Items in italics are direct quotes from the articles below
After years of feeling as though my finances controlled me and not the other way around, I’m happy to report I have found the solution in the wisdom of a neuroscientist. Perhaps the insight can help you, too. Budgeting is about making fewer choices to maximize happiness I first met Moran Cerf, a neuroscientist who teaches marketing at Northwestern University, over the summer. We chatted about the ways people make poor decisions and how they could make smarter ones. The conversation was so interesting that I wanted to meet again. A few months later, we convened on the second floor of a Whole Foods to delve yet again into the depths of decision-making. He brought up the topic of personal finance and how to create the perfect budget. Cerf argues that decision-making is mentally draining. Having to make several small choices can exhaust our ability to make bigger decisions. When it comes to money, Cerf says the smartest way to budget is to find the timeline that works for you. The author would go on to create a weekly budget and that turned out to work best for him. When it comes to budgeting, find the process that will work best for you, and be sure to do it frequently. I personally will run my budget every Friday, and I’ve set it up, so I can forecast where I will be 11 months from now. I’ll also look at my budget as I feel the need to. It’s important to have a routine that you will stick to, so it becomes automatic for you. It’s about knowing how much you will have and having the freedom to decide what to do next.
With career earnings that totaled $292 million, Shaquille O’Neal currently ranks as the third-highest-paid player in NBA history. We asked Shaq what financial advice he gives young NBA players who want to hang on to their fortunes. Shaq stopped by Business Insider to talk about his collaboration with home security technology company Ring, to raise awareness about how homeowners can better protect their property this holiday season. Shaq recently kicked off a campaign with Ring’s CEO Jamie Siminoff around protecting holiday package deliveries – specifically as National Package Protection Day approaches on Nov. 29. The article has a transcript from the video. Basically, Shaq advises the athlete to cut the earning of the contract in half and save it, or if they’re more aggressive cut that in half and only spend 25%. In other words, if you have a $100 million-dollar contract, save 75% and spend the other 25% spend however you want to spend it. Most athletes that come into the League think about the money they receive now and don’t plan for the future. ESPN 30 for 30 did a great documentary called Broke which examines the spending habits of athletes. Financial education isn’t taught in schools so it’s important to find competent and wise mentors to learn from. I always tell them “Don’t think about what’s going on now. Think about what has to happen in the future.” I never spent, like, an NBA check like my first four years. Then, when I got married and had kids, all that changes, but that’s, to simplify it for them because, you know, a lot of people don’t have the business mind or the business tact, so you have to break it down in their language. So, I would say save 75%, and this 25%, do whatever you want to do with it. Take care of your family — boom, bam. House, apartment, car – but don’t ever do more than this. If you’re thinking about your legacy, consider it at least two to three generations deep. In other words, you’re thinking at least the next 100 years, will what you have be able to provide for that kind of future? If not, what are you teaching your children and children’s children, so they can thrive and not just survive the world to come.
This week, I’ve included A Brief Guide To Life – Jordan Peterson | Depression & Success (LIFE CHANGING) from the Mulligan Brothers YouTube channel.
“If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others.”
Proverbs 28:26 MSG
Pursuit of Excellence 
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