This month is typically associated with poor health management habits and has the potential to be stressful for those susceptible.
For people who are one or more of a) lonely, b) in a shitty family situation, c) in financial difficulty, d) thinking that everyone is having a better time than them, then Christmas really can be a soul destroying time. So here’s my round up of where I am when it comes to Mind, Body and Bank Balance as at (nearly) the end of December.
Bank Balance:
This month’s NW calculation includes two new factors which will be included from now on. They are 1) cash in the business; see below for formula applied 2) personal tax liability
I’ve been thinking about the best way to account for cash in my business when calculating personal NW. I don’t believe there’s a universal formula to apply here because all situations will be different; I’ve chosen to be slightly conservative in the formula applied, and will be consistent in doing so. Therefore from now on we’ll be comparing imperfect apples with imperfect apples . This new inclusion has bumped the figures up somewhat but I think it’s fair enough. It’s my business and has value while ever there is money in it (I might include IP at some point). I’ve decided to apply the following treatment to my business’ cash position and include in my personal NW calculations.
(Cash in the business – VAT liability) / 2
The tax liability seems reasonable to add, and my tax return was calculated in the last couple of weeks so to include it seems representative of my true position.
Overall, the position is improved due to stock market performance as well as the ‘one off’ boost of accounting for cash in the business, and the graph looks like this:
Body:
I’ve proved this month that health and physical fitness is more a function of what happens in the kitchen (and the pub) more than it is a function of what happens in the gym (or the park). I’ve done a good job of keeping up my running habit, but also been pretty successful at eating cheese & chocolate and drinking wine (and beer, and port). I’ve dabbled with the odd carb too, which is really special occasion eating for me nowadays. Overall my weight is up a bit (not much, but a bit).
I am not surprised or upset about this month’s position. I love Christmas, and the associated opportunity to spend time with friends and family, to break bread, pop corks and generally get into the party spirit. I know the formula for quickly getting my diet and weight back into line. So after a few days (alright then, weeks) of being on the piss I’ll be back down to a good weight. No biggy.
Mind:
There’s been the odd grumpy dad moment over the festive period, but overall as per this post I’ve been in good spirits and generally a happy chap. Despite the cheese and Baileys winning out over my exercise when it comes to weight management, the regular 30-60mins I’ve spent running has proved to be a good investment in my mood.