How to plan your next quarter for more financial success

04/14/25 • 29 min

Episode Overview

In this episode, I explore the art of quarterly financial planning as we approach the start of a new quarter in 2025. Whether you've never created a financial plan before, have ambitious money goals gathering dust, or have had to pivot due to unexpected circumstances, this episode offers practical guidance on creating a financial roadmap that actually works.

Key Highlights Why Most Financial Plans Fail

Living by default rather than design - executing other people's priorities
Spending too much time responding to others' needs versus pursuing personal financial goals
Getting caught in the "urgency trap" and constantly firefighting
True financial wealth is created when focusing on important but non-urgent tasks

The Eisenhower Time Matrix for Financial Planning

Four quadrants based on urgency and importance
Most people spend their days trapped in urgent quadrants (important and unimportant)
Financial growth happens in the "important but not urgent" quadrant, including:
- Regular review of spending patterns
- Learning about investing
- Building strategic relationships
- Developing new income streams or offers
The value of regular money dates: 20 minutes a week on one financial area

Making Financial Goals Motivating

Don't just set empty money targets (e.g., "make £10,000")
Connect financial goals to deeper meaning and purpose
Ask: "What will this allow me to experience? How will my life change?"
Identify the feeling you're seeking: security, freedom, peace, expansion
Research shows we're more motivated by purpose than numbers

The Danger of Over-Planning

Setting too many financial goals leads to overwhelm and failure
The fear of spaciousness: filling calendars because emptiness feels unsafe
Follow the "one-three-five" rule:
- One major financial goal
- Three supporting goals
- Five routine habits to maintain progress
Quality over quantity applies to financial goals
Over-planning often stems from scarcity thinking

Planning According to Seasons

Different quarters require different approaches to financial planning
Aligning financial activities with natural energy cycles:
- Spring: Planting new seeds, starting projects, learning money skills
- Summer: Execution and expansion (with family time consideration)
- Autumn: Harvesting, reviewing, optimising systems and expenses
- Winter: Resting, reflecting, preparing for next year's growth
Consider personal cycles: menstrual cycles, numerology cycles, energy patterns
The importance of recognising which season you're in with your financial journey

Final Thought

Financial success comes from intentional planning aligned with values and natural energy cycles. Start with the next 90 days rather than trying to plan the entire year at once and allow flexibility for changes and adjustments along the way.

Chapters

00:00 Embracing New Beginnings: Financial Planning for the Quarter Ahead

02:45 Identifying Personal Financial Goals: Beyond the Numbers

06:03 The Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritizing Financial Tasks

08:55 Transforming Planning into a Joyful Experience

12:14 Avoiding Over-Planning: The Power of Focus

15:02 Understanding Seasonal Financial Planning

17:54 Creating a Flexible Financial Framework

20:46 Conclusion: Intentional Planning for Financial Success

Resources:

Get my FREE book 'It's Not About The Money'

Take the Money StoryTypes® Quiz

Come to our Wealth Awakening Retreat

Become a Certified Financial Coach

Episode Overview

Key Highlights Why Most Financial Plans Fail

Living by default rather than design - executing other people's priorities
Spending too much time responding to others' needs versus pursuing personal financial goals
Getting caught in the "urgency trap" and constantly firefighting
True financial wealth is created when focusing on important but non-urgent tasks

The Eisenhower Time Matrix for Financial Planning

Four quadrants based on urgency and importance
Most people spend their days trapped in urgent quadrants (important and unimportant)
Financial growth happens in the "important but not urgent" quadrant, including:
- Regular review of spending patterns
- Learning about investing
- Building strategic relationships
- Developing new income streams or offers
The value of regular money dates: 20 minutes a week on one financial area

Making Financial Goals Motivating

Don't just set empty money targets (e.g., "make £10,000")
Connect financial goals to deeper meaning and purpose
Ask: "What will this allow me to experience? How will my life change?"
Identify the feeling you're seeking: security, freedom, peace, expansion
Research shows we're more motivated by purpose than numbers

The Danger of Over-Planning

Setting too many financial goals leads to overwhelm and failure
The fear of spaciousness: filling calendars because emptiness feels unsafe
Follow the "one-three-five" rule:
- One major financial goal
- Three supporting goals
- Five routine habits to maintain progress
Quality over quantity applies to financial goals
Over-planning often stems from scarcity thinking

Planning According to Seasons

Different quarters require different approaches to financial planning
Aligning financial activities with natural energy cycles:
- Spring: Planting new seeds, starting projects, learning money skills
- Summer: Execution and expansion (with family time consideration)
- Autumn: Harvesting, reviewing, optimising systems and expenses
- Winter: Resting, reflecting, preparing for next year's growth
Consider personal cycles: menstrual cycles, numerology cycles, energy patterns
The importance of recognising which season you're in with your financial journey

Final Thought

Chapters

00:00 Embracing New Beginnings: Financial Planning for the Quarter Ahead

02:45 Identifying Personal Financial Goals: Beyond the Numbers

06:03 The Eisenhower Matrix: Prioritizing Financial Tasks

08:55 Transforming Planning into a Joyful Experience

12:14 Avoiding Over-Planning: The Power of Focus

15:02 Understanding Seasonal Financial Planning

17:54 Creating a Flexible Financial Framework

20:46 Conclusion: Intentional Planning for Financial Success

Resources:

Get my FREE book 'It's Not About The Money'

Take the Money StoryTypes® Quiz

Come to our Wealth Awakening Retreat

Become a Certified Financial Coach

Previous Episode

Decoding Your Client's Money Language Words That Reveal Their Money Story

Episode Overview

In this episode, I delve into how coaches, therapists and professionals can decode their clients' money language to uncover deeper beliefs and patterns around finances. By becoming attuned to specific words and phrases, practitioners can help clients identify unconscious money stories that may be limiting their financial wellbeing.

Key Highlights The Power of Money Language

The words we use around money often reveal our deepest beliefs and fears
Most money language is unconscious - clients don't realise what they're revealing
Listening carefully can unlock breakthroughs much faster than traditional approaches
Money language appears in conversations about pricing, investing, saving, spending and receiving

Becoming a Skilled Listener

The importance of genuine curiosity when exploring money language
The difference between hearing and truly listening to clients
Creating space for clients to express themselves fully
Noticing emotional markers - when clients speed up, slow down or change their tone
Reflecting back exact language rather than paraphrasing or interpreting

Money Story Types and Their Language Patterns

The Impulsive

Key phrases: "I couldn't resist," "I'll figure it out later," "You only live once," "It was calling my name"
Makes emotional, in-the-moment money decisions
Challenge isn't budgeting skills but creating systems that work with their spontaneous nature
Traditional budgeting often feels restrictive and triggers resistance

The Architect

Key phrases: "I need to plan for this carefully," "What's the return on investment?" "I'm falling behind on my financial goals," "I'm not comfortable taking that risk"
Prefers solid plans and struggles with taking financial risks
Benefits from permission to be occasionally spontaneous with money
May need an "impulsive money pot" to build capacity for flexibility

The Enabler

Key phrases: "I should help them out," "I can't spend that on myself," "I need to do more"
Prioritises others' financial needs before their own
Needs support with creating healthy boundaries
Benefits from recognising their own financial worthiness

The Pacifist

Key phrases: "I don't think about money," "Money will work itself out," "Money isn't important to me," "I trust the universe will provide"
Avoids financial decisions due to fear of responsibility
May have past experiences of poor financial decisions or being rescued financially
Needs gentle accountability and small steps to build confidence

The Innovator

Key phrases: "I see a big opportunity here," "I can always make more money," "The potential upside is huge"
Often seen in entrepreneurs who focus on possibilities and growth
May neglect stability and foundations in pursuit of opportunity
Benefits from strong financial planning alongside their risk-taking

Other Language Patterns to Notice

Scarcity Language

Phrases like "That's never enough," "I can't afford it," "I always run out of money"
Indicates patterns of lack and limitation in money thinking

Abundance Language

Phrases like "There's always more where that came from," "Money comes easily to me"
May indicate a healthy relationship with money OR potential neglect of financial stability

Inherited Money Beliefs

Listen for phrases starting with "My parents always said..." or "In my family, we never..."
These reveal generational patterns that may not actually belong to the client

Practical Applications

Reflect language back: "Tell me more about how money burns a hole in your pocket"
Go deeper with questions: "When did you first learn that money was scarce?"
Help clients create new language patterns that better serve their financial goals
Remember that changing money language can lead to changing money behaviours

Final Thought

By becoming fluent in the language of money psychology, coaches can create deeper, faster transformations with clients rather than simply handing them off to financial experts.

Chapters

00:00 Decoding Money Language

02:52 Understanding Money Stories

06:08 The Role of Active Listening

08:56 Exploring Money Story Types

12:08 Identifying Language Patterns

14:53 Inherited Money Beliefs

18:14 Transforming Money Narratives

Next Episode

How to invest during uncertain times

Episode Overview

In this episode, I tackle the timely topic of investing during market volatility, particularly relevant as stock markets respond to President Trump's recent tariff announcements. For many investors, these uncertain times can trigger anxiety and fear, but I explain why volatility is actually normal, cyclical, and can present excellent investment opportunities for those with the right knowledge.

Key Highlights Understanding Market Sentiment

Warren Buffett's famous advice: "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful"
The Fear and Greed Index as a valuable tool for measuring collective investor emotions
How buying during periods of extreme fear has consistently produced strong returns over time
The counterintuitive nature of successful investing - why it feels uncomfortable to go against the crowd

The Psychology of Market Cycles

Market sentiment follows predictable emotional patterns:
- Disbelief → Hope → Belief → Thrill/Euphoria
- Complacency → Anxiety/Denial → Panic → Depression
- Then back to Disbelief as the cycle restarts
Understanding where you personally get caught in this emotional cycle
Common behavioural biases that affect investment decisions:
- Loss aversion (feeling losses twice as strongly as gains)
- FOMO (fear of missing out)
- The endowment effect (overvaluing what we already own)

Recognising Your Own Emotions and Behaviours

Self-awareness as the most underrated investment skill
Research shows individual investors underperform markets by 2-4% annually due to emotional decisions
The value of keeping an investment journal to document feelings during market cycles
Understanding your risk tolerance and personal biases

Understanding Market Cycles

The four classic phases of economic cycles: Expansion, Peak, Contraction, Recovery
Different market sectors that typically outperform in each phase:
- Expansion: Technology, consumer-based stocks
- Peak: Financial sectors, industrial stocks
- Contraction: Healthcare, consumer staples, utilities
- Recovery: Materials, energy sectors
How to adjust portfolio weightings based on cycle phases

The Power of Correlation in Building Resilience

Correlation measures how different assets move in relation to each other
Understanding correlation coefficients: from -1 (opposite movement) to +1 (same direction)
Why true diversification requires assets with low correlation to each other
The 2022 example of both bonds and equities declining simultaneously
Building a portfolio that can weather different market conditions

Final Thought

Successful investing is about time in the market, not timing the market. Research shows that missing just the 10 best days in the stock market can cut returns in half over decades. While market volatility might make many investors fearful, those prepared with the right strategies can use uncertain times as opportunities for growth.

Chapters

00:00 Investing in Uncertain Times

04:49 Understanding Market Sentiment

09:08 The Psychology of Market Cycles

16:20 Recognizing Personal Emotions in Investing

18:11 Understanding Market Cycles

21:33 The Importance of Correlation in Investments

25:52 Key Strategies for Successful Investing

Resources:

Get my FREE book 'It's Not About The Money'

Take the Money StoryTypes® Quiz

Come to our Wealth Awakening Retreat