What Physio Taught Me About Money Goals
Working as a physiotherapist has changed how I think about financial goals, because the first thing someone says they want is rarely the thing they care about most.
A patient might come into the clinic saying they want less knee pain. If we keep talking, they may want to run a 10K in the spring or kneel in the garden without worrying about getting back up. Once I know that, I can build treatment around something that matters to them.
Financial goals get clearer when they are tied to something you want your life to look like. Saving for a house, a day off each week, or two months with family across the country gives the number a job.
Last summer, I took two months off work to visit my parents in BC, which only worked because I had set money aside for that exact purpose. The balance mattered because of the time it bought me.
When a money goal feels vague, I come back to the question I ask in physio: what do you want to be able to do that you cannot do right now?
What would your money let you do if the plan worked?
