What Is Our Attention Really Worth?
Pay attention! We hear this command a lot, often from parents and teachers. People want to remind us to focus on what we’re doing. But I’ve been thinking about a more literal meaning: paying with our attention. Attention is a...
Secure Your Future With Money You Didn’t Even Know You Were Spending
Over the last five years, I’ve spent a lot of time traveling the world to talk to people about money. At least one common theme comes up again and again: anxiety. People are worried about the future and want to...
The Investing Signals to Listen To? They’re Personal, Not in the Markets
What happens when we’re driving and we reach a red light? We stop, right? When the light turns green, we hit the gas. If we don’t, it usually doesn’t take long for the driver behind us to start honking the...
The Short Stories We Tell Ourselves About Everyday Spending
I love a good story. In fact, I used to tell myself at least one new story every time I opened my credit card statement. “Oh,” I’d say to myself, “I was so busy last month, it makes perfect sense...
Your Spending Choices Often Reflect Your Values
I have a crazy idea I want to run by you. Imagine that a cultural anthropologist finds one of your credit card statements in 100 years. What would your spending suggest you value the most? Based on your spending, what...
What Mountain Climbing Can Teach You About Business
When we think of mountain climbing, we tend to think of Mount Everest and big groups of people climbing in long lines. Armies of Sherpas create base camps and ferry supplies and gear up and down the mountain. Miles of...
Focus on the Opportunities, Not the Shoals
More than a decade ago, I learned how to kayak. I practiced in the pool a few times before deciding to test my skills on the river. For one of my first trips, my wife and I traveled to the...
The Wrong Place and Time to Have a Money Conversation
A few weeks ago, I got home late after a long trip. I’d been traveling a lot recently and didn’t sleep well that night. The next morning, I woke up and felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Emotionally,...
Staying Out of Your Neighbor’s Business
Humans can be a competitive lot. The way we posture and position ourselves to stand out in a group seems to happen instinctively. After all, in the past we competed for resources and survival. Our lives depended on it. Today,...
With Short-Term Goals, Go for a Bird in the Hand
A friend of mine recently sold his house. It will be a few years before he’ll buy another one. Because the house was worth a lot more than what he and his wife owed the bank on their mortgage, they...
