Everyone seems focused on getting the right answers. I have to say that this is backwards. In order to get an answer, first you must ask a question. In order to get the RIGHT answers you first have to ask the RIGHT questions.
The answers that most people are looking for cover things such as paying for a child’s college education, paying off debt, and saving for retirement. The questions that most people ask are on a macro / large scale level, when they should be on micro / low scale level.
The big questions of: “how can I get a better return on my investments?”, “how can I get a better rate on my credit card?”, and “how much do I need to have saved for my retirement?” are great questions, they need to follow the small questions.
Small questions of “where is my money going?”, “do I really want to spend money on this?”, and “what are all these charges on my bills?” are the ones that lay the foundation for financial security.
In order to get control of your dollars, you need to know what is going on with your pennies. Taking a few extra moments to go through your statements and bills usually finds money that you were unknowingly bleeding. Asking the question of “do I really want this?” before you spend any money drastically cuts down on impulse purchases. Being fully aware of your goals on a daily basis helps you make decisions that get you closer to realizing them rather than closer to debt and poverty.
So take a moment to start asking yourself the RIGHT questions and you will get all the right answers.
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
Bruce Lee