always-look-on-the-bright-side-of-life Always look on the bright side of life

While we know it’s not easy to remain positive these days, Sanlam’s recent online survey on the challenges facing women during lockdown showed that 6 in 10 women were able to find a silver lining, despite worrying about health, a reduced income and making ends meet.

Kenosi Magosha, Head of Sanlam Client Solutions Savings, says a positive outlook not only makes us feel good, but also helps us to bounce back from setbacks. Being optimistic can help kick-start the process of working towards financial goals, starting businesses, or taking action to pivot a current business in a new direction. “This can set us on a growth path, which can lead to the employment and economic growth our country so desperately needs.”

But a positive outlook alone will not result in financial wellbeing. “While optimism helps to reframe our mindset, and helps us to believe there is a future worth planning for, it is even more important to take practical steps to enable the future,” says Magosha.

To create a positive outlook on your finances and enable financial wellbeing, she suggests we ask ourselves:

• What future goals do I have for myself and my family?
• If my circumstances have changed, should I perhaps re-evaluate my goals?
• When would I like to achieve these goals?
• When and how often will I monitor the progress of my goals? (And diarise these dates.)

Enlisting the help of a professional financial planner to help kick-start your financial goals is a great idea. If you’re going to derive financial benefit from a positive outlook, your daily habits will become a critical point of departure.

Clinical Psychologist, Nozibusiso Nyawose suggests the following in order to embrace the power of positivity and make better decisions:

• Surround yourself with positive people to establish a safe and supportive environment
• Re-evaluate and reflect on your challenges to understand what affects your ability to be positive. If your pessimism is driven by your behaviour, you need to evaluate the situation to gain insight and make informed decisions about your next steps. Take responsibility for unhealthy habits or behaviour, and take progressive steps to change them.
• Exercise regularly. This plays a crucial role in improving your mood and mental stability, and it also contributes to positive thinking and your overall wellbeing.
• Practise positive self-talk. Be gentle with yourself; reaffirm your positive actions rather than letting your inner dialogue become negative, belittling or degrading.

“Visualising the future can help us shift our mindset, and to embrace the power of positivity and its potential impact on our financial wellbeing. Then, we can take active steps to close the gap between our intentions and actions,” says Magosha.