission every day.
Taking charge of your life
This process is certainly not easy, and it takes time. Persevere with your thinking and planning, for if you get it right, your life will be one that you design – not one that happens because of circumstances beyond your control. Setting goals and having strategies in place to achieve it, helps you have your money story consistent with your needs and values.
Best wishes,
Kim