So, I was trying to follow the advice of the 4 of pentacles. First off, I started by really thinking about what it meant. I dug into some books and online stuff to understand the general idea behind it.
Point 1: Holding Tight to What You Have
I realized that one key point was to hold tight to my resources. In my case, that meant my money. I began by making a budget. I listened to some experts who said that writing down all your income and expenses is super important. So, I got a notebook and wrote down every single thing I spent money on, from my morning coffee to my monthly rent. I stopped impulse buying. Before I clicked “buy” on anything online, I waited for 24 hours. Most of the time, I found that I didn’t really need those things anyway.
Point 2: Being Cautious with New Ventures
Another thing I did was be super cautious with new opportunities. I had a friend who asked me to invest in his new business idea. Instead of just jumping in, I did my research. I talked to other people in the industry, read up on similar businesses, and asked my friend a ton of questions. I learned from some business experts that only about 20% of new startups succeed in the first year. That made me even more careful. In the end, I decided not to invest because the risks seemed too high.
Point 3: Protecting Your Boundaries
The third point was about protecting my boundaries. I noticed that I was often letting people take advantage of my time and energy. So, I started saying “no” more often. When my colleagues asked me to take on extra work, I politely told them I didn’t have the time. It was hard at first, but I found that people respected me more for it. I also set some rules for my personal life. I decided to have at least one day a week where I didn’t answer work emails or take work calls.
Following the advice of the 4 of pentacles was a process. It wasn’t always easy, but by following these three key points, I managed to get my finances in better shape, make smarter decisions about new opportunities, and protect my time and energy. It’s like I’ve built a little fortress around myself and my resources!
