Author Archives: Shan Nissiotis

The Real Purpose Behind Financial Planning When we talk about financial planning, what springs to mind? For many, it might conjure up images of spreadsheets, complex investment strategies, or even a necessary evil to ensure we’re being “responsible.” However, approaching financial planning as merely a task to check off our to-do list may be sellingContinue reading “More than just checking the boxes”

Information is at our fingertips, and artificial intelligence continually surpasses human capabilities in specific tasks; the landscape of valuable skills is evolving.  According to Dr Susan David, while technical know-how remains crucial, it’s quickly becoming commoditised. As a result, the pendulum is swinging towards the intrinsic value of distinctly human skills, finding and forging momentsContinue reading “The rising currency of human skills”

Trust is a crucial component of any successful financial relationship. Trust plays a huge role in making things work, whether it’s with your spouse, financial advisor, or business partner. And one way to build that trust is through the art of listening, which is a central idea in Nancy Kline’s Time to Think methodology. AsContinue reading “Time to think about money – Part 3”

In a few recent blogs, we’ve considered our money stories and how we can not only route out false narratives but work towards creating new financial stories. After exploring the emotional aspects of your financial health and understanding your money story, it’s time to create a new financial narrative that fosters a healthy money mindset.Continue reading “Creating a new financial narrative”

Automatic thought patterns are pervasive and impactful, influencing our moods, behaviours, and even our self-concept. In our everyday lives, we sometimes struggle to recognise their presence in our decision-making, especially when it comes to financial choices. These automatic thoughts – images, words, or other mental activities – that pop into our minds in response toContinue reading “How automatic thoughts shape our financial habits”

Money, it is said, makes the world go around. We use it daily, exchange it for goods and services, save it for the future, worry about it, celebrate it, and yet often, we are reluctant to delve into our personal histories with it.  Our earliest memories of money can reveal much about our present-day financialContinue reading “Unearthing the roots of your money story”

As we journey through life, we often hear phrases like “seeing is believing”. But when it comes to our financial health and well-being, there’s a subtle yet profound difference between merely seeing and truly recognising. It’s akin to looking at a tree and appreciating its beauty, compared to recognising its species, understanding its growth patterns,Continue reading “Data to Wisdom for your financial journey”

Independent thinking is critical in lifestyle financial planning, and here’s why. Each person has unique financial needs, aspirations, and circumstances. When you think independently, you can assess your personal situation and determine what matters most to you. This helps you set goals that genuinely reflect your values and priorities, making your financial plan more meaningfulContinue reading “Time to think about money – Part 2”

Money is more than just a tool for transactions; it’s an emotional force intertwined with our identities, values, and sense of self-worth. Our money story is a tapestry of beliefs and experiences that shape our financial behaviours and attitudes. By exploring different elements of our money story, we can better understand our emotional connection toContinue reading “More about your money story”

Embarking on and sticking to your investment journey requires a solid understanding of financial principles and an appreciation for the emotional roller coaster that comes with it. Asset allocation, a crucial component of investing, is about striking the right balance between risk and reward to achieve your financial goals. As you consider different allocations, it’sContinue reading “Investing with Heart and Mind”

Discussing finances can be a daunting task, especially when emotions run high. It’s important to remember that there’s a human element behind every financial decision – our dreams, fears, and values. Nancy Kline is an American-born author, business consultant, and personal development coach. She is best known for her Time to Think methodology, which emphasisesContinue reading “Time to think about money – Part 1”

In lifestyle financial planning, striking the right balance between empathy and codependency is essential to building healthy relationships while maintaining personal well-being. A recent tweet by Dr Nicole LePera (@Theholisticpsyc) highlighted the differences between empathy and codependency. Empathy means understanding a person’s feelings and being able to put ourselves in their shoes. In the contextContinue reading “Empathy vs Codependency”

Our mindset is crucial to our financial success. Dealing with our money can quickly become an obsessive task; either focusing solely on the amount we’re lacking or missing, or becoming obsessed with saving and storing up, we can sometimes do more harm than good. This is why mindset plays a significant role in how weContinue reading “A miss is as good as a mile”

Personal financial planning has become critical in shaping our lives and determining our future. However, many of us need help to make the right decisions and achieve our financial goals. The key to overcoming these challenges lies in harnessing and leveraging our strengths to create a life of our own design. By understanding and embracingContinue reading “Create a life of your own design”

One of the reasons why so many people chase riches, relationships and reputation to define their value is that they haven’t been coached to understand that they can build a life of worth, value and meaning without relying on other people, positions or possessions to define them. If we want to know how we addContinue reading “Why character matters”

When it comes to financial planning, many believe that the ultimate goal is accumulating as much money as possible. However, this approach may only sometimes lead to a fulfilling lifestyle. Instead, it’s important to consider what kind of life you want and then create a financial plan that allows you to achieve that lifestyle. AsContinue reading “Financing a life you love”

For years there have been copious books, blogs and articles written on healthy time and energy management, and in today’s digital environment, it’s even more essential for success. Experts suggest a shift in how we approach our daily routines, starting with our emails and social media notifications. While our email inbox or WhatsApp notifications mayContinue reading “Inbox zero = energy zero”

Staying motivated to change can be a challenge! It’s too easy to fall into old patterns and habits.  It can be difficult to remain committed to change because change can be a complex process that requires effort, discipline, and perseverance. Sometimes, people need more motivation to change, and with a clear and compelling reason, itContinue reading “Stay motivated and committed to change”

Do you often reach the end of your day and feel like, regardless of how busy you’ve been, you still don’t feel productive? It’s all too easy to begin our day in our emails and allow all the interruptions of ‘urgent messages’ to run our entire day. These digital distractions can seriously affect our productivity.Continue reading “Are you ready to reduce digital distractions?”

Our minds are extraordinary. The human brain has evolved to solve complex problems and successfully manage unexpected situations, and yet, coping is less about what is happening in the world and more about how our senses decipher the situation. Perception is everything; this is why coping mechanisms focus on managing, reframing, or avoiding how weContinue reading “Two ways to reduce anxiety”

It’s easy to feel like our lives are just a series of obligations – choices and decisions made because we have to, not necessarily because we want to. From paying bills and working 9-5 to attending continuous professional development seminars, family events and keeping up with the Joneses. When we view life through the lensContinue reading “Because I want to”

There are moments in life when we slow down and reflect on where we’ve been, where we are – and where we’re headed. Sometimes this is at the start of a new year, or perhaps it’s at a significant milestone in life when we feel like we’ve crested a hill and can take a restContinue reading “Deeper relationships, not deeper pockets”

With a positive approach, physical and mental stress can both be helpful in moving from a fixed to a growth mindset. Research has found that people who adopt the mindset that “stress is enhancing” experience more exceptional performance and fewer negative health symptoms (Crum & Crum, 2018). It’s easy to try and avoid stress entirely,Continue reading “Dealing with stress”

When life gets full and busy, it’s hard to remember why we do what we do, and it’s easy to become unhealthily disconnected from who and what we value. As Dr Susan David often says, finding your “why” can be as simple as reconnecting with your values and reframing your everyday activities in relation toContinue reading “Reconnecting with your values”

Did you know that listening to classical music has been proven to lower blood pressure, make us more emotionally available, help us sleep better and relieve anxiety? Ironically, our emotions around money can achieve the exact opposite! Firstly, if money brings up a lot of emotions for you, you’re not alone. Financial expert Ramit SethiContinue reading “Our emotions tell OUR truth, not THE truth”