What do you think of when you hear “self-care”? Did your mind drift to things like getting your nails, hair, and eyebrows done, taking a long bath, or practicing mindfulness? Ours did.
But what about finances?
One of the things I cherish most about our Life & Labor women’s meetups is how the experts we learn from help us broaden our perspectives on their areas of expertise- which was exactly what Dionne did when she encouraged us all to view finances as an area of self-care.
This past week, we had the privilege of learning from the very charismatic, leave-you-in-stitches, faith-based financial expert Dionne Motley, CEO of Motley Financial Solutions & Principle Finance Coach at Legacy Changers Academy. Dionne is not only a seasoned expert with over nine years in the banking industry but also someone who has personal experience with debt elimination (yes 'mam.. elimination, not reduction), having cleared her family debt in just 18 months.
Dionne invited us to open up about our financial experiences, encouraging us to share without shame, guilt, or pressure. This invitation reminded me of our session with somatic intimacy coach Molly Eames and how unexpected yet valuable it was to apply the same open, accepting approach to finances.
Addressing our finances doesn’t have to evoke that ingrained image of a stressed woman at the dining table, surrounded by a checkbook, highlighters, receipts, and bills (a memory we all had!).
Applying tips from James Clear's book Atomic Habits, Dionne helped us think through how we could take actionable steps to cue, crave, respond and reward taking care of our finances and she inspired us to consider the following:
Set Our Intentions - what do we want to do with our money?
Set Our Environment - how can we create a more welcoming, enjoyable environment?
Show Ourselves Compassion - reminder to give ourselves grace as we work through this new habit.
Show Up for Ourselves - don't forget that this is self-care!
Dionne walked us through her advice she gives all of her clients, including what buckets of money to have, how to balance your checkbook (or transactions) with the bank using apps like EveryDollar or the ol' trusty pen and paper, how often to do so, and why it's important to ensure your money is aligned with your intentions.
I apologize in advance to my husband for having yet another book show up at our door soon, but thanks to Dionne's recommendations I will be devouring The Simple Path to Wealth by J.L. Collins ASAP.
I highly recommend following along with Dionne on social media to stay up to speed with all her latest events, secret tips (did you know Ulta and Sephora have an HSA/FSA-eligible section?), and to simply feel uplifted and loved: 🤎Email: info@motleyfinancialsolutions.com
🤎Website: www.motleyfinancialsolutions.com
🤎Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamdionnemotley
🤎Facebook: www.facebook.com/iamdionnemotley
🤎Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamdionnemotley
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to light a candle, slip into my fuzzy slippers, smear on my favorite face cream, and get my finances on track. 🤎
xoxo,
Karli
P.S. If you’re interested in connecting, supporting, and growing with other women in a safe and sacred place, check out our upcoming 2024 free bi-monthly Life & Labor women's meetups where we'll have spiritual, gut health, and couples therapy experts joining us!
P.S.S. Shoutout to Golden Door for their continued support and beautiful location; check them out for all your self care and self love needs.
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