How you spend and manage money is a tangible way to measure your
values.
1. Are you able to keep the promises that you make?
When you borrow money you are making a promise to the person or
financial institution that you borrow from to pay the money
back. Is it more important to keep your promises to your friends
and family who probably won't legally make you pay the money
back or is it more important to pay the financial institution
that can ruin your credit score and will more likely use legal
options. Perhaps you honor all of your obligations in an equal
fashion, either trying your best to keep your promises or
breaking your word.
2. How much money do you give back to others?
There is usually a correlation between the percentage of your
money that you give to others who are less fortunate and the
amount of time that a person volunteers to help others. The
percentage of money that you give also will give you an idea of
how self centered that you are. If you do not give a large
percentage of money it does not make you a bad or a mean person,
it just may be time to reflect upon what you truly believe in.
3. Are you a spender or a saver?
This is an area where moderation is probably the best thing to
strive for. People who never have two nickels to rub together
are living in the moment with no sense of what the future will
bring. They are more likely to live the rest of their lives this
way by making decisions with out properly measuring the
potential future impact. Many adults with ADD are prone to these
impulsive decisions and need to pay special attention before
making any big decision. People who save every penny never truly
live in the moment and deny themselves of the little joys of
life.
The most important thing that you should take from this article
is that the way you mange your money often tells a lot more
about your values than what you say or what you tell yourself
that you believe. How you spend your money is physical proof of
your values. The good news is that you can change your habits
with money to reflect the values that you want to have.
About the author:
John MacKenzie is the assistant director of
ADD Classes. He also writes
a blog titled
Adult ADD
and Money.
