What was your 2020 through the lens of money?

It can be hard thinking about this year’s finances — for me it’s brought up feelings of guilt and inadequacy, but also immense gratitude and celebration, depending on where I put my focus.

For example, all my in person work got cancelled, but I was able to create a different income stream by running workshops online. The amount is not the same, but I can celebrate the resourcefulness and online community that’s emerged, rather than the comparative loss.

I’ve not been able to save as much this year, but I’ve also learned to live with a lot less. I’ve cooked more and generally operated more locally. The respite has come from a home cooked meal and a fire pit in the garden rather than a two week holiday to Spain.

I like to think of Money as a person in our life who we have a relationship with: a co-worker, or friend, or employee. What does Money need to hear from you about this year? How can you leave this year with Money feeling pumped about being in your life and being on your team?

I invite you to take at least 30 minutes to feel into what money has been this year for you — the good, the bad, the ugly, the unexpected.

It can help to go through your diary or bank statements and refresh your memory about what has happened this year — the work you’ve done, the outgoings and experiences — big and small.

The following questions and activities are here to support your reflections — trust your intuition of which questions or activities will be most relevant for you. If in doubt, choose one that excites you, and one that’s at your edge…

Journal or brainstorm on the following…

1. What can you celebrate this year with money?

• What earnings are you most proud of?
• Where have you been creative by saving money or being extra resourceful?
• What has having money enabled you to do? (However small)

2. Where have you developed this year with money?

• What positive mindset shifts have you observed?
• What new habits have you started?
• What systems do you now have in place, which you didn’t before?

3. Where have you been courageous this year when money was involved?

• Have you asked for more money than felt comfortable?
• Have you asked for help with money, or negotiated on a price that felt too much?
• Have you said no when things were not aligned — even though it meant turning down money?

4. ALCHEMISE: What have been your struggles this year with money, and what have you learned from them?

• What do you now know about your needs?
• Are you now clearer on your boundaries, or had practise expressing them?
• What have you survived?
• What have you realised about what is important to you?

5. THINKING AHEAD:

• What is an unhelpful belief you have about money that you’d like to shift in 2021?
• What is an attitude you’ve developed this year with money, that you’d like to continue?

Some extra invitations:

1. Go through your bank statements and send gratitude to everyone who has paid you and everyone you have been able to pay. Extend this gratitude to everyone who made these payments possible.
2. Write a letter to money expressing your gratitude and celebrating any learnings from 2020 (if it feels good, you could also write money’s reply).
3. Close your eyes and bring to mind ‘Money in 2020’’ — what emotions and sensations does it evoke in your body? What are the overall feelings present? You may want to draw, journal or move your body. Spend some time capturing this
4. Add up all the money that you’ve earned this year and then really feel that amount in your body. You’ve earned that during a global pandemic!
5. Write a poem or song about your journey with money this year.