As far back as I can remember, my grandmother Jeanne wished us in our Christmas cards: “Love, health, prosperity”. It was she who passed on to me the love of writing and festive rituals; like her, I am one of those for whom the card is as important as the gift. As a young adult, I began to borrow his wish sequence. Since then, I admit to having reproduced it in the vast majority of holiday cards that I have given.
According to Larousseprosperity is “the state of that which is marked by expansion and abundance” or “the state of someone who is in a favorable economic or health situation”.
As a community, abundance is desirable to me. My advice in my columns aims in particular at the transmission of an important heritage to future generations by enriching as many people as possible. Money doesn’t buy happiness or solve everything, but a life characterized by a certain financial serenity is worth its weight in gold when you think about it.
The somewhat gloomy atmosphere that reigns at the end of the year makes me think about my usual wishes; An increase in wealth is favorable to the extent that each individual remembers — regardless of their financial situation — that they are an integral part of a community. Getting rich in order to consume more goods seems to be the relic of another era. Having more freedom, more pleasure, sharing with loved ones and giving back to society are just some of the examples of possible positive outcomes from an advantageous financial situation.
So here are my wishes, the ones I really wish for us for the holiday season. As you may have already guessed, these wishes go beyond achieving a simple financial goal.
Quality relationships
What would be the main characteristic of happy people? According to several studies on happiness, including that of Harvard University (What is a happy life?Schulz and Waldinger 2023, a must-read during the holiday season), it is about the quality of our relationships.
What is the link with our finances, you ask? The quality of our relationships does not only apply to intimate life, like our lovers and our friends. Harmonious relationships can also be decisive at the professional level. For example, a career plan based solely on financial conditions and ambition can be a symbol of daily success without being a source of joy. It is indeed entirely possible to include in your financial analysis the quality of the human relationships you find there.
People who are happy, fulfilled and respected at work view financial planning as a way to achieve independence while others seem stuck in a countdown to retirement. I will therefore go so far as to add to my wish list the pleasure of meeting work colleagues in 2024! We all need warm relationships, social skills and courtesy, qualities that, sadly, are still numbed since the pandemic.
Time for yourself
Your personal finances also influence your overall health. Give yourself time to prioritize yourself. I’m not just referring here to time set aside for massages, meditation, or other self-care. I’m talking about carving out time for yourself to slow down, analyze, choose and organize your finances.
What if, in 2024, you became proactive rather than reactive? We are all in control of our financial lives, as shocking and unfair as that may seem. Although economic conditions are not the easiest, currently you can develop reflexes and habits that allow you to master everything that you cannot control. Just as important as work-life balance, healthy eating or physical activity, caring for your finances is a great gift you can give yourself.
Forget miracle recipes or tips from influencer gurus. Often the first step is simply to map out your current situation and write down your desired situation. Analyze your spending over the last twelve months and your spending habits with sincerity: you may be surprised to find that your behaviors are not aligned with your objectives.
Financial success, in short, is only the multiplication of small, concrete actions. However, time should be clearly set aside for this type of regular accounting in your calendar.
Without forgetting the environment
If everyone on the planet had the same definition of a successful holiday season as we do, it would likely lead to our own downfall. How did we come to think that a sober holiday season cannot be successful and happy? If groceries are too expensive for a New Year’s Eve filled with excess, we have the power to adjust the organization of gatherings, change our habits and establish new ones. Giving fewer gifts and going less in excess would, in fact, only be beneficial for the environment.
More time with family, with our friends, is probably more pleasant in refined contexts, in addition to promoting less stressful holidays.
I therefore wish us to reduce our frenzied consumption this year. By reducing the pace — and the stress and performance that results from it — we will free up time and energy to become more aware of the environment in which we live. I also wish us collectively to become aware of the fact that our manners and our individual decisions have a real effect on the happiness of all.
In closing, let us remember that sobriety does not necessarily mean austerity. Remember that if times are more difficult financially, the magic can happen without overconsumption.
Yes, Grandma Jeanne understood everything: she always placed love and health ahead of prosperity.