Figures are boring. How much you earn, what you spend, what return you are getting, how much you have in your accounts, the interest rate you are paying on your debt - all pretty dull! It’s not a surprise that we don’t want to deal with stuff like this if finances are just about the numbers.

The good news is that money is just a tool to help you live the life that really matters to you. When you engage with what the money is for and why this matters, then you will want to engage with the money that sits behind it.

How to engage with your money

1. Understand what purpose you want money to serve in your life. What do you want to do with your money?
2. What are your values around money and in your life? What do you stand for? What’s important to you?
3. Work out what you want out of life. What do you want to do more of? What do you want to do less of?
4. What is your ideal life and how much does it cost?
5. Think about your spending. Is how you spend your money making you happy?
6. If you were to focus on what made you happy, what would you do with your money?
7. Your investments are just a vehicle for growing your money. Focus on the return of life they will give you rather than the investment returns.
8. Think about what needs to happen in your life to create the lifestyle you want and what this means for your money.

Focus on the big picture first and what you want to achieve. It will bring meaning to your finances which will make you want to engage with them.