The hardest part isn't knowing what to do
A year of weekly Ask, Save, Earn posts reinforced a lesson I keep seeing again and again: the biggest obstacle is often finding the courage to ask.
Hi there, my friend.
One year ago tomorrow, I posted this…
Spoiler alert: The big news was that Ask, Save, Earn was becoming a weekly publication. A year later, it is still going strong, despite life lifing so hard several times during that period.
The first weekly piece I did, posted the same day as the announcement, was this Q&A with author Veronica Llorca-Smith 🍋 about procrastination.
If you missed it or are newer to Ask, Save, Earn, give it a read. The piece is full of practical advice and thoughtful insights, including this:
“The best way to beat the procrastination monkey is to be crystal clear and honest with yourself about your goals but also your demons, so that you know where resistance is coming from. Once you have full clarity, accountability is only between you and the person in the mirror.”
In retrospect, I love that this was the first weekly post because it touches on a fundamental theme that Ask, Save, Earn keeps coming back to:
Asking can be really hard and really scary, even if you know it works, but you can do it, and we’re here to help you.
Getting past the fear
A couple months later, I posted one of my favorite pieces of the year…
First of all, it is one of my favorite headlines of the year. But more importantly, Abby Davisson provided real practical advice on how to get over the hump when it comes to speaking up. Not only is her book required reading at Stanford Business School — I hear that place is pretty good — but she has actually done these things herself, including getting a refund for something that she forgot to cancel.
One of my favorite quotes from Abby:
“The decision is just step one. Taking action is what actually moves the needle. My best tip? Treat yourself to some ice cream with the money you saved. That way, the victory is extra sweet (literally).”
Bribing yourself with a sweet treat? That’s something I can get behind.
You’re not alone in struggling with this
I talk to people for a living. I’ve done literally thousands of interviews with the biggest media outlets on the planet.
I still get nervous when I need to speak up. I’m still often really uncomfortable with raising my hand in a roomful of people. I shared my struggles here…
But I’m far from the only public figure who struggles with speaking up. I spoke with Chris Browning, whose Popcorn Finance podcast has been downloaded more than 2 million times, about his battles to overcome his fear of negotiating…
His primary advice:
“You have to do whatever you can to try to ground the situation and make it something less scary than your mind sometimes wants to make it be.”
That can be easier said than done, of course. However, in our Q&A, Browning lays out four tips that helped him and just might help you, too.
I won’t stop talking about this
My mission is to show everyone that they have more power over their money than they realize — and to help them wield it.
That last part is so important. Even if people know that they’ll probably get their way, they still need help knowing how to make the request.
That’s why I’m going to keep posting stories like the ones mentioned above. And I need your help to help the most people.
I always want to hear about what keeps you from taking action and what you’ve done to overcome those fears. We’re a community here at Ask, Save, Earn, and communities help each other.
I’ve said it many times…
Helping others succeed can feel every bit as good as succeeding yourself.
Here’s to another year of helping people succeed, and thank you for being a part of it.
Until next time!
Matt
Congratulations on one year! Thank you for all of your awesome advice. You've helped my family and I know you are helping others, too!