Having been watching US Open lately. Iga Swiatek won the women championship. At the start of the tournament, she said she didn’t like the balls in US open because it is lighter than the ones for men. It bounces too much. She didn’t expect herself to win it. Besides, she admitted that she was not playing her best tennis. Quite a few times, she was a bit shaky. Her opponents had quite a few chances to beat her. For example, Sabalenka had a match point to win over her in the semi-finals. However, in the end, she still prevailed.
In contrast, Rublev lost to Tiafoe in the quarter finals. Afterwards, he was so mad that he was hitting the racquet very hard at himself. I can feel his pain keenly even by just watching him on TV. He blamed himself for not performing at his highest level.
Perhaps, we could use a bit more self-compassion and accept the reality hat we can’t always be our best. Be at peace with it, so the negativity could not distract or deter us.
In personal finance, the same logic applies. We can’t always be disciplined or error-free. We can have weaker moments. We might have bought something we shouldn’t. We might not file the income tax return on time. We might not track the expense last month. Do not let those moments shake our confidence that we can do better in other times. So many of us face tough times with many demands firing at us all at the same time. It is not easy to maintain the highest standards all the time.
Just like weight-loss or exercise, our weights can go up and down due to many outside influences. If we dine out with friends, we might surely gain a pound or two the next day. Happy times do allow that to happen. 😊Let’s be patient and kind to ourselves. We are mere mortals.
Worthfy Financial Literacy Counselling 