First off, welcome to our blog. If you attended our inaugural event on October 3rd in Minneapolis or are one of the thousands that have discovered their Money Color Profile, welcome back! If not go to the online survey and catch up! If you want to refresh your memory or learn more, please visit the other parts of the site, including color definitions.
We are two weeks from what should be the most wonderful, joyous time of year; although, it can quickly turn into the most stressful and difficult. To date, one of the more important lessons I have learned is that there is only one thing I can truly control or change: ME.
So what does this have to do with My Money Color? Let me explain by telling you a bit about my wife and me.
I am a Blue (analytical) she is a Yellow (creative). Let me say this differently; I am a spreadsheet, she is a painting. We have been married for 28 years and have had our challenges. As an analytical, my preferred way of shopping is to sit down in September with a big cup of coffee and two hours cleared on my calendar. In front of me is my computer screen, which is displaying (as you might guess) a spreadsheet. The first column has all of the names of family and friends for whom we buy gifts. The other columns have gift ideas, price ranges (close friends are worth $12 more than casual), stores where gifts will be found, a timetable to be completed, etc...
I know what some of you blues (and greens) are saying to yourselves: "BRILLIANT, what did your wife think?"
During the first FIVE to TEN years, as I tried to sell this approach, the strongest response I received was, "hummm."
At the time, I could not understand the resistance to this approach: it could save 30% of the time necessary to execute a successful hunting, I mean shopping, season (that is another characteristic of blues, we do not shop, we hunt our gifts, drag them to the counter, pay and get the heck out of the store).
Long story short: Life (relationships included) is, in fact, about compromise. As a blue, I could not possibly expect my wife to adopt my spreadsheet tendencies. So here is my suggestion, with the traits of your money color in hand, spend a little time thinking about how you approach the season from that perspective, and if you share the season with another person, from theirs. Give yourself (and them) permission to be yourself (or themselves).
While I have spent a lot of time analyzing and explaining myself, I do have suggestions on what all you yellows, blues, reds and greens can do to make the holidays as stress free and productive to your needs as possible.
Yellow
Green
Happy Holidays,
Tom
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