Is your money boring? FANTASTIC!

Tune out the headlines—financial peace comes from steady habits, not breaking news.

The boring stuff in our lives doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. Have you ever stopped to think about all the things in your life that are boring? For me, some of the things I find incredibly boring are brushing my teeth, folding laundry, cleaning, driving, giving my kids a bath (yah I said it, not everything those tiny humans do lights me up like a Christmas tree), and sitting around doing nothing. You know what is so fantastic about these boring things? I have to do them to keep life moving forward, but BECAUSE they are boring, they demand very little from me, and therefore they create space for new interesting things. Brushing my teeth, throw in a few lunges that I need to rehabilitate my sore hip, folding laundry, cleaning, and driving are great for listening to podcasts or audiobooks. Sitting around doing nothing, I can pick up a book, meditate, or get outside for a walk. My kids mostly bathe themselves now, so that one is slowly weaning away, thank goodness...

So what does this have to do with money? Well, when your money is boring, it means it's not stressing you out or asking very much of you. It means it's just part of what you do to keep life moving forward. When money is boring, it creates space for you to do more interesting and valuable things with your life.

The financial markets right now are not boring - they are volatile and newsworthy. So what's my advice? Stop paying attention to what the markets are doing. Disconnect from the news, whatever your source, and focus on the long-standing fundamentals. Keep investing at regular intervals (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly) into a balanced and diversified portfolio and continue your plan to hold it for the long term. Stay the boring course. Don't react.

In addition to market turmoil, there is all this talk of a looming recession. That's triggering too...and...same rule applies. Disconnect from the news. Focus on your personal finances and the fundamentals; save towards a peace of mind fund, be mindful of your budget and cash flow, don't over-extend yourself, and build healthy money habits and behaviours. If you think you are at higher risk of income disruption or increasing costs of living from a recession, put a plan in place to prepare and follow the plan calmly. Increase savings, decrease expenses, or, as a last resort, ensure you have access to low-interest debt like a line of credit to carry you through (with a repayment plan for when you're out of the eye of the storm). Each recession impacts people differently, and very few recessions impact everyone or everyone equally. Just because there is talk of a recession, doesn't mean you will be impacted. Stick to the fundamentals. If you need to plan differently, keep it simple, keep it boring, don't panic.

Beyond the current economic season, we also want our day-to-day money management to be boring—but not in the way that makes your eyes glaze over. Like driving, first, it's new and intimidating. Over time, it becomes second nature—you check your mirrors, follow the road, and stay alert without constant drama. Managing your money is the same. The goal isn’t excitement, it’s ease. When your finances are steady, neutral, or even a bit routine, that’s when peace of mind has a chance to bloom. And the most wonderful part, once you feel grounded, that’s when joy can sneak in. Joy from feeling in control, from watching progress, from knowing you’re headed in the right direction. Money can be boring and joyful. That’s not a contradiction; it’s a sweet spot.

You may also be thinking - ok you want my money to be boring - do you have a method where I can do nothing and still see results? And the answer is - I do not. I wish I did. If I did, or if I told you I did, it would be about as valuable as diet pills or vibrating stomach wraps that supposedly give you abs. Sorry, there is always going to be some work involved but the end game is to make it all very...BORING!

Here is your mindfulness takeaway: Notice how your money makes you feel and take steps to slowly neutralize any intensity, good or bad, to create a calm and neutral space for your money to co-exist in your life. This could be disconnecting from the news, making a plan for your money, automating savings or payments, taking a moment to meditate when you feel triggered by money, or any other small step that feels right to you.