How to have “The Talk”
Honey…. Um I won’t be getting a raise this year…
Dear… we owe taxes this year…
How are we going to pay for the kids to do all these activities?
I want to go on a vacation, can I book it?
Are we on track for retirement?
We owe too much money on our credit cards. What do we do?
Have you asked these questions? Do you often wonder if you are on track or if your efforts will make any progress at all?
It can be challenging to figure out how to approach these topics with the one you love let alone actually find the answers that will make a difference. And how will you change your behaviors so you finally make progress towards your goals?
It takes just a few steps to get the conversation started without the darts flying. Check out the following ideas that will lead you to clarity and action.
- Get clear. Sometimes we just dive in without regard to the real issue at hand or the outcome you’d like to see. Make sure you know what you want to accomplish from the conversation and why. You don’t want to start talking and make no progress because you were unclear to begin with.
- Be open. State your concerns, ideas, or question and just listen. You want to be attentive, responsive, and open to new ideas that your spouse may bring to the table. None of us have all the answers. A new way of doing things may get you where you want to go faster.
- Make a decision. Determine what you are both willing to do so you see the desired outcome. Agree upon the sacrifices that you are ready to make and for how long.
- Take action. A talk is a nice starting place for financial change. You can’t expect the conversation to do all the work though. Now is the time to do something. Set up automatic payments or make the call for some additional help.
You may find it difficult to even get your spouse on board at all. Well, let me do the talking for you. Let’s discuss these topics without you having to say a word. I will have the difficult conversations that for years you have been trying to avoid. I will guide you through how to start the conversation, what to say once you have their attention and the 1 thing that will make a difference quickly given the subject you are discussing.
