Ready to work on a money goal? When you’ve designed your goal, write it down. We are more likely to achieve written goals than unwritten ones. The findings of neuroscience support this claim. Brain researchers have discovered that neurogenesis (the birth of brain cells, or neurons) continues throughout life. They have also discovered that neurons [...]

Whenever I begin a new personal change group at work, there is a long pause when group members ponder what unique goal they would like to set for themselves. Last week, one of the group participants gave voice to her hesitation: “It just seems like so much. Like it’s easier to not even start the [...]

Researchers have long known that we are more likely to change a habit when we define a specific goal (like “increase the amount of money in my savings”) rather than a vague direction (“get better at money management”). Beyond that, researchers have now shown us that if we can attach specific and meaningful labels or [...]

One of the reasons why changing a behavior can be so difficult is that we may really value that behavior under a different name. For example, I may consider myself to have a problem with overspending, and I may pledge to modify this habit once and for all. However, maybe somewhere deep inside my brain, [...]

Every good party planner knows that the job is much easier when you stick to a theme. Having a theme allows you to sort through the seemingly endless options for invitations, decorations, food, and music and narrow it down to the most relevant choices. It simplifies and accelerates the decision-making process. If I open up [...]

There’s probably no one who needs a “Plan B” as much as an adventurer who is climbing Mount Everest. Climbers are encouraged to formulate simple rules that will help them make a decision about when to bail out, even if their thinking skills are impaired by stress, fatigue, and lack of oxygen.  For example, a [...]

We know that the more emotionally miserable we feel, the more prone we are to give in to life’s temptations, such as impulse purchases and spending sprees (and chocolate cake!).  When depression, anxiety, and stress combine, they create the perfect storm that renders us defenseless against bad financial habits. Let’s take a look at why [...]

The statistics on New Year’s resolutions are quite dismal. Psychologist Richard Wiseman calculated that 88 percent of all resolutions end in failure. A group of scientists who study human behavior change (Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente) has demonstrated that resolutions are typically made for five consecutive years or more before people can make a change “stick.” If [...]

What was once a doorbusting 30 percent off in the stores is now 40 percent, 50 percent, maybe even 60 percent off.  It seems like the commercials that tout these deals on television shout louder every day as we inch toward Christmas. Think about the your financial change goals from this year.  How are you [...]

Have you been to a good conference lately?  More specifically, have you been to a really good conference which left you feeling inspired, motivated, and ready to take on a new project, perspective, approach, or idea? The tricky part begins when you get home.  While tackling the pile of accumulated laundry and unanswered emails with [...]