Anti-Complicated
In a few hours, I'll have the privilege of speaking to several hundred high school kids. When I was invited to speak, I was instructed to approach the topic of money at the most basic level, as many people in the room will have little to no knowledge of the subject.
"Great, I'll teach the same thing I teach everyone, then!" I replied.
Simplicity always wins! Whether I'm meeting with high school kids or seasoned business professionals, simple is always best. I wasn't joking in my response; I'm going to teach these kids the exact same thing I teach all my clients. In a world that likes to make every little concept or idea overly complicated, I'm going to approach it with an anti-complicated posture.
I'm going to use a single visual, which will slowly build as my talk progresses. Here's what it looks like:
We'll talk about:
The importance of work. Work = adding value to others. Adding value = money.
A singular checking account should be the hub of our finances.
Why a savings account tied to our checking account is the perfect execution for an emergency fund—the release valve of our finances.
We must account for all income coming in each month. A budget unlocks everything else.
Debit cards are king. The use of credit cards is a slippery slope that is killing our society. No matter how aggressive I get on this one, it's not enough.
The difference between needs and wants, and why both are important.
Giving changes us from the inside out.
The importance of saving and why sinking funds are a behavioral science hack.
The power of investing, especially at their age.
The goal isn't for each student to walk away as financial geniuses. The goal is for each person to understand this money stuff can and should be simple......anti-complicated, if you will. And if so, they will hopefully feel empowered to embrace these concepts in their own journeys.
I'll let you know how it goes. Please pray that I say what needs to be said, how it needs to be said, and with the flexibility to pivot if needed. Oh yeah, and if you have one more descriptor in your prayer, pray that I'm funny! It should be fun. In the meantime, I hope you have a fantastic day and make a positive impact on everyone who crosses your path.
____
Did someone forward you this post? We're glad you're here! If you'd like to subscribe to The Daily Meaning to receive these posts directly in your inbox (for free!), just CLICK THIS LINK. It only takes 10 seconds.