Emotions & Finance

Society tells us to generate confidence and self-worth internally, and to not rely on external validation. But external validation is like a price signal from the market--we may have an asset which is very valuable, but we have no idea of its worth without information from an external source.

We can feel frustrated when we "do everything right" but don't get the result we want. This post unpacks the assumptions underneath "doing" "everything" "right."

In finance, "good" things like assets, returns, and money come part and parcel with "bad" things like liabilities, risk, and time investment. We can guide our personal growth by looking for the "bad," knowing the "good" will come automatically.

Diversification is a core risk management technique in the world of finance. We can adapt this principle to mitigate risk in our personal lives as well, in the areas of career, relationships and even personal self-worth.

Human beings misprice risk by conflating "fear" with "danger." We can earn massive risk-adjusted returns in our personal lives by taking on risk that others are too scared to take.

In finance, we can't get big returns without taking big risk. The same holds true in our personal lives. If we want outsized returns in life, we have to take risks--embrace fears--that others are not willing to take.

This is Part 3 of my nine-part series connecting financial frameworks with personal growth. 1.      Finance as a Framework 2.      Assets = Liabilities + Equity: What You Own Comes with Strings Attached 3.      Assets = Liabilities + Equity 2: What You Have vs. What You Can Use 4.      Time Value of Money 1: The

This is Part 3 of my nine-part series connecting financial frameworks with personal growth. 1.      Finance as a Framework 2.      Assets = Liabilities + Equity: What You Own Comes with Strings Attached 3.      Assets = Liabilities + Equity 2: What You Have vs. What You Can Use 4.      Time Value of Money 1: The

This article explores the concept of liquidity, mapping financial principles like asset usability, time horizons, and market value to personal growth. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining key assets—be it skills, relationships, or health—to respond to challenges and seize opportunities.

This is Part 2 of my nine-part series connecting financial frameworks with personal growth, examining the concept of a non-monetary balance sheet. Are you building up "personal equity" over time?