The Path to Financial Zen (5 Tips)

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THINK

“The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.“
– Buddha

Today, I’m going to take you to a little spot I call, ‘Financial Zen’.

It’s a blissful place where money worries don’t exist. You wake up without stress, with a clear mind, experience only positive interactions with others and have complete clarity on your journey through life.

Imagine that for a moment.

Ommm…. 🧘

Sadly, many people live an unconscious life that’s the polar opposite of ‘Financial Zen’, called ‘The Modern World’. Here, money is one of the leading causes of pain.

People are overwhelmed by financial complexity and uncertainty, they’re in pain, they fear stepping into the unknown, they struggle to break free from society’s consumer-driven mindset, they barely cover their bills, and when they do, there’s little to no left over to lead the life they desire.

Financial Freedom seems impossible.

“Pain is certain. Suffering is optional.” – Buddha

Although the experience of living within ‘Financial Zen’ and ‘The Modern World’ are drastically different, they coexist within the same ecosphere…

Known as, the ‘Human Brain’.

This is a huge surprise to most people.

“Wait… I can leave the Modern World and access Financial Zen?”

Yes, dear reader. Yes, you can.

But you won’t just arrive and that’s not the point. As you adopt a new way of thinking, you move closer and closer towards it. Lightening the load with each step.

Today, I’m going to share with you 5 Tips for finding the path, and you won’t have to touch your bank account or a spreadsheet. I’ll show you how to:

Reduce your financial stress
Step towards the financial future you deserve
Remove complexity and uncertainty
Let go of things that don’t serve you
Become peaceful, happy and free

WARNING: This guide might also improve other parts of your life, like your health and relationships. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Tip #1 – Acceptance

We live in a world of discontent.

There are numerous reasons behind this but one of the leading causes is our inability to let go of suffering.

We all experience pain. It’s unavoidable.

However, the extent to which we suffer is optional.

SUFFERING = PAIN x RESISTANCE

If pain is inevitable, the level of our suffering is based on our resistance to it. The opposite of resistance is acceptance.

Therefore, by accepting our circumstances, we reduce our suffering.

Maximum suffering is experienced through maximum pain and resistance:

SUFFERING (100) = PAIN (10) x RESISTANCE (10)

Suffering can be reduced by the same pain if we reduce resistance through acceptance:

SUFFERING (10) = PAIN (10) x RESISTANCE (1)

Learning to accept is at the core of ‘Financial Zen’. If you took on this tip and ignored the rest, your life would inevitably improve. Consider:

What are you resisting?
What pain or discomfort could you accept to reduce suffering and improve your finances?

Tip #2 – The Unknown

Are you prepared to accept more money?

Most people aren’t. They don’t understand what it means and it’s not their fault. School doesn’t teach this stuff.

In a recent Newsletter, I explained how entrepreneurs make money.

TLDR:

The more value you create, the more money you receive.
To make money, you need to take risks.
Most people want more money but they’d prefer to avoid failure more. So, they don’t take risks.
No risk = No money.

Here lies the crux of the problem:

Most people prefer suffering that is familiar over one that is unknown

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky conducted a study where participants were given two options involving electric shocks:

Option A: A 100% chance of receiving a mild electric shock.
Option B: A 50% chance of receiving a severe electric shock and a 50% chance of receiving no shock at all.

Interestingly, participants tended to prefer Option A, even though it involved a guaranteed electric shock, as opposed to Option B, which had a chance of avoiding the shock altogether.

This experiment demonstrates how people tend to be risk-averse in situations of potential loss.

Resistance comes from fear of the unknown. Better the devil you know, right?

But we can make the outcome known, accept what is and reduce resistance.

What if you knew starting a side hustle, investing or budgeting would be challenging but worth the effort?

What if you were willing to accept mistakes, look like an idiot, and lose money, time or energy on something that didn’t work… KNOWING you’d learn and grow from the experience?

Is it really unknown and is it really that bad?

What’s the alternative?

Examine your life. Remind yourself how precious life is. That should truly scare you.

Tip #3 – Keep it Simple

One of the easiest things to do in ‘The Modern World’ is to complicate everything.

More is better.

“If I try 6 x side hustles, one of them is bound to work out, right?”

Instead, embrace the idea that having less can lead to more freedom, clarity, and space for what truly matters.

Less is more.

Have you tried to lose weight, gain muscle, become more flexible, increase endurance and learn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, all at the same time?

It doesn’t work. Pick a lane and dedicate yourself to it.

For Financial Zen, you need to keep it simple:

Create an automated budget that accounts for bills, one-off expenses and buying fun stuff.
Consume less to become happier AND increase disposable income.
Invest disposable income into personal growth and global passive global index funds.
Create ONE business on the side that aligns your strengths, talents, passions and curiosity, and helps solve a problem.

We only have so much willpower in a given day. We all experience decision fatigue. Eliminate energy-sapping decisions through automation, elimination or outsourcing.

Use your newly-conserved energy in the area that matters most to you.

Whatever element of finance you intend to improve. Focus on creating a simple plan that aligns with your goals.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it’s better when it’s not.

Tip #4 – Letting Go

Clinging to anything prevents freedom:

Emotions – Anger, resentment, frustration, pride, anxiety, fear
Relationships – Family, friends, partners, colleagues
Possessions – Gadgets, cars, clothes, jewellery

In ‘Financial Zen’, you can free yourself from unnecessary suffering by letting go of attachment to items.

People here don’t care what you own, they care who you are.

When my dad was with us, he had a second-hand Porsche. His dream car. I shit you not, he was in love with that car. So much so, that he would feel anxiety parking it in town, out of fear something would happen to it. He’d come back to it flustered, checking for scratches and marks, and he’d finally relax once he knew it was ok.

Dad didn’t own the car. It owned him.

If you can’t afford to lose an item, it owns you.

This is why I like the premise of only purchasing items when you can afford them twice. If anything happened to it, you could go out and buy another. But it’s not really about the money…

It’s about the mental freedom it provides through non-attachment.

When I mention ‘living on less’, I receive a lot of backlash from people saying things like:

“I don’t want to live like a homeless person”

“Yeah, but you have a miserable life!”

Living with fewer possessions isn’t about saving money. It’s about freedom and happiness.

If you attempt to live with less (most ’Modern Worlders’ don’t even try), you find life isn’t more painful, it’s more peaceful…

AND you save money.

What are you clinging to in ‘The Modern World’?

Tip #5 – Be Free, Be Happy

For my final tip on the path towards ‘Financial Zen’, we cover William Wallace’s favourite battlecry, “F R E E D O M!“

I heard a Zen Buddhist teacher say something I couldn’t refute:

Freedom is the only condition for happiness

If you can’t afford to lose a possession, you’re not free, and therefore, you’re not happy.

This is why my message is based on ‘Financial Freedom’ rather than Lambos, Boats and Ho’s.

Most people in ‘The Modern World’ confuse the true source of happiness.

Excitement doesn’t equal happiness. Peace does.

Buying consumer goods creates excitement, not happiness. Non-attachment creates freedom and peace, which is the true source of happiness.

Where possible, spend your money on things that enhance your life, like experiences, things that make you healthier, wealthier or save you time.

Where does your money go?

Race Towards Resistance

At some point today, you’ll probably think of something you need to do but don’t want to. You’ve been putting it off but it continues to nag you. You know that you need to do it, but for whatever reason, you’ve been avoiding it.

The thing you’re resisting is important. You’ve exaggerated the difficulty of starting and underestimated the benefit of doing it.

The moment that happens, catch yourself and sprint towards it.

When you finally take action on it, notice the sensation in your body. The resistance lifts shortly after starting and you’re left with a deep sense of satisfaction upon completion.

During the initial stage, you might feel like you don’t belong but as long as you don’t run away, you’ll grow into the person that does.

Welcome to freedom.

This has been one of the most profound habits I’ve attempted to cultivate in my life, and it’s addictive. It’s the mental equivalent of tidying up. When you race toward resistance, you’re left with a ‘cleaner’ mind, which creates freedom, and therefore, happiness.

For the next 5 minutes anyway!

You’ll never eradicate all problems. There’s always something to do. Your mindset and approach to tackling these issues will determine the quality of your life.

Don’t aspire to be problem-free. Experience freedom by tackling them like… they’re not a problem.

What resistance can you race towards?

Summary

I have good news. You don’t have to arrive at ‘Financial Zen’ to reap the rewards.

Like any goal you set for yourself, the journey is more important than the destination because most of your life is the journey.

Treat ‘Financial Zen’ like a guiding star in the night. You move towards it, content in knowing you may never get there but basking in each step.

Accept pain to reduce your suffering
Step boldly into the unknown
Keep things simple
Let go of things that don’t serve you (emotions, people, possessions)
Seek peace and freedom for true happiness

Which tip will you take on today?

Reflect and share this with someone.

ASK

Consider a question for each of the 5 Tips:

1. “What are you resisting?”

2. “How could you step into the unknown to improve your life?”

3. “What could you simplify to create more space for the meaningful?”

4. “What negative influence are you clinging to?”

5. “What resistance could you race towards?”

Write down what comes to mind.

TRY

Pick your favourite tip, move towards it today and enjoy the journey.

I recommend saving this email for future reference. If you find yourself getting sucked back into ‘The Modern World’, refamiliarise yourself with the 5 tips, and see what area of your life needs attention.

I know this email won’t “fix” your finances, but it’ll equip you with clarity and calmness to better manage your circumstances. In a stressful environment, that counts for a lot.

Freedom and serenity already exist within you. You just need to let it out.

HIT REPLY and tell me which tip you’re focusing on.

I read and reply to every email.

Remember: Little by little, a little becomes a lot.