The High Seas of Navigating Your Attitude

 I have shared the opinion in prior posts that the ship of personal finance is navigated through rough seas by our attitude. Our attitude? How in the world can my attitude affect how much I make, invest, spend, and what I spend it on? Simply, it makes more of a difference than you could ever imagine.

Positive expressions of your talents, or gifts, allow you to make large life decisions while atop the crest of a wave and not while struggling against the current to gain a vantage point from the trough. Renowned Author John C. Maxwell describes this activity as avoiding making radical decisions in a down-cycle, but rather on the top of an up-cycle. He insinuates that change and decisions made peak to peak have a greater chance to produce successful outcomes.

For example, if my car breaks down on I-55 and leaves me stranded, my odds of buying a brand new replacement under the guise of more dependability, dramatically increase. At that moment my mind leads me to believe I have two choices, this hunk of junk on the shoulder that’s sure to let me down again, or a brand new car with a warranty that will be as dependable as the sun coming up in the morning, my attitude starts to take on water. The problem with that thinking is it lacks rationale facts and I spend more time bailing with buckets than thinking. That decision was made in a trough, a trough that could have set me on a course wrought with pain through a loan, monthly payment, and depreciation that affect my financial wellness. Having the car towed, assessing the repair costs, deciding to fix it, or, if necessary, researching dependable options that fit into my budget would lead me to a decision atop the wave, when land is ahoy!

On a daily basis, controlling your attitude is difficult at best, sometime near impossible. No one is immune from the European debt crisis, governmental struggles, children’s homework, the toy disaster you call the family room, or the looming economic collapse ululated daily by the media. However, the simple step of identifying an oncoming wave and riding out the trough knowing the next crest is coming leads to balanced, calm, factual decisions. Those decisions made in that manner on investing, buying, and budgeting display our navigational prowess over our attitude. The sea of negativity can be tumultuous, but every sea is filled with waves. Look for the crest of the wave and navigate the rough sea in a calm manner by controlling your attitude and responses to problems knowing that attitude is the largest component to winning financially.