Because of my work in financial and retirement planning, I hear this question a lot…

“Will I have enough?”

What all my professional training and experience has taught me is that, regardless of an individual’s actual monetary wealth, it is an impossible question to answer.

For starters, we live in a culture where we “never have enough.” We’re hyper-sensitive to all the things we lack. How many times have you started your day already feeling behind the eight-ball?

Not enough sleep.

Not enough coffee.

Not enough sunshine.

Not enough vacation.

Not enough time.

We also spend a LOT of time looking at neighbours and measuring what we have against what we think they have.

So, although I don’t want to come across as rude, I usually have to answer the question with a question:

“What is enough, for you?”

What does the life you want look like and feel like? What does it include? What is NOT included? What would be a bonus? What is important to YOU?

Now you can see why it’s impossible to say “enough” is 70% of your final employment earnings, or 80% of your pre-retirement income.

If you find yourself worrying, “Will I have Enough?” I would recommend three things you can do right away to ease the worry, shift your focus away from what you lack, and start enjoying an Abundant Mindset.

An Abundant Mindset means Having Enough

1. Focus on what you have

Tony Robbins says, “Where focus goes, energy flows.” Along the same lines is what Lynne Twist says in her book The Soul of Money: “What you appreciate appreciates.” Being thankful for what we have in life doesn’t leave time to dwell on all the things we don’t have. Gratitude can fill the emotional voids that consumerism can’t, and comparison never will. Don’t get me wrong – no judgement here – enjoy shopping! But if you’re shopping to fill an emotional void, it’s time to look deeper.

2. Know what you want

Feeling abundant doesn’t mean giving up, and never striving for anything new! It means understanding what is important to you and knowing you’re making progress towards it. I encourage clients to develop a clear spending plan to achieve their financial goals. Staying clear on your values and vision means you won’t be distracted when the neighbours buy a new ‘toy’, or a Facebook friend seems to be on constant vacation. Creating a spending plan is hopeful, exciting and positive: you keep your goal in mind and see yourself moving toward it.

3. Recognize what wealth is

Wealth is not worth. You are valuable and loved for your gifts, talents and integrity – not for your wealth. People aren’t remembered for a dollar figure, but for what they chose to do with their money – that goes for whether they have a little or a lot. Think of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and those celebrities donating to movements they believe in. Similarly, there’s that neighbour who always supports the local fundraising efforts - $2 or $5 at a time, or a child who gives a third of their birthday money to the Humane Society. These people know they have ‘enough’ to give some away, despite their differing lifestyles.

Sure, there are financial guidelines, tools, common sense, and rules of thumb. These give us a starting point. How you set the guidelines and which tools you use - that depends on what is important to you.

When I work with clients we START by focussing on what they have, including their priorities, their values and their dreams. And they get to define what their “enough” looks like.

What Glass-Half-Empty thoughts do you find creeping in when you think about “enough”? Do you catch yourself comparing what you have to what others have? Do you spend much time worrying about what you lack? Do you feel the answer to “enough” lies in a certain dollar figure? I’m curious. Let me know with a comment through our Contact Us page or email me directly.