A Prescription of Positive Economics for Personal Financial Freedom

I first met Susan Hayes just over two years’ ago, when she was a guest speaker for the network I was running at the time.  To say Susan provides a hefty intravenous shot of positivity through everything she does, is an understatement.  However, as we all know, positivity is a vastly abused and misunderstood word these days – so it’s important to contextualise Susan’s version of it.  It’s an attitude of reality tempered by change and possibility – of newness and active engagement in making a difference in ones’ own economy.  In essence, Susan – the Positive Economist – is just the sort of person a lot of us should and could do with listening to a lot more right now.

So, when I received my copy of “The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Financial Freedom” around Christmas time, I was delighted to muse through its pages and learn more about the behemoth so many of us struggle to attain: financial freedom. 

The reality of personal finance is: we all have different objectives [as with every element of our lives] and this is something Susan clarifies right at the outset.  Hankering after what you think is financial freedom is worthless if you don’t know what your financial ‘temperature’ is.  Tackling the blockages, personal obstacles and individual fears is your next key step and from there – it’s a straightforward case of identifying the best strategy for you, the individual, to attain your personal financial freedom goals. 

Ultimately, Susan’s clear, focused and straightforward methodology is the winning foundation for this book.  Whilst you can just as easily come across Susan in the Sunday Business Post or on Vincent Browne discussing current economic issues, she is equally at home equipping women with the techniques necessary to decide what their financial aims are, and how they best go about achieving them. 

Working in a related discipline to Susan, in enterprise and economic development, I am a major advocate of strategy – in delivering projects, objectives and outcomes - and the same rationale can be taken in achieving personal goals.  “The Savvy Women’s Guide…” offers its readers a real opportunity to take their financial temperature, understand their goals and values, manage their personal ‘limiting beliefs’ and identify the best strategy for financial freedom.

When Susan appeared on TV3 shortly after the launch of the book – she was asked why she had chosen to write the book just for women – her answer was simple: that she knew their challenges best, and felt she could offer them the help they needed to achieve their financial goals.  I have to say, I think the opposite sex are missing out… but also reckon this isn’t the last book Susan will write!

I’m very fond of a quote [which has a multiple of variations] of Henry Ford’s – “whether you think that you can, or that you cannot – you’re right”.  This is true of many decisions we make in life – to start or grow a business, learn a language… or improve our financial outlook.  If you think you can’t, the chances are – you won’t.  If you think you can – you’ll identify a way in which you can.  If financial freedom is a goal of yours? Get this book.