My parents owned a corner store and I learned from them that we had to offer excellent friendly service and be price competitive otherwise people would buy from somewhere else. (Good lesson)
I also learnt that when you needed money you could take it from the till. (Not so good lesson)
For them it wasn’t a problem – it was their business, they knew how much they could take and roughly monitored it. For me, it showed me “easy come”, which translated to “easy go”.
It took me a long time to re-learn my lessons around money – earning it, managing it, saving it, and, most importantly, spending it (wisely). I navigated my way around a few financial setbacks and it ultimately led me on a career path that was all about money. And I’m incredibly grateful to have made my way here where I can effectively manage my own money and I can also help other people achieve their financial goals.
There’s lots of great stuff we can learn from our parents, but there are some lessons that just don’t work anymore or for our particular environment or our changing values. But until we take the time to analyse what’s working and what’s not, then nothing is going to change.
So if you’re wondering why you’re not progressing in the way you’d planned or you’re sabotaging your progress, maybe it’s a good time to look at how and why you’re doing things the way you’re doing them and get curious about finding better ways. Find new mentors or coaches who are succeeding in the area you want to pursue. Shake off those lessons that aren’t working.
Thank your parents for the lessons they’ve taught you and forge your own way forward, pursuing your goals in a way that works for you.
