DAY 3 - The Power of Naming What You Don’t Want

12 Days of Money, Mind and Meaning

When we think about improving our lives or our finances, the focus is often on what we want to achieve or create.

New goals.

New habits.

New commitments.

New plans.

But an equally powerful place to begin is with what we don’t want.

Day 3 is an invitation into honesty.

Not harsh honesty.

Not critical honesty.

Gentle, forward-moving honesty.

It asks you to look at the past year and acknowledge the moments, behaviours, pressures or patterns that drained you.

The things that took more than they gave.

The things that kept you stuck, stressed or stretched.

This is important because most people carry far more than the world realises.

And that mental load quietly shapes financial behaviour, emotional energy and decision-making.

When you name what you don’t want, you:

• create boundaries

• identify emotional triggers

• reduce guilt

• bring your nervous system back into balance

• reclaim your agency

• make clearer financial decisions

• redirect your energy toward what actually matters

Maybe what you don’t want is:

• carrying the financial anxiety alone

• saying yes when your body means no

• running on empty while caring for everyone else

• ignoring a money issue because you feel overwhelmed

• overspending to soothe stress

• living in survival mode

• chasing goals that don’t align with who you are

These are not failures.

They are signals.

Most people think their problem is discipline.

Often, the real issue is overload, fear or unmet needs.

Today’s exercise is simple but empowering.

Write down three things you don’t want to take into 2026.

Three things you’re done carrying.

Then choose one that is actually within your control to change now.

Not all three.

Just one.

Small changes compound.

Even a single released burden creates space for clarity, stability and emotional relief.

Tomorrow, we’ll explore the mental load and how money stress amplifies it - and how naming the load can help you release it.

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