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I never thought I’d be one of those guys who enjoyed looking after their lawn, but here we are…
In today’s newsletter I will share with you three money lessons I’ve learned from my journey of lawn maintenance.
1) Weeds and prickles are a sign of neglect
Last year we moved into a rental for the first time.
When we first moved in, all three lawns were in ordinary condition.
- There were dry patches
- There were lots of weeds
- There were prickles riddled throughout
The prickles were particularly annoying because our dog Cosby would roll on the grass and get them stuck all through his fur.
Weeds and prickles in your lawn are a sign of neglect.
They are signs the owner does not care.
And when the owner doesn’t care, the weeds and prickles are free to flourish!
The same is true for your money.
When you neglect to take care of your money, the weeds and prickles show up and take over.
And the longer you let the weeds and prickles take over, the worse things get and the harder it is to get back on top of things.
2) What you appreciate, appreciates
I’d never maintained a lawn before we moved to Adelaide.
I never had any interest in maintaining a lawn. Lawn maintenance was something ‘old people’ did. It wasn’t even our home, why should I bother?
Thankfully my Dad encouraged me to take pride in our lawns.
Dad would come over and help me which gave me the accountability I needed.
And the bonus was I enjoyed spending time with him.
As we started to take care of the lawns, the lawns started to improve.
- The prickles seemed to disappear overnight
- The weeds were next to non-existent
- The dry patches turned green (except for the patch Dad spilled petrol on!)
This reinforced a valuable lesson for me, what you appreciate, appreciates.
The same is true for your money.
If you want your money to take care of you in the future, then you must take care of your money now.
If you appreciate what you already have, then you will be given more to appreciate.
3) Progress = Satisfaction
Making progress towards an important goal is immensely satisfying.
Even if that goal is having a well-curated lawn (ask my Uncle Neville – his lawns are immaculate!)
As I watched the progress of our lawns, I started to feel a sense of satisfaction.
My efforts were starting to pay off.
I began to enjoy the process.
Some days I go out the front, listen to a podcast, and pull weeds out for fun!
What have I become?
The same is true for your money.
As you make progress towards your financial goals, you feel a sense of satisfaction.
- You move from ‘having to’ to ‘wanting to’
- You begin to enjoy the process
- You find yourself having fun
Conclusion
When I first started my lawn maintenance journey it felt overwhelming.
- I didn’t know what I was doing
- I didn’t have the right tools
- There were weeds everywhere
The same is true when you begin your journey towards mastering your money.
All it takes is the courage to take your first step.
- Start by reading one page of a book
- Start by paying off your smallest debt
- Start by investing your first dollar
As the author of the best-selling book ‘Atomic Habits’ James Clear says:
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour.”
Big Love,
Marshy
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