Here’s Why Creative Thinking is 10x More Important Than Math Skills for Setting Financial Goals

If I had a dime for every time someone said “I’m not good with math” while explaining their financial mess…well, you know the rest.

If we believe that being “good with money” is directly linked to our natural analytical competencies, then most of us are destined for a life of financial hiccups.

I hear women make this statement the most, and I suppose it’s tied to those same faulty stereotypes that keep us away from math and science fields. Next time you’re about to say it, stop and contemplate whether you really want to perpetuate these views.

Here’s the truth: creativity is a necessary ingredient for building financial goals, math isn’t

Sure, you need to understand basic arithmetic, but we are exceedingly blessed to have digital tools to do our heavy lifting with running the numbers. And if you don’t trust the tools or your ability to write formulas in Excel, there’s an array of advisors and planners to help.

But what these fancy apps, calculators, and professionals can’t do is replace your imagination.

Why is the ability to think creatively more important when it comes to your finances?

Have you ever created a generic goal like saving more money, losing ten pounds, or getting promoted, and then, after a short time, you abandoned it? It’s easy to come up with a million excuses why, but at your core, you simply cared little for the goal.

This happens a lot because we succumb to external pressures to achieve certain milestones in life. We benchmark ourselves to the lives of others. And sometimes we set goals because that’s what we’re supposed to do, right?

But none of that results in meaningful goals, nor meaningful accomplishments.

You need the goals that become wholehearted obsessions, pull you forward towards progress, and envelop you in optimism for the present and future. These goals are sticky and you would never dare to abandon them.

The key to building the right goals is to make them vision-driven, and that requires a ton of imagination.

When you think creatively and vividly about the life you want now and in the future, you are taking part in surfacing your vision.

That vision should be colorful, full of intricate details, and so realistic that you can feel it.

Once you’re clear on your vision, you can break it down into intentions (“I am” statements) and measurable goals. Okay, that last part may require the use of a calculator.

Stop wasting time on generic goals. Do the inner work and then let your vision drive you to take the action required for it to fully manifest in your life.