There is something deeply human about wanting our lives to work. Not perfectly. Not without difficulty. But with some sense of stability. Some sense of order. Some breathing room between us and disaster.

Most people are not looking to become millionaires. Most people are simply trying to build a life that holds together—a life where the bills are paid, the marriage survives, the children are cared for, and there is enough margin left to sleep at night.

We believe financial success is directly linked to a person’s financial health. That’s why we often use the terms financial success and financial health synonymously. And we intentionally use the phrase financial health rather than financial wealth. That distinction matters.

A great deal of financial writing today focuses on helping people become wealthy. There is no shortage of books, podcasts, seminars, and influencers promising to help people become rich, financially independent, or wildly successful. To be clear, we’re not against financial wealth. In fact, healthy financial systems often produce financial stability—and even wealth—over time. Wealth is certainly one measure of financial success. But it isn’t the only measure.

Before people can even begin thinking about becoming financially wealthy, they need first to become financially healthy. And those are not always the same thing.

So What Is Financial Health?

Financial health is the ability to manage money in a way that brings increasing stability, clarity, generosity, and peace to your life and relationships.

Stability. Emergencies become more manageable. Bills become less overwhelming. Your financial life becomes less fragile.

Clarity. You begin moving out of the financial fog. You know where your money is going and what you’re trying to accomplish.

Generosity. Your financial system begins creating enough margin that you can think beyond yourself and help others.

Peace. Money may still require attention, but it doesn’t have to dominate your emotional life—or your relationships.

Financial Health Isn’t Reserved For Wealthy People.

Can the banker in New York City become financially healthy and financially wealthy? Certainly. But what about the day worker in India? What about the single mother raising seven children somewhere in Indonesia? What about the retired couple living on a fixed income who didn’t save well? What about the young family buried under student debt and trying to survive one paycheck at a time?

Can they become financially wealthy? Maybe. Time, circumstances, opportunity, and their particular situation will tell the tale. Can they become financially healthy? We believe the answer is usually yes.

Over the next several emails, we’re going to walk through 7 Keys to Financial Success—seven practical areas that can help you build a healthier financial system: Income. Spending. Generosity. Savings. Debt. Protection. Integrity.

We’re not promising you’ll get rich. We’re going to talk about something much more attainable—and perhaps much more important: getting financially healthy. And we’ll do it the same way most lasting financial change happens: Little by little.

Tim Howington & Chris Haas
Freedom5one Coaches