How Structures Can Bring Freedom
Structures, they’re a bit like marmite, you either love them or hate them.
I’ll be honest, as a constant seeker of freedom I’ve been avoiding structures for quite some time (I also have a pretty great memory so who needs a to-do list right?).
I’m going to let you in on a secret about structures (and some of you reading this already know because you loooove structures) the secret is that structures give you freedom. Whaaaat? I know, I didn’t believe it either I’ve been resisting them for years!
Is a lack of structure getting in your way?
When you don’t have a structure in place, you are setting yourself up to fail, and there are many reasons that our subconscious can work against us.
In fact, if you are resistant to structures in any area of your life it’s worth asking yourself why?
What is it about structures in that area that you don’t like?
How do you think having a structure would make you feel?
How do you think it would impact your life?
Be really honest with yourself - don’t sugar coat it!
I’ll share with you that mine is about a lack of freedom AND if I’m totally honest with myself it’s also about not wanting to commit to something – if I didn’t say yes to it I can’t let anyone down – including myself!
When I let people down I feel horrible. In its funny little way my brain is doing its job of protecting me from that horrible feeling. However, let’s have a look - I also know that I can own my stuff, I can set clear boundaries, I can choose what I commit to and take responsibility for those commitments. I’m also really capable of having clear communication with people when issues arise.
When you know why you are resisting it becomes a lot easier to question your beliefs and look at how structures could actually support you in living a life that you love!
Stop overloading your brain
Our brains are not designed to be retainers of information, when we hold too much information in our brains they can’t do their job of processing. I imagine it like a cluttered desk where you have to keep moving stuff around to create space to work!
The beauty of a good simple structure is that once you have taken the time to set it up, you can rely on it. You can let go of the worrying and know that your structure will keep things on track. (In other words you create freedom!)
One of the key things I teach includes setting up the super simple structures that I use to keep my personal finances on track.
Why not just show us the structures then?
I hear you - structures are really amazing AND you have to understand first exactly what it is that you are trying to achieve from your structure. If you aren’t really clear on what you want from your money you could actually end up with a structure that’s working against you!
The structure that I use is based on the Jam Jar Method, a system that many money guru types have been teaching for years, the difference being that my structure doesn’t tell you what to do – it helps you to design a structure that works for you in your life, taking into account what it is that’s really important for you.
Don’t want to save for your future right now? That’s up to you, and there will be no judgement here. Yes, there is some guidance on why you might want to think about it or how you can think about it differently, but I work on the premise that you get to choose what works for you.
The way that I manage my money now takes a few minutes a month with maybe an hour every 3 months to review some stuff and other than that I don’t worry about it (well except when there’s not much coming in and I start to panic that it will run out but that’s a whole other post about scarcity!)
Hi there I’m Gail Bainbridge - money coach and mentor. I am on a mission to transform our relationships with money. I teach people to find money that they didn’t know they had for the things that are important to them. If you enjoyed this blog sign up to my newsletter to be the first to read all my money musings.