As humans, we tend to not put enough thought into the worth or value we assign to the products and services we purchase. We’ll make better decisions on what we purchase with our hard earned $$ if we take a bit more time to consider how we place value on the things we buy. The interesting thing about finance and financial literacy is that it is equal parts objective evaluation of our financial position and our behavioral perspectives about our personal economy. How we feel about money, investing, and consumption is as important as the numerical and analytical side of working with our finances.

I believe strongly that being grounded in one’s personal purpose leads to a higher probability that intermediate-term vision statements and definitions of success will be more aligned and authentic to who you are at your core—minimizing the likelihood that you’ll adopt other people’s definitions of success. What’s better? Authenticity or superficiality?

So what’s step one on the road to writing your own, authentic success story? Step one is to work on you. To understand your own needs and desires. To build a one-size-fits-you roadmap for your future. To create a customized vision statement that’s based on the definition of your desired future state.