Self-financial planning, a book review

So I’m blogging from the office, and am supervising training for all the branches people on investment products training. And since Im super expert on these type of products (eeeer yeah. Im just as bored as there is heheheh), I decided to write on whatever there is on my mind.

And since, I am age-wise (but not necessarily mind-wise lol), old enough to determine my own future and managing my own life therefore planning my own financial shit and career, I think I’m quite in an urgent need to understand the whole concept of being an adult. Few words describing it: it sucks. And it brings the scare out of me. Never before I encounter the fear this huge, but consequently, I must (God I hate this word), learn how to control my life. Blah.

OK, first step. Learning. Eeer.. dunno where to start, so I just picked a book a friend recommend, the book of self-financial planning. Quite interesting book, I must say. There said that there are 3 deadly close encounters that we must resist:

· Lust of the Flesh, closely related to infidelity, this lust is dangerous to your financial plan because it can ruin your whole planning. Worse comes to worst, it even brings your family down. So which one dya choose, a short period enjoying of what you think heaven with your new mistress and having financial wreckage by the end of the day, or just stick with your own family you built from sketch with planning leading to ultimate happiness till the end?

· Lust of the Eyes. OK. Maybe you’re the type of person that can resist the first Lust, but beware of this second Lust. This may seem simple and easy to avoid, but being in this modern society, you tend follow the norms that are changing slowly (or, rapidly according to me mum hihi). Let’s put it this way. When you were poor, you didn’t have many wanting and cravings. All you think about is how you earn money to feed you and your family, and getting them educated at the minimum level. That’s your first priority. You don’t think about savings, and the word ‘holiday’ is so out of your mind. So, on the time being you work as hard as you can, and now, you’re wealthy enough to think about ‘good’ things. You start to eat ‘better’ fancy meals; you think you are in urgent need to send your children away for the ‘best’ school overseas.

Yada yada yada, you don’t realize that these whole concepts of good, better, and best stuffs are the most ultimate needs that you MUST fulfill. But essentially, what’s the concept of good, better and best? Is it true that you REALLY MUST fulfill it, or is it only because you THOUGHT you MUST fulfill it? Who differentiate it? Why do we have to try to always fulfill those concepts of good, better, best?

Get the idea? Life is much more simpler back then, innit? Marxists say that this is the ultimate false consciousness, and it’s being brought up by financial planner, a profession that Karl Marx would despise. LOL. Ironic isn’t it? Anyway, it is easy to elaborate here, but once you get into this vicious circle, it’s hard to get out from here. And it’s related to the third deadly close encounters.

· Life of the Pride. Now, you have worked your ass off, you are being as prudent (another word of stingy hehehehh) as you can in managing your income and assets. In a nutshell, you think you deserve all the good things to compensate your efforts. Ergo, you are proud with yourself. Hell you climbed up that mountain; you conquer your enemies, why on earth wouldn’t you be so damn proud of yourself? Darling, the answer is no, you’re not supposed to be proud with yourself. Because, as the book stated, pride blocks our ability to have an open mind to learning new things. It leads you being bold and arrogant, and who doesn’t hate the Mr-Know-It-All attitude?

So there, the deadly close encounters. Mirroring myself, I can almost see some potential lusts in me. Bottom line, I must change the way I live, maybe not all, but some. And changes suck. But being as sucky as there is, I really must change, for this equation:

FINANCIAL PLANNING = LOVE + PREPAREDNESS

Again, it’s all for love, isn’t it?? Tsaah, Melayuuuu! =D

Book Title : My Formula!: Financial Planning For Lifetime $uccess
Author : Thomas Mathew
Publisher : Maximas LLP.
Year Published : 2007