Cash Flow Connections

Cash Flow Connections

At Sophia, we don’t like the “budget” word. Many people have a negative, knee-jerk reaction to budgeting. It’s like a diet; a short-term fix to shed those five extra pounds, or a belt-tightening exercise to pay off that credit card debt. Budgeting feels restrictive, time-consuming, even punitive. A budget is something we usually associate with a problem that needs to be fixed.

Cash Flow Tracking Starts from a Position of Curiosity and Compassion.

Cash flow is really about keeping track, and it’s a mirror for what’s happening in the rest of your life. It’s your money, and you get to make choices about how you’re going to use it. There is no right or wrong way to make those decisions. With choice comes power, and recognizing that you have the ability to choose is empowering.

When the flow is constricted, and the money going out exceeds the money coming in, we get stressed and anxious. We can feel paralyzed, and unable to make choices. If we can overcome our fear, and get to the underlying reasons behind the decisions that led us to this place of constriction, then we can find our power. This is where freedom starts.

Overcoming Fear

So, how do we overcome our fear and look at our cash flow with compassion and a creative mindset? The first step is to create a toolbox for diminishing anxiety and stress. Find ways to get out of negative patterns. Start by adding one thing to your routine that makes you happy or makes you feel good. Take a walk around the block every morning before breakfast. Put on your favorite music while you make dinner and dance around the kitchen. Have a candle-lit bubble bath. Set aside ten minutes to do a morning stretch with the sunrise. Do something nice for yourself.

We know, you’re wondering what candles and stretching and dancing have to do with cash flow. What we want is for you to get out of the anxiety mindset and into a creative space where you can think clearly.

“We’ve seen it over and over — once people find calm, they find choice, and with that choice comes power.”

Managing cash flow is fundamental to getting your whole financial world in order. It’s an opportunity, not a punishment. The cash-flow mindset versus the budget mindset is an issue of perspective. If you see your money as a flow rather than a problem to solve, you’ve improved your relationship with your financial situation by changing your perception. Find your flow, own your power to choose, and financial freedom will follow.

Listen to Wise Money Moves Podcast, Episode 4, to hear Tracy and Kamal talk about cash flow connections.