April is financial literacy month. A month to raise public awareness of the importance of financial literacy and maintaining smart money management habits.

The month is filled with all types of amazing resources. What is often missing is a discussion about how life and money are intertwined. Almost everything we do includes money.

This year, I turned 60. Over that time, I’ve learned a lot and I wanted to share what I’ve learned, hopefully there’s something here that will resonate with you.

While most of these are about life in general, they can also be applied to money.

Here are 60 things that will help you change the way you think about life and money.

1. Be curious. Ask questions. Learn something new. Asking the right questions is the only way to get the right information.
2. Listen, then listen more. The best lesson I ever learned is to "listen" to my family, friends, clients and colleagues. Hear what they are saying before responding. This can also be the hardest thing to do.
3. We each look at things differently. Consider other people’s perspectives.  You can’t change someone’s mind by arguing, however you can share information that can help them make up their own minds.
4. Be kind. Everyone has something going on inside them that you can't see.
5. Follow the golden rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. As the Grateful Dead say in Franklin’s Tower, if you plant ice, you’re gonna harvest wind.
6. Help others anonymously. This is really rewarding.
7. Be yourself. Be authentic. We are all unique. It’s much easier to be ourselves than anyone else. As Bill Graham said about the Grateful Dead:“They aren’t the best at what they do, they are the only ones that do what they do”. 
8. Stand up for what you believe.  Advocate for what’s right. If everyone stays silent, things don’t change.
9. You can make an impact and change the world. We all have the capacity to make a change in the world whether it’s big or small. Be a force for good. Lead by example.
10.  Family matters. Family is important.  You only have one family.
11.  Advocate for yourself. You are the only person who knows what you are feeling and what you need. Speaking up for yourself if the way to communicate this and get what you are looking for.
12.  Be polite. Say please and thank you. It’s amazing how this creates a positive impact for those around you.
13.  Follow your passion. Whether it’s professionally or personally, pursue what you love to do, whenever you can. You’ll enjoy life more.
14.  Don’t panic. Stay calm. Calm will help others. Things are often not as bad as they can appear at first. Focus on your goals.
15.  Think before acting. Take a deep breath. Just acting will often times make things worse.
16.  Seek balance in all things. This includes work/personal and can extend to having too much dessert.
17.  Read. Read as much as you can. Keep learning. Try to get a little smarter each day and read as much as possible.
18.  Smile at everyone. When walking around, smile and say hi. You’ll be surprised at how many people will smile back and say hi - although a fair number of people will ignore you.
19.  Help others. If someone needs help, help them if you can.
20.  Return calls, emails and texts. Or at least acknowledge them.
21.  Treat others with respect. Don’t be rude. Would you treat a family member the way you’re treating a stranger?
22.  Dance like nobody is watching. Don’t worry about what others think. 
23.  Learn one thing from everyone you talk to. There is always something that you can learn from someone else. Be curious about other people.
24.  Talk to people who think differently or who come from different cultures. Just because someone seems different on the outside, they are not different on the inside. Don’t be afraid of the unfamiliar.
25.  Think for yourself. Make your own opinions. Reach your own decisions.
26.  Be flexible. It’s okay to change your mind when there is new information.
27.  Be on time. Early is on time, on time is late. It’s polite and shows respect for other people. And if you get somewhere early, you lower your stress and often get to pick your location.
28.  Learn first aid and CPR. You may just save someone’s life.
29.  Life is short. While some are fortunate to live to age 100, some of us will die young. You never know, so live life while you can. Balance goals and dreams for the future with doing things today.
30.  See problems as opportunities. Change your perspective to see that there usually opportunities in every challenge we face.
31.  History doesn’t repeat itself, however it often rhymes. It’s important to learn from history and our past experiences as that helps us avoid making the same mistakes.
32.  Don’t be your own worst enemy. “Ain’t nobody messin’ with you but you” from Althea by the Grateful Dead.
33.  There’s often no right answer. There’s the answer that works for you.
34.  Look at the big picture with your money. It’s easy to focus on one particular product or service. Focus on your goals and whether a specific product or service will help you meet that goal. think about what we want to accomplish first, rather than starting with.
35.  Be educated. Be sure to understand what you are doing with your money. If you can’t understand something, you should pass on it. Knowledge is power.
36.  Keep it simple. For both your life and your money. The more variables, the harder to monitor and predict the outcome.
37.  Details matter. As John Wooden said “It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.”
38.  Manage your expenses. Most people concentrate on return and don’t consider that high expenses can significantly reduce their net return. For example, if you reduce your expenses by 1%, that will increase your return by 1%.
39.  Know your risk level. Whether it’s with investment or riding a roller coaster, knowing your comfort level with risk will help you stay relaxed.
40.  Focus on the big things rather than the little things. Are you worrying about a $5 decision like buying a Starbucks drink, rather than worrying about a $1,000 decision (saving 1% in annual expenses on a $100,000 mutual fund investment)? Saving $1,000 in expenses would buy you 200 lattes (at $5 a pop). 
41.  Diversify. Don’t have all of your eggs in one basket.
42.  Review. Continue to review all areas of your life. Things change and you change. Just because something is a great fit at one point in your life, it may not be in the future. Be ready to make changes as your life changes.
43.  Consider the source of information. There are many people and companies giving advice about money and other things. Think about whether they are a qualified and reliable source.
44.  Seek advice if you need it. Know when you need the advice of a professional. You wouldn’t do your own eye surgery.
45.  Protect your risks. Insure what needs to be insured. Be sure to have a safety net in place for your life, this includes insurance and a rainy day fund.
46.  Know your value. Ask for what you’re worth. 
47.  Insurance is not an investment. Check any insurance policy and it says that it is an insurance contract. All insurance policies are regulated by a department of insurance (variable life policies are also regulated by securities regulators). Insurance policies always include cost of insurance and are not a way to be your own banker.
48.  Understand the miracle of compound interest. As Albert Einstein said “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world”.
49.  Money is connected to all parts of our lives. If we are stressed about money, it will impact other parts of our lives.
50.  We are all unique. There is no one size fits all strategy. 
51.  Once in a while, you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. From Scarlet Begonias by the Grateful Dead.  You never know when and where you’ll find what you’re looking for.
52.  Be Judgement-free. Whether it’s with your weight or your money. Whatever your number is, that’s okay, it’s neither good or bad. What’s important is what you do moving forward.
53.  You can’t change the past. Whatever has happened, has happened.
54.  It’s not how much you make, but how much you keep.
55.  Believe people when they tell you who they are. Paraphrased from Maya Angelou.
56.  Don’t assume. Get the facts and then make a decision.
57.  Know your money story. Your history will impact your decision making. Understanding this will help you change your perspective. 
58.  Know what you can control and what you can’t control. Only spend time on what you can control.
59.  Give generously. With your time and money. Help others and make a difference. It’s a great feeling.
60.  Today is the best day to start. It’s never too late to make a positive change.

So, that’s a lot of what I’ve learned.

Please share what you think and what you would add.

Excited to see what I learn in the future.

P.S. If you want to check this out in audio or video format, click here to check out The Get Ready Money Podcast: 60 Things to Change The Way You Think About Money.