By: Usman Mehmood

Our intentions are usually good when we embark on a 30-day money and mindful challenge. We picture a better bank account and a new feeling of the control of our finances. However, somewhere between day one and day thirty, real life has appeared. Bills arrive early. Unexpected expenses appear. Old habits sneak back in. And sometimes, so does guilt.

This check-in is not whether you have been adhering to the challenge to the letter. It is concerning how you are growing more conscious, more caring, and more mindful of your money. Conscience money was never intended to be restricting and punitive. It was intended to be supportive.

Numbers do not bring money anxiety. It is a result of experiences, anticipations and emotional patterns that we might have been withholding many years. Money also has been linked to stress to most of us even before the first paycheck. When anxiety appears in the face of this challenge, it may say that you are not going to succeed. You are human, and these fears are common.

The first step in being guilt-free is to become aware of the impact that money has on you. Do you check your balance when you are tense? Do you not use financial apps? Do you feel guilty of spending when you need? Awareness is progress. You do not need to make all those changes right now. The mere awareness of these emotional reactions will be a strong move towards positive change.

Conscious money practices are not supposed to inconvenience your life, but to become a part of it. A habit that might seem intimidating is not necessarily wrong, only it might require some modification. Maybe the day-to-day expense reporting was excessive. Check-ins once a week could be a better option.

Guilt-free adjustments imply that you should allow yourself to change the challenge according to your energy, time and duties. A habit that you cannot fully keep is much more effective than the one that you give up altogether.

Guilt keeps us stuck. It makes us believe that we are characterized by mistakes and that we need to grow and hurt. A conscience-free practice mildly opposes that. Monetary errors do not constitute ethical errors. They are feedback.

They indicate to us where we need support, where our systems can be made better and where we need to offer compassion in place of criticism. In instances of guilt, attempt to re-frame it: I didn’t do it, rather, I am learning. This transition creates a room of change devoid of emotional burnout.

The checklist is not the most valuable lesson as this challenge persists or even concludes. It is the attitude that you bring along. Mindful money entails not being obsessive but taking regular checks. It refers to adapting on a change in life.

Celebrate your progress, even at times when it goes unheard and unnoticed. You have the freedom to proceed at your own speed. You can spend your money in pleasure. You may relax and stop appraising yourself.

This is a reminder that in order to reach financial growth, you do not have to feel guilty. Compassion brings about consistency. Confidence is created through awareness. And little, deliberate decisions make a difference. And in case all you had learned during this struggle is a gentler relationship with money, then above all you have already achieved a lot. Go on, quietly, sincerely, and unapologetically.