Shared small matters bring more sustainability
What is the secret to a sustainable journey toward financial freedom?
Luke 16:10 says, “The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones.”
A YouTube video on three brain tricks that make you happier in 15 seconds underscores this. We need these tricks especially when it comes to getting and staying on the road to financial freedom.
In the video, the first premise is that the brain does not only create emotions but also watches the body to see how the latter feels, with the face among the largest sources of information.
The video claims that if we fully raise our zygomaticus major (the mouth) and orbicularis oculi (the eye) muscles, we create a full smile that tells our brain to reduce the release of stress-fighting chemicals and open the gates to feel-good ones.
The video advises not to wait to feel happy before changing your body. This is echoed in the book “Stress Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Wellness” by Edward Charlesworth, PhD and Ronald Nathan, PhD.
The authors claim that a full smile leads to the release of endorphins, which are the body’s muscle relaxant. This is brain trick No. 1.
Unfortunately, people tend to overthink things. That is why the video suggests to quickly follow up brain trick No. 1 with the “name it to tame it reset.”
According to psychologists, the brain defaults into hardwired thinking. The brain uses heuristics, which are rules of thumb, educated guesses, intuitive judgements and plain common sense.
Behavioral economists call this System 1. While the use of System 1 is needed for survival, overusing it especially in situations where emotions spike can lead to more stress.
That is why the video recommends naming the stressor at hand, like saying, “I fear the lack of savings.” And when the stressor is labeled, the brain shifts from using System 1 to System 2, or the analytical part of the brain.
Doing so allows a person to “step out” and be an observer of the stressor to better understand it (that is, instead of being inside the stressor). This act further neutralizes the stress as it gives a sense of greater control over the situation.
The video uses the analogy of staying inside a house while observing a rainstorm rather than standing in the rain and getting all soaked.
The third and final brain trick is based on the knowledge that the brain makes a person feel happy not only after making achievements but first with interim progress. In fact, the brain releases different chemicals for progress and achievement.
Dopamine is released when we move toward a goal. Dopamine spikes with anticipation, small wins and milestones and, more importantly, essential feedback that progress is being made.
As an aside, online shopping promotes dopamine release when the buyer is waiting for the delivery. Why do you think online selling platforms release progress reports on where buyers’ shipments are at currently?
Or is it not true that if you were planning a special trip, your excitement peaks just before the trip? This is why progress bars feel satisfying, gamification works and checking items off a list feels good.
But once the package is delivered or the trip begins, the brain releases different chemicals: a) endorphins that promote pleasure, relief, reward; b) serotonin that leads to satisfaction, pride, confidence; and c) oxytocin (that is, if the experience is shared with others) that promotes bonding, validation.
And while big achievements do result in happiness, calm and fulfillment, they can also feel anticlimactic and lead people to look for the next achievement to target.
That is why the video advises to take immediate but just little steps to address the labeled stressor.
In personal finance, this can translate to acts as small as setting a target savings rate, setting aside loose change or categorizing expenses into needs and wants then cutting back on the wants.
Increasing income through a business or a night shift job are huge endeavors that bring in a whole new set of physical and mental stressors. While they may be seen as big achievements in themselves, benefits from the initial happiness and calm they bring in will most likely be short-lived.
On the journey toward financial freedom, a person needs to just savor first the small matters throughout the journey and not the big feats. The excitement from the journey or progress toward financial freedom will make the journey smoother.
But what will make the journey to financial freedom truly sustainable is the companion(s) whose feedback on your progress will release more dopamine.
Send questions via “Ask a Friend, Ask Efren” free service at personalfinance.ph, SMS, Viber, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Efren Ll. Cruz is a registered financial planner and director of RFP Philippines, seasoned investment adviser, bestselling author of personal finance books in the Philippines and a YAMAN Coach.
