​When I started writing this post it was going to be all about how important having financial goals are.  Goals help us focus, guide our financial decisions and visualize our final destination.  Bottom line, goals are important.  Got it?  Good.  Moving on...

Then, I was going to write about how everyone has different financial goals.  I have learned that I shouldn’t judge other people’s financial actions because their financial goals are different than mine.  We should be using our money as a tool to help us reach our individual financial goals successfully.  Understood?  Cool… onto what this post really wants to be about.

​As important as financial goals are, I’ve been thinking that what is probably more important is the journey on which we reach those goals.  I know I don’t read a book, watch a movie or play a Pokémon game just for the ending.  The end is just a small part of it.  The rest is all about the journey getting there.

I have learned so much from the Pokémon games that have been able to baton pass into real life.  Here are just five of the lessons I have learned from the game and how I see they pertain to personal finances.

​Networking
In the game, we meet a lot of people.  We talk to everyone because we don’t know who is going to be the one to give us a special item, trade a pokémon or introduce us to other characters.  Through this networking, we meet very important people.  Before we know it, we’re chatting with the president of Devon Corp., the makers of most of the specialty pokéballs, about his son.  It is so flattering to learn that these VIPs have already heard about us and have been looking forward to our meeting!

Happy New Year and welcome to the Grown-Up Pkmn Trainer!  I have been seeing a lot of great feedback since the blog officially launched two days ago.  If you like what you're seeing or reading please follow me on Twitter and Instagram, like me on Facebook, subscribe to the weekly e-mails or just check back each weekend.
 
It’s the first week of the month which means that it’s time for December’s Review and Net Worth Update.
 
I started tracking my net worth after reading Budgets Are Sexy for about a year and a half.  I really enjoyed reading his and he makes a great point that measuring progress is easier by tracking it.  I have tracked my net worth since the beginning of January 2015.  In 2016 I started to write monthly financial reviews to xatu my net worth by writing down my thoughts on how the month went.  It got off to a fake out beginning, but I haven’t missed one since June.