Welcome to Under 2, an email series delivering short insights to empower your money life – in 2 minutes or less.
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Sometimes, when helping people clarify their target numbers for spending and saving and setting up a cashflow plan, the hardest part isn’t the math—it’s unlearning the idea that managing money has to be hard.
It’s a natural human assumption that doing something better must mean doing something more difficult. But in reality, much of life simply takes the time and effort we give it, no more, but also no less.
I remember a conversation years ago that completely reframed my thinking about work. Some people believe that working long hours, like staying in the office 50+ hours a week, is a sign of a good employee. But others look at that same scenario and wonder why it takes so long to get the job done, questioning that employee’s competence.
Working more hours doesn’t necessarily mean working better. It could just mean working inefficiently. That simple shift in perspective instantly challenged my assumption that “good” work must mean long hours.
As a homeschooling family, I battle this kind of assumption in my own mind all the time. It’s easy to feel like a “good” education means using a complex curriculum, expensive software, or specialized learning apps. Buying that stuff helps reassure us that we’re doing a good job.
But is all of that actually better than simply reading great books and having thoughtful conversations?
More and more, I find the answer is no.
And when it comes to earning more, saving for a big goal, or building a secure retirement, daunting is the word that usually comes to mind.
True, some things are genuinely difficult, but often, what makes a task feel impossible is our own assumptions.
But when we shift the way we think, we create space for progress. Because more helpful thoughts drive the ambition and energy necessary to move forward, instead of feeding the intimidation and overwhelm that keeps us stuck.
What if you believed it could be easier? What if, instead of pushing harder, you had new ways to make progress while feeling lighter? What if small, simple adjustments, not drastic overhauls, were enough?
It might just change everything.
When we shelve the false assumption that the easier path has to be the inferior path, obstacles fade away.
Greg McKeown in Effortless
When we feel overwhelmed, it may not be because the situation is inherently overwhelming. It may be because we are overcomplicating something in our own heads. Asking the question, ‘What if this could be easy?’ is a way to reset our thinking.
Greg McKeown in Effortless
I hope you enjoyed this edition of Under 2, an email series designed to share quick bites of wisdom to empower your financial journey (while keeping it short). Be sure to sign-up below to get these messages in your inbox.
All for now,
Lindsey