Financial Priorities

Directing Money to What Matters Most

The way you spend money represents your life's priorities. Although this article is about your finances, it is really about what you believe is important in life.

Looking at someone's bank statements can tell you a lot about who they are. Monthly charges from a gym membership and health food store show a person takes wellness seriously, while charges from liquor stores and fast food restaurants shows the exact opposite.

You've come to this website because you are interested in becoming a better, happier person. When you embark on a path of self improvement there will be several changes that are made along the way. One of the primary changes will involve how you spend your money. It is easy to say you're going to change, it is another thing to put your money where your mouth is.

You have a budget whether you've formally written one or not. You've struck a balance between needs and wants based upon your income. You've also developed financial patterns based upon what you view as necessities. Most times there isn't a lot of extra money floating around, so changing your spending habits to reflect life's top priorities can be uncomfortable. It's easy to justify in your head that you can't afford anything different and remain stuck in the same rut.

I'm not writing this to judge you on buying a new phone on a credit card, but I do want you to take an honest look at your buying habits and see what it says about your priorities.

The confusing part is that every good marketing company trys to justify why their product is the most important thing in life and that you absolutely can't live without. It is easy to get pulled in different directions with your budget.

Is there any way to know what is important and what is hype? The following section describes why your health is #1.

Your Physical Health is #1

Have you ever noticed that the truly inspirational health and wellness experts all have the same story about how they got into their profession? I've spoken with a million of my colleagues and it's always a horrific story about how they (or someone they loved) got deathly ill. Once they got better they understood that there was no higher calling in life than to spread the word about health and wellness.

If you've ever been sick or injured you know how miserable life can be without your health. If you haven't, go volunteer at a hospital for a day or speak with someone who has a chronic disease. They will tell you that they'd do anything to feel better again. They'd sell their house and mortgage their car in a heartbeat. Being sick drastically changes your life, don't let it happen to you! It is never too early to invest in your health, but it is often too late.

In America it is common to have health insurance, but for some strange reason it is uncommon to invest preventive health care. People will spend $300 dollars on insurance every month "just in case", but will avoid $50 a month in nutritional supplements. A dollar investment now will save you a thousand dollars later.

You can choose to manage your health now or manage your illness later. Unless someone figures out to reverse the aging process you'll end up spending money either way. The difference is preventive health care is much less expensive and you get to enjoy all the vibrance of optimal health for decades to come.

I'm not asking you to rearrange your entire budget, I'm urging you to recognize how important your health is and figure out a way to put it at the top of the list. On this website Phase One: Essential represents the most important aspects of life and focuses mainly on your health. Some steps don't have any products associated with them, while others require a small investment in your health. If health is the foundation of happiness, Phase One: Essential products are the bricks and mortar.

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