Financista Fundamental #2: Prioritize; Pursue Your Passions

I recently read an article over at Free Money Finance that really spoke to my view of money. One of the more poignant parts said this:

Financial planning is the process of aligning your financial choices with your life passions. And although financial planning can tell you how to accomplish your goals, it cannot tell you what your goals should be.

Money is important, but not in and of itself. It's important in so much that it allows you to pursue those things you really care about.

This leads me to my next Fundamental: Prioritize; Pursue Your Passions. (Please note the punctuation used. It was deliberate). Before you go out gallavanting the world with a fist full of cash and the phrase, "But The Financista told me to..." on your lips, sit down and figure out what you truly care about. Do you love to hike and dream of scaling Everest? Is your joy in strapping on your sneaks and challenging yourself to beat your last race? Could you be the next Julia Child with just a little instruction? Would Mozart be rolling over in his grave if you just had a little more practice? (You catch my drift). What are those things that you long for, those things that would make life seem empty if they weren't in your life or you would regret never having accomplished?

One of mine is seeing the gigantic, beautiful world in which we live, so I make that a priority in my life and in my financial planning. It is well worth it to me to eat leftovers for lunch for a month in order to have spending money for a week in Barcelona. To be able to roam the streets decorated by Gaudi, I would gladly wear Levis instead of Sevens. I know this about myself and have structured my budget accordingly. Because, as sad as it might be, I know I can't have it all (at least not at this salary!).

Your life should be passionate, full of those things that excite you, rouse you, and inspire you. Figure out what those are and forget about the other stuff because in the end, you won't remember that dinner at Chili's, but you will remember being in Chile.