Do not overlook the value of stopping
January 28, 2024
It was my senior year in college and I was on a roll. I had unlimited energy and continued to take on responsibilities. I was working, volunteering, studying, and going to class. But I couldn't do it all. At least not well.
And I didn't.
That was transformative for me. To quote Thich Nhat Hanh, "Many of us have been running all our lives. Practice stopping."
Not enough attention is paid to stopping. In our financial lives, we often churn mindlessly forward. Let's take a moment to look at what we can stop.
How many streaming services and subscriptions do you have? Are you using each of them?
Go through your Apple Store and Amazon Prime account to see what you are paying for that you rarely use. This may not put you on a path to financial independence, but it will give you practice in discerning what you want and stopping what you don't.
Are you repeatedly being bombarded by stores where you made a one-time purchase?
Before you delete those emails, set up a rule so they head into your junk folder. Yes, some of those emails miraculously avoid junk, but for those that don't, it will stop impulse spending and time wasting.
Have you given to a charity because a friend asked? Giving is generally a good thing, but we often end up giving to causes out of habit rather than intentionally.
For charity, establish what themes you wish to support and match requests against those themes. If it isn't a fit, then stop giving. It doesn't mean it isn't a good cause, it means it isn't consistent with what you prioritized.
During this important political season, you will be inundated with financial requests. First, determine if you wish to support candidates or parties in general, and then decide how you wish to lend your support.
You may find it more effective to give to lesser-known races where your money can go further than to some of the safer candidates that may not need your help. But even if you are being pressured, you can always choose to stop giving.
Are you wringing your hands over every expenditure for no good reason? While evaluating how you are spending is a useful exercise, not spending on something when you can afford to becomes a fun suck. Stop it.
College not only taught me what to do, it taught me what to stop.
Spend your life wisely.
- Ross Levin
This article originally appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on January 28, 2024