Muster up the Courage for Success

Those dreaded trips to the dentist. Remember those?

You had to muster up the courage to drag yourself in.  

Those shots to numb my mouth always frightened me. 

I was always glad when it was over -- and relieved because it meant my teeth were clean and cared for.

Courage matters. You want to get ahead? Earn more? Make more of what you have?

Focus on having courage. New research shows that those with more money or more financial knowledge don’t always display more courage.

There are a zillion reasons to muster-up some courage, but I want to focus on two:

• Career Courage – I remember, after selling my first company, trying to figure out what I was going to do next. I made a list of the top leaders in the financial industry and ended up sending a note to Jamie Dimon, now CEO of JP Morgan Chase. It landed me a meeting with him… and my next job.

Was I a little nervous about this outreach? Of course. But was it worth it? Of course.

Most people are only moderately engaged in their jobs. Many tell me they want to get promoted or feel they’re not paid enough. Others are outright afraid to talk to their boss or colleagues about important topics.

One idea is to ask for a “stretch assignment”? That’s an assignment to help stretch your skills and professional development. Maybe it’s getting closer to the digital world – where forward-looking companies are hugely focused – or taking on some new responsibility.

• Financial Courage – Studies show that financial courage - not financial literacy - can be the real catalyst for helping you achieve financial wellness.

In other words, people might be educated about money – they understand what the stock market means, for example – but they may still lack the courage to take action.

What does this mean? Well, when faced with a financial issue, you might freeze – rather than picking up the phone or talking it through with your partner.

One option: Many employers have financial coaching call centers. Talk to them confidentially to help you tackle whatever’s at hand.

Another option if you have low courage when it comes to your investments: Take advantage of your 401(k) at work, talk with a professional advisor, or consider the new automated “robo advisors,” which can invest your money into low-cost investment portfolios.

Bottom-line: it takes courage to get anything done. Don’t let low courage hold you back – on the job or with your money.

Jennifer Openshaw is a nationally known financial expert and author of The Millionaire Zone (Hyperion), based on national research about how the wealthy use their networks - and courage - to build financial success.