A Kinder Kind of Resolution

The information provided in The Kinder Way Podcast is for educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice from a licensed advisor. The content of each episode is the opinion of the host and interviewees, and does not represent the views of Serenia Life Financial or any of its other subsidiaries or affiliates. Please always consult a licensed insurance advisor for guidance. Serenia Life Financial does not endorse any third-party views referenced in this content.

Episode Transcript

Happy New Year!
I hope you had a really lovely holiday season… and more importantly, that you’re not currently stressing yourself out trying to keep a long list of unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.
Because honestly? That used to be me.
Then motherhood hit.
Not only did my priorities shift, like 100%, but suddenly, I was expected to fully “adult.” I was responsible for a tiny human who depended on me for absolutely everything. And we had a mortgage — a real one, with very real payments. And responsibilities that the younger version of me — the one who thought losing five pounds would magically change her life — was blissfully unaware of.
So if you’re feeling a little tired of the whole “new year, new you” narrative… but you still want to improve something in your life this year, I’ve got a suggestion.
Make time for — wait for it — self-care.
And no, I’m not talking about bubble baths or massages… although both sound wonderful and I fully support them if that’s your thing. I’m talking about a different kind of self-care. The kind that comes from getting one small corner of your very full, very messy life in order.
Maybe that looks like finally tackling the storage room and deciding what to get rid of and what “sparks joy”— is that even still a thing?
Or maybe it’s sitting down with your partner — life partner or business partner — and actually talking about your finances.
Because as unglamorous as it sounds, that kind of care sends a powerful message to yourself: I matter. My future matters.
And maybe it’s just me — but I genuinely feel a million times better when I pay off a credit card, submit workplace benefit claims, or log into my online banking just to make sure nothing weird is going on.
Now, full disclosure: this is coming from the person who uses spreadsheets to track Christmas gifts and travel plans. So if that doesn’t tickle your fancy in the same way, I get it.
But I can almost guarantee that doing small financial check-ins will lower your stress — and probably give your mental health a quiet little boost too.
Think about it this way: instead of punishing yourself by cutting out something you love — like “no more takeout coffee” to save a few bucks or “no more chocolate – ever” to lose a few pounds — what if you allowed yourself to enjoy the little things (in moderation, of course) and your resolution this year was simple: to set aside a bit of time each month to get your finances in order.
Quick side note: those strict, punishing resolutions always tend to feel doable in January… when we’re energized and optimistic and convinced this is the year we become our best selves. But by March? The statistics say that nearly 90% of people will have abandoned them. So maybe we aim for something more sustainable this year.
The nice thing about a monthly financial check-in is that it can look different every time.
In January, maybe it’s paying down holiday credit card debt.
In February, it could mean putting extra savings into your RRSP before the tax deadline.
In March, maybe it’s a call with your advisor to see if there are ways to optimize your investments, or to review the financial protection you already have in place to see if it still covers everything you need.
You’ll know what I mean if someone if your life was diagnosed with a serious illness during their working years – and you saw, first hand, how much time, energy, and — yes — money it took to get through treatment and recovery, and how it can be a pretty major financial setback.
Actually, calling it a “setback” almost feels too mild.
If you’re lucky, it’s a setback.
If you don’t have a strong support system or financial safety net, it can be devastating.
In my local community, one of the owners of a well-loved summer camp was diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. She went through months and months of treatment — thankfully, she seems to be doing much better now — but as an entrepreneur, I can only imagine the financial impact. I don’t know whether she had critical illness insurance, but she was lucky to have an entire community step in with donations, meal trains, and support.
That kind of generosity is a beautiful thing.
But as life gets more expensive and people feel stretched thinner every day, it may not always be realistic to rely on others during our hardest moments.
And the same goes for the death of a spouse.
In households like mine — where my husband and I both rely on our incomes to pay the mortgage and bills — time off work, or worse, an unexpected death, would completely derail things. I don’t want to be navigating grief, worry, and caring for my child while also figuring out how to survive financially. I really don’t want the uncertainty of crowdfunding to be part of that story.
Here’s what I think: We can be kinder to our future selves by making a “kinder kind” of resolution this year. Kind in that it’s not a punishment… it’s not too stressful… AND it’s setting ourselves up for the future.
Here’s the kindest New Year’s resolution I can offer you — feel free to steal it:
“This year, I’m choosing a different kind of self-care: a simple monthly check-in with my money.”
That’s it.
Honestly? You’ll sleep better at night. Try it.
And one final thought before we wrap up: there’s a reason Financial Well-Being is one of the four pillars of wellness. It’s hard to feel good when money stress is constantly sitting in the background. But when you treat your financial well-being with the same care as your physical, mental, and — let’s be honest — social well-being… you set yourself up for so much more peace of mind.
Alright, before I go, it’s that time where I sprinkle a little bit of kindness into the episode. It may be my favourite one yet!
Just before Christmas, I was delivering chocolates in my community as part of a fundraiser supporting a program that provides care for children orphaned by war. When I arrived at one woman’s home, she invited me into her home. I assumed she was just being kind — offering shelter from the cold for a moment — but once inside, she invited me to sit down for fruit, homemade goodies, and a chat.
She comes from a culture where refusing hospitality — no matter how politely — is considered rude. So I ignored my very Western instinct to say “oh no, I couldn’t” and accepted.
She offered homemade cookies, laid out fruit, and when I admitted I didn’t really know much about persimmons, she happily sliced one up for me. We talked about her life, her family, and she asked about mine. When I finally left — after nearly half an hour — she sent me home with leftover persimmon slices, a homemade dessert, a container of traditional meats her husband had just BBQ’d, and a box of chocolates.
I was completely overwhelmed by her kindness.
I couldn’t stop thinking about her over the holidays — so I ended up leaving her some homemade treats as a small thank-you on New Year’s Day.
Well, what about you? Have you witnessed or participated in an act of kindness lately?

I would love to hear about it — share your story in the comments. And… see you next time!