Within minutes of finishing a delicious yet criminally unhealthy cheeseburger, my pleasure-filled euphoria disappears. Why? According to clinical psychologist Dr. Greg Sipes, it's because we are seeking pleasure, not satisfaction. Dr. Sipes joined me on The Pete the Planner Radio Show recently to discuss how our behavior affects our financial lives.
Food choices and financial choices are eerily similar. Whereas I generally make pretty solid financial choices, my food choices have been a struggle for years. Every poor food choice I make, ends up hurting my health and fitness. Yet even armed with this knowledge, I continue to make poor food choices. I'm hurting myself, in spite of my awareness. Have you ever been there? The problem is our quest for pleasure. As you will hear in the interview below (Segment 2 has most of this discussion), satisfaction is something you can build on, while pleasure is almost always fleeting.
If you'll allow me to make this about me for a moment, I have an interesting point to add. Since discussing this topic with Dr. Sipes on my radio show last week, I've sensed a change in my attitude towards food. I want so badly to make wise food choices, yet I battled with the concept of pleasure. Although it's just been a few days, satisfaction has become my guide. Please listen to this interview so that you too can truly understand satisfaction's role in changing your behavior and decision-making. If we don't address this, financial stress can be overwhelming, and our attempts to budget or get out of debt can easily be vanquished.
Amongst the gems in this interview "unless you see (money) differently, you can't will yourself to do better."
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