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How simple mental shifts can help you meet your milestones

Vancouver-based PR professional Malania shares her path to defining financial independence on her own terms.

Heather Thompson 5-minute play time

Video: How simple mental shifts can help you meet your milestones (1:54)

Finding balance between paying for everyday needs and saving for an unknown future can be complicated. For some, it feels like a choice between who you are now and who you want to become.

This was the case for Malania, a Vancouver-based public relations professional. After years of investing all her energy into her job, Malania realized it was time to invest in herself — and define financial independence on her own terms.

"You have to find that balance where you're making time for yourself and the things you enjoy," Malania says.

That balance is unique for everyone. For Malania, her partner Adrian and their dog Zephyr, it was more of a feeling than a financial goal. It was also multifaceted. Malania had to juggle having enough income and savings while spending in an uplifting way.

What's “enough"?

There's a lot of societal pressure to constantly do, see and spend. Many people feel that there's never "enough."

Before last March, Malania admits that she felt this pressure. Her feelings about finances were overwhelmed by a sense of always wanting more.

Navigating COVID-19 while running a small, independent business changed that. Malania discovered that no matter what, she could find the resilience to move forward.

“Facing the worst possible outcome and finding a way through it has made me very grateful," she says. "The past year has been challenging for everyone, but I decided that I don't have to face my finances from a place of fear — that no matter what happens, I'll be okay."

By overcoming the challenges of the past year, Malania is better able to appreciate what she has. Through this new lens, she sees her savings not as an emergency stockpile, but as an opportunity for growth.

Redefining investment

Investing can seem beyond the reach of many people. The first step is to define what it means on your own terms.

Last year, Malania began to wrestle with this question — and what the impact of her choices would mean for her family.

In her much-loved Vancouver neighbourhood, buying real estate that afforded her the quality of life she enjoyed as a renter was just not an option. She knew there had to be another way to reach a financial milestone while also looking out for her future self — she just wasn't sure what it was.

There are a lot of opinions about what makes a “sound" investment. And despite hearing that “a car depreciates as soon as it drives off the lot," Malania saw things differently. The freedom of a new set of wheels was worth it to her.

After only driving used cars for years, Malania felt that purchasing a new car would be a milestone moment. It wasn't just a vehicle — it was a daily reminder of everything she'd achieved. So she gave herself a deadline and put all her resources to work. And when that deadline arrived, she was able to customize a new, stylish car to meet her practical needs.

"Instead of seeing style vs. practicality as separate 'either/or,' I see the form and the function together," says Malania. "The way I consume things is different. I'm pursuing what matters to me in my own way and in my own time."

Malania transformed her financial philosophy by focusing on her values. She's now better able to recognize what she has and grow from there — a great foundation for future investments.

When you're the one in the driver's seat, the journey can be just as fulfilling as the destination.

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Written by
Heather Thompson

Heather Thompson’s writing originated with short stories and illustrated fiction which naturally segued into the visual realm of writing for the screen. She received her introduction to writing for the industry as head treatment writer for Radke Film Group in Toronto and is currently developing two feature length genre scripts for IndustryWorks Studios in Vancouver. Her fiction work has run parallel to a 20-year career in freelance journalism with a focus on the arts, music and youth culture. She is published in a host of Canadian and international magazines, tabloids and zines including Adbusters, NOW, Elements, Highsnobiety Berlin, Bubblegumclub Cape Town, and YRB NYCs. Heather continues to explore a variety of platforms for her work, most recently penning a collection of songs with Canadian singer/songwriter Zaki Ibrahim that was released on Redbull Music.

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How simple mental shifts can help you meet your milestones

What's “enough"?

Redefining investment

Great rates. No monthly fees. As simple as that.™

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