From Stress to Success: Mastering the Art of Thriving Under Pressure

This article first appeared in Nasdaq.

Don’t let stress short-circuit your life. Embrace it, manage it, do more, and find balance. Stress—it's a force of nature, but it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Stress can be a positive catalyst for change and motivation if we learn to identify its different forms. Small doses of stress can energize and uplift us, pushing us to take action and achieve our goals. These positive stressors promote good health and enhance our overall quality of life.

However, it's crucial to distinguish between good stress and bad stress. Excessive stress can lead to irrational decisions and behavioral risks that impact our physical and mental well-being and financial stability. Think about when stress prevented you from getting a good night's sleep or clouded your judgment. Those effects can spill over into your financial decision-making, creating further challenges. By managing stress effectively, you're taking care of your well-being and safeguarding your financial future.

The good news is that there are telltale signs in our behavior that can help us gauge our stress levels and improve our quality of life. To uncover the impact of stress in your own life, consider evaluating these key areas:

• Living with purpose and intention.
• Achieving balance in critical areas of life.
• Pursuing a role that aligns with your talents.
• Meeting your day-to-day needs.
• Investing in meaningful life experiences.
• Nurturing harmonious personal and family relationships.
• Having a plan for giving back to the community.
• Observing how stress signals can influence your life energies.
• And the biggest one of all: Stress associated with money behavior.

Let's look at Helen Jones, a 38-year-old married mother of three who works as a corporate trainer. Despite her outgoing nature and contentment with life, Helen has recently felt overwhelmed and concerned about her health and financial future. She realized that her spending habits and approach to money impacted her daughter's money behavior which troubled her greatly.

Helen identified several factors driving her own spending:

• Succumbing to the influence of advertisements, leading to impulsive purchases.
• Temptations triggered by celebrity magazines and the latest fashion trends.
• Prioritizing image, entertainment, and spontaneous desires over financial stability, despite responsibly managing household bills and debt.

Helen's wake-up call came when she questioned whether she and her partner would have enough money for retirement. Taking charge of the situation, she sought the guidance of a financial advisor and faced some tough questions:

When asked - is your income sufficient to cover both immediate needs and wants? Helen realized they were living paycheck to paycheck and lacked an emergency fund. Further questioning challenged her:

1. Do you have a reserve fund for living expenses for 6 to 12 months? No.
2. Are you investing in revenue streams that can support your long-term financial goals? No.
3. Do you have multiple income sources to cover your bills? No.
4. Do you understand your money behavior and the energy it drives? No

Recognizing the impact her current spending habits would have on retirement, Helen became determined to save and build wealth. She embraced budgeting, curbed impulsive purchases, and made practical financial decisions such as obtaining quality health insurance and increasing retirement savings. This newfound financial discipline ensures a rosier picture of retirement for Helen and her partner and sets a path toward a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. Not to mention presenting a more adult money behavior approach to her daughter.

Is it time for your own wake-up call? Reflect on the earlier life quality questions and identify how stress may influence your life and financial well-being. By harnessing the power of stress and taking proactive steps to manage it, you can unlock your full potential and create a life of abundance.

Embrace the challenges, seek balance, and find innovative ways to thrive under pressure. Remember, stress is not your enemy—it's a catalyst for growth and transformation.

So, don't let stress hold you back. Embrace it as a driving force, manage it wisely, and watch as your life reaches new heights. It's time to rewrite the narrative and turn stress into your greatest ally.

Remember, you have the power to control how stress impacts your life. Embrace it, manage it, and let it propel you toward success. The journey may not always be easy, but by finding balance and leveraging stress to your advantage, you'll discover new levels of resilience, fulfillment, and achievement. But where to begin? Look at your behavior with money.

Now, go out there and conquer stress. Your future awaits.