159. How to live out your values this year

Are you ready to make a meaningful impact in the coming year? Today’s episode will help you reflect on your achievements from last year and guide you in making intentional choices about how you spend, donate, invest and bank in 2025.

Together, we’ll explore ways to support local businesses, give generously to causes you care about, and invest in companies that align with your values. You'll leave with a personalized action plan to maximize your impact and create positive change in your community and beyond.

ICYMI another episode you might enjoy:
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Transcript

Welcome to Progressive Pockets! I go by GG, that’s short for Genet Gimja. This is a show about taking back some of our power. We’ve been led to believe that billionaires are the only one whose money has any power and folks, I don’t buy it. Our money has power too. There is power in where we decide to shop, and where we bank, and where we invest, and where we donate. That’s what this show is about- reclaiming some of that power.

Today I’d like for us to get into the topic of living out our values this year. So looking into 2025, let’s start to visualize some areas where we might be able to step into our power.

As always, the suggestions will be practical. Consider this a 101 to flexing your wallet power this year. And if you are curious about one of the suggestions, I’ll encourage you to poke around on progressive pockets dot com because there is a backlog of over 150 episodes where you can learn more about these suggestions.

Ok, I’m excited, are you excited? Grab a beverage and let’s chat.

We’re all at different starting places, so let’s start with a brief reflection back onto 2024. How did last year go?

Did you have any intentions that you had set at the beginning of 2024 relating to the positive impact you wanted to have with your money?

Were you able to make any progress on those intentions? Take a moment to celebrate that progress.

If you didn’t make progress on those 2024 intentions, why was that the case?

What could have made it easier to achieve those intentions?

Think back to 2024, what choices did you make that had a positive effect on your community or the world?

If you want to hit pause and spend a few more minutes on those questions, please feel free to do that.

When you’re ready, let’s continue.

Let’s start to think about 2025 and the kind of impact that you can have. Think about your money as a pot of gold. You might have a bigger pot of gold than someone else and a smaller pot of gold than the next person, the point is, all of your money is in this pot of gold. Now let’s think about all of the rainbows shooting out of your pot of gold. Each rainbow represents another thing that you do with your money.

Zoom, one rainbow shoots out that goes to your savings account.

Zoom, another rainbow shoots out and that goes to paying for your daily expenses, all the shopping required to keep your household going.

Zoom, another rainbow shoots out and that goes to saving for your retirement. Some kind of investing.

And maybe not all the rainbows are shooting out of the pot of gold. Maybe there’s also some gold coins that are sprinkling down from the sky, refilling your pot of gold. Where is that money coming from? All of your sources of income.

Each one of those rainbows represents a way that your money leaves a footprint, leaves a mark. So let’s spend a moment and sit with that.

You might have a sense for the obvious focus for you this year. You might know, this is the aspect of my money where I’m leaving the most power untapped. Or this would be the absolute easiest switch for me this year. It wouldn’t even be that hard and I could make a difference. If that’s coming to you, hit pause and jot that down.

When you’re ready, let’s continue.

Let’s go through a few categories of changes you might consider for 2025.

Let’s start with where you’re spending.
This year, can you consider supporting local businesses instead of large corporations?
Can you look for products that are environmentally friendly or ethically sourced?
Think about how your spending can uplift your community, what comes to mind?

Take a moment to write down one or two ways you can change your spending habits this year to make a positive impact.

When you’re ready, let’s continue.

Let’s talk about how you will donate your money in 2025.

Your contributions can help organizations do amazing work in our communities.
What causes need your support this year?
Who is doing that work? Do you already know or will you need to do some research?
Can you consider setting up a recurring donation to make giving easier?
Can you think about volunteering your time as well as your money?

Write down one charity or cause you’d like to support this year and how much you plan to give. I usually write this as a percentage, you can also write down a dollar amount if that works better for you.

When you’re ready, let’s continue.

Let's talk about investing in a way that matches your societal values. Your investments can drive change and support businesses that are making a difference.

Have you moved any of your investments to socially responsible options?
Can you make a goal to move a specific investment account to a socially responsible option?
Can you decide to recruit another coworker to approach HR together to ask for a climate friendly investing option or another socially responsible investing option?
Are you ready to invest in companies that are trying to be a part of the solution? Do you have time to research this yourself or do you need to hire a financial advisor that can help you find these opportunities?
Can you join a group that meets regularly to talk about these topics and serve as accountability partners?

Take a moment to write down one investment strategy or company you’d like to explore this year or another commitment you’re making to yourself this year.

When you’re ready let’s continue. We’re just going to explore one last category.

Have you moved any of your money to a community bank?
Will you be opening any new bank accounts this year? Could you open that account at a community bank that will actually circulate your money into a community that will greatly benefit from it?
Is there an account that you would be willing to switch to a community bank so you can start to experience what it is like to move away from a mainstream big bank?
Can you set up an appointment with a representative of a community bank or CDFI to learn more about moving your money there?

Take a moment to write down one step you can take this year.

Individually these steps may feel small, but when we add up all of our actions, they add up to something big. And when you take these steps, and I take these steps, and your friend at work takes these steps, and your brother in law takes these steps, well you can see what happens, we start to form a movement. And there’s certainly power in that.

Before we wrap up this exercise, I want to encourage you to spend just 5 more minutes visualizing the potential barriers you’ll face as you try to live out these intentions. What’s most likely to be a hurdle?

What can you do ahead of time to get ahead of those hurdles?

When will you check in to make sure you’re making progress? Grab your calendar and make a note while you’re thinking about it today.

Feel free to play this episode back and take your time with it. If you prefer a downloadable version of this exercise, just send an email to progressive pockets and you’ll get a copy of that.

I don’t know about you but I feel at peace. Something about setting intentions just feels so good. So check in with me, let me know what intentions you’re setting for yourself this year. Let me know if you need an accountability buddy, I’m happy to be your buddy.

If you missed it, there was an episode recapping the most popular episodes of 2024, so check that out if you are a new listener or missed some episodes last year.

You can join the newsletter at progressive pockets dot com. It is the least spammy newsletter you’ll get, I promise. It comes out monthlyish, and like the episodes of this show, it is concise and practical. No fluff.

If you’d like me to come in to your organization to talk to your group this year, let me know. I am planning some workshops with employee resource groups on the topics you hear on this show- how to align our values with our wallets. Send an email to progressive pockets at gmail dot com.

Who’s excited about 2025? Let’s do it!

Today’s quote comes from Alice Walker. She says:
“Activism is my rent for living on the planet.”

Let’s talk again soon!