When was the last time that you looked at your reflection? Was it this morning in the mirror when getting ready? Was it shooting a video? While things like visual reflection can be such a common occurrence in today’s age because of mirrors, cell phones, cameras, things like that, is also a very powerful tool, very powerful practice. It allows us to see what we look like and helps us look the way that we want; whether it’s men shaving or women putting on makeup and fixing their hair. But it also allows us to find things that may not be the way we want – whether it’s having some hair sticking up in the back or having a piece of food stuck in our teeth. 

I think it’s something that we take for granted in today’s age when there’s so much access to mirrors and cameras. And while visual reflection can be such a common occurrence, when was the last time that you actually had a financial reflection? When was the last time that you sat down and reflected on your financial situation? I think sitting down periodically to look over your finances and your financial situation can be a very powerful practice. It allows us to find areas that we may want to improve upon because they are not the way that we want them to look. It also allows us to see how far we’ve come and what we’re trying to accomplish. 

Sometimes the goals that we set for our finances are so far off in the future that it feels like nothing is getting done, it feels like watching paint dry or watching a tree grow. The practice of sitting down periodically to actually reflect on your finances is very helpful in showing us where we have been and the progress that we have made. When we’re saving for things like retirement or our kids’ college or trying to do things like pay down debt, those can be such a big goal, such a far-reaching goal that when we look at it day after day, it looks like nothing’s getting done. 

So, sitting down periodically kind of lets us see how far that stone has rolled down the hill or how big our snowball is starting to get. It really shows us “we are making progress” and kind of confirms the work that we’re doing. Now, if you need help sitting down to have a financial reflection or want somebody to prod you to do those, you can always reach out to us here at Next Step and we’d love to help you and guide you along that path. Y’all have a good one!