I had a baby on October 30th. It’s true what they say; it’s easier the second time. I had so much anxiety about everything when my first was born: was he eating enough, why was he making those noises, why did his belly button look like that, would I ever sleep through the night again, etc, etc, etc. Luckily, this time, I’m not late-night doom Googling medical questions, and I’m able to enjoy the experience a lot more (but I still have a tiny baby and a toddler so forgive any typos).
We also have a night nurse who comes three times a week, which has been a game changer. I had a lot of second thoughts after I booked her. I didn’t think I’d want someone in our space and didn’t know if I could trust someone enough to sleep while they were taking care of the baby, but I was wrong. It has made a world of difference. (Side note: I have a benefit through my job called “Carrot Fertility” that covers the cost. If you have that benefit and have questions about using it, feel free to message me! )
I’m writing with less frequency these days but still keeping tabs on everything money-related happening around the world. And a lot is happening. I can tell when we’re in a bull market without even looking at prices because I start getting questions from friends and strangers on investing and cryptocurrency. Investing is psychological, and people feel more comfortable doing it when things are high. When crypto prices are high, and people ask me if they should invest, I generally tell them that the market will likely give them an entry point, that it’s volatile, and to wait until things mellow out, but when a price correction inevitably happens they no longer want to invest. This is when dollar cost-averaging can work well for people. You don’t have to play the mind games, you’re in it and investing consistently, regardless of the prices.
We’re nearing the end of the year, which means it’s time to start mentally taking stock of 2024, the things that went well, the things that didn’t, what you want to achieve in the year ahead, and taking a beat to celebrate our achievements from the year past. These moments of reflection are important because when change is subtle, we often fail to recognize it. We forget how far we’ve come because we’ve been gently shifting, and those small changes don’t feel monumental until you reflect on who you were 12 months ago and who you are now.
And if you don’t feel proud of the last year, that’s okay too. Maybe you feel like you barely survived and you didn’t do 90% of the things you said you would, and you feel disappointed that we’re closing in on another year where you didn’t make the changes you hoped to. Celebrating the victories is fun, but reflecting on what didn’t go as planned is just as important. We’re working on not sweeping anything under the rug and getting honest about what kept us from doing the work we wanted to. It’s also likely that you are harder on yourself than you should be, once you start to reflect, you might realize you did more than you thought. Even being open to thinking and learning about personal finance is a win for many people.
Once we reflect, it’s time to get excited about 2025! They say writing down your goals makes you (approximately) 42% more likely to achieve them. That number seems high, but regardless, writing them down isn’t going to hurt, and it gives us a place to hold ourselves accountable and document our progress over the years. If you’re looking for some inspiration, below are questions I sent out to my Money Talk group at the start of this year.
List 1-3 financial goals you have for yourself this year//
1.
2.
3.
A financial worry or fear you’re currently feeling //
A financial success from 2024 that you want to continue this year //
A word or mantra that embodies your current financial mindset //
1 thing you’re prioritizing spending money on this year //
1 thing you’re prioritizing saving money for //
Anything specific you want to learn about when it comes to money, investing, financial
planning, mindset, etc. //