Atomic Budgeting Pt. 2: Systems, Not Goals
The Jesse Mecham Show
YNAB
4.7 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 29 June 2020
⏱️ 6 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Jesse continues with part two of the Atomic Budgeting series, applying the concepts in James Clear's Atomic Habits to budgeting and the pursuit of financial freedom.
One of the key concepts in Clear's book is focusing on building effective systems for achieving your goals, rather than on the goal itself. Goals are great things, but without a logical, replicable, and flexible system, you are unlikely to consistently achieve your goals.
YNAB's Four Rules comprise a simple, flexible, and replicable system for achieving the goal of freeing up financial resources to handle unexpected events and do more of the things you want to do in life. The Four Rules don't ask you to come up with a solid number of dollars to save each month, or a percentage; rather, they ask you to follow certain processes (like giving every dollar a job) that ultimately help you achieve the goal of saving money. By staying process-focused rather than goal or number focused, YNAB allows you "roll with the punches" and adjust as your life circumstances change and unexpected expenses arise.
So whether it's budgeting, improving your fitness, reading books, or something else, the next time you set a goal focus your attention on your system for achieving that goal, and learn to love the process!
Sign up for a free 34-day trial of YNAB at www.youneedabudget.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, Winebbers. My name is Jesse Meekham and this is podcast number 434 for |
| 0:09.0 | Wineab, where we teach you four rules to help you stop them in Phetchik to Pitchik pick get out of debt and save more money. |
| 0:14.8 | This is part two of a five-part series talking about atomic budgeting, |
| 0:18.6 | taking James Clear's excellent book, |
| 0:20.6 | Atomic Habits, and thinking about that, |
| 0:23.7 | looking through that lens as it relates to your budgeting |
| 0:26.8 | habit. |
| 0:27.3 | And at the end of the day, budgeting really is just a habit. |
| 0:30.8 | It's not something magical, it's not something super special. It's actually quite simple, but it doesn't mean that it's necessarily easy, at least not out of the gate when you're trying to change your behavior. |
| 0:40.0 | So we talked last week about how tiny little efforts over time can compound and give you the success that you're looking for. |
| 0:49.0 | Suddenly you look like an overnight success because you've had three years of consistent budgeting, |
| 0:54.2 | consistently working the system, consistently rolling with the punches, embracing true expenses, |
| 0:58.8 | giving every dollar a job, and as a result aging your money. |
| 1:02.7 | So today, this is maybe my favorite takeaway from James Book. |
| 1:07.4 | Again, I'm talking about atomic habits. |
| 1:09.7 | I just, I liked the thought and he says it's about systems not goals. |
| 1:14.3 | Here's a quote. |
| 1:14.8 | The most effective way to change your habits is to focus not on what you want to achieve, |
| 1:20.1 | but on who you wish to become. |
| 1:22.1 | So he's framing it suddenly as more of an identity thing, |
| 1:26.0 | and that is, that we're actually going to dig into that next week, |
| 1:29.0 | but that idea suddenly makes it to where it's not about reaching some milestone |
... |
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