Robert A. Belle: The emotions behind your money habits | TED

Transcriber:

譯者: 傅寰 李 審譯者: Yi-Ping Cho (Marssi)

I am an accountant with a numbers problem.

我是對數字有問題的會計師

I mean, I'm good with numbers and using them to report what's happening,

雖然我對數字很在行，透過數字做判斷

but I'm also concerned with the full story behind those numbers,

但我也在意隱含在數字中的故事

the part that gets lost in translation,

一些容易被忽略

the part that numbers can't quite tell,

需要進一步分析的故事

the story that goes deeper

不只停留在表面

than mere strategies for saving and earning money.

比儲蓄、賺錢策略更深層的故事

And without that story, I don't think I'm doing my job well.

要能讀出這些故事 我才認為自己有盡責

That's why I've dedicated my career

因此我一直專注在

to figuring out how my work as an accountant

想辦法透過會計師的職業

can tell stories about people,

點出不同人的故事

stories that will ultimately help them improve their lives.

藉此讓人們改善他們的生活

Let me explain.

讓我說給你聽

It all started when someone told me, "You're obsessed with chocolate."

最初是有人跟我說「你很愛吃巧克力」

And I was like, "What? No, I'm not."

我心想「我哪有？」

But then I wondered, could I be in denial about my own obsession?

我後來又想 「會不會只是我自己不承認？」

Was I actually spending a lot of money on chocolate but blind to it?

說不定我花很多錢買巧克力 卻沒有意識到？

Well, here was a chance for me to test this theory.

我有機會驗證這個想法

Using my accountant lens,

方法就是透過會計

off I went tracking my spending on chocolate --

我追蹤了自己買巧克力的花費

and there it was,

結果顯示

my love for chocolate.

我超愛吃巧克力

I was spending about 50 dollars a month on chocolate,

一個月能花50美元左右來買

especially in months when I was overstressed

特別是壓力大的月分

and months when I was overjoyed.

還有特別開心的月分

Analyzing my expenses helped me to understand

分析消費後我了解到

that I had an emotional pattern where when I'm struggling or celebrating,

自己有個行為模式 不順遂或太高興的時候

I binge on chocolate.

我都會狂嗑巧克力

I had struggled with my weight for a very long time

我一直都很想減肥

and I was convinced that my diet was not the problem.

之前我都認為自己的飲食沒問題

I was convinced that it was my lack of effort in exercise,

是運動不足才瘦不下來

and certainly not chocolate.

而且肯定跟巧克力無關

Tracking my spending on chocolate, though,

追蹤自己買巧克力的情況後

helped me realize that I was afraid of facing myself in the mirror,

我了解到，我不敢面對鏡子裡的自己

literally and figuratively,

實際上是、譬喻上也是

and that I lack the courage to deal with the real problem, my diet.

我沒勇氣面對真正的問題：飲食習慣

So I continued to exercise,

所以我持續運動

but devoted less time to it

不過時間減少了一些

and instead shifted my focus and energy towards developing a more healthful diet.

把精力轉移到培養健康的飲食習慣

That year I lost 50 pounds.

一年下來我瘦了22公斤

Our relationship with money represents our relationship with life.

我們怎麼花錢，反映出我們怎麼過生活

The accounting of my own chocolate behavior

分析自己的巧克力消費後

told me the story of my own denial.

我體認到自己否認的心態

I realized that perhaps I could also help my clients

我想，搞不好我能幫助客戶

see what they were overlooking in their own lives

幫他們找到沒意識到的行為

and help them realize their own emotional patterns

理解自己的情緒模式

through their tracking and spending of their expenses.

方法也是追蹤消費習慣

So I started to pay close attention to the story behind my clients' expenses

我開始注意客戶帳本所說的故事

that may be hidden to them.

一些他們看不到的

One of my clients, a critical care nurse,

其中一位客戶，她是重症病房護士

was convinced that her personal budget was reasonable

她認為自己的預算合理

and expenses justifiable.

開銷也都正常

She had struggled to build up her savings

但她就是存不到錢

and I noticed that she had minimal records of her expenses.

我注意到她不太記帳

I suggested to her that her lack of savings

我告訴她，她存不到錢的原因

could be due to more than just a gap in her financial knowledge

可能不只是金融知識的問題

and offered to help identify the problem.

我提議由我幫她找出問題

I encouraged her to start tracking and charting her expenses.

我鼓勵她記帳

After a few months, her financial records revealed

幾個月後，我們看了記錄

that most of her spending was on expensive clothing and shoes.

記錄顯示，她花大錢買昂貴的衣服鞋子

As we sat together, she was genuinely surprised

當時，她非常驚訝

to see just how much of her budget was going towards fashion.

不敢相信自己花這麼多治裝費

She remarked, "Wow, these are impulsive purchases, aren't they?

她說「這是衝動性消費，對吧？」

I guess I didn't realize that."

「我之前都沒注意到」

She analyzed further and realized that she was buying clothes

進一步分析後 我們發現她買衣服的原因

in an attempt to impress and appear successful to her friends.

是想讓自己在朋友眼中看起來混得很好

And also when her confidence was low, buying clothes temporarily boosted it.

當她自信低落時，買衣服也能暫時緩解

She told me that buying clothing was her attempt

她告訴我，她買衣服是想要

to find meaning in life and feel valued.

找到生命的意義 讓自己有被重視的感覺

She sighed, and she set a goal for herself and her finances.

嘆口氣之後 她給自己的人生和財務訂了目標

Six months later, she called me to tell me she had saved a bunch of money

半年後她打給我，說她已經存了不少錢

by reducing her spending on shopping

方法是減少治裝開支

and instead choosing to exercise when she felt the urge to shop.

只要有購物慾望就去運動

She's much happier around her friends.

她現在在朋友圈中更開心

Three years later, home ownership is on the horizon.

三年之後，她已經要買房了

Sometimes, though,

不過有時候

charting expenses may not reveal something specific,

有些問題沒辦法從帳面一眼看出

as a chocolate addiction or shopping problem,

不像巧克力成癮、購物行為那樣

but what it reveals can be just as valuable.

但仍然有很多值得看的地方

A marketing strategist and upcoming musician

一位行銷策略師兼未來音樂家

needed help with her taxes.

需要我幫忙處理稅務

When I met with her, I immediately took note of the fear in her face

首次見面，我就注意到她害怕的表情

as she looked through her records and expenses.

她一看帳本就會出露出害怕的樣子

I checked in with her and she expressed to me

我關心了一下她，她告訴我

that some things in her life didn't quite seem to work out,

她人生中有些事就是不順利

including her relationships.

包含她的感情生活

She was afraid of facing how much money she was about to lose after taxes.

她不敢想像繳完稅後，財產會減少多少

As we continued talking about her finances,

我們繼續聊著財務狀況

she started to notice a connection between her fear of losing money

她留意到，自己害怕損失金錢

and her fear of losing relationships.

和害怕失去感情兩者是有關連的

She went on to tell me that she was afraid of committing to anyone

她又告訴我她很怕投入感情

because she didn't want to get hurt.

因為她不想要受傷

She expressed that she had not been close to anyone in over seven years

她說她已經7年沒有跟人交心了

because she feared failure.

因為她怕感情失敗

And maybe she might have an avoidance strategy

或許這種迴避策略

around both her money and her relationships.

她不只運用在金錢，也用在感情生活中

It's been six years since I first help her chart her finances,

我已經幫她作帳6年了

and she's still consistently keeping up with her spreadsheet.

她還是一直保有自己的帳冊

As she confronted her personal accounting

還不到報稅季，她就會看自己的帳

and grew her savings in advance of each tax season,

努力存更多錢

she developed less fear of loss and grew more open to relationships.

她不像以前那樣害怕失去了 對感情也更加開放

She tells me that she even has the courage

她說她甚至有勇氣

to walk away from a relationship when it's not serving her.

主動停止不愉快的交往

She recently told me,

她最近告訴我

"My spreadsheet is basically a story of my life's progression

「我的帳本紀錄了我人生的進展」

and I can see it through the numbers.”

「而且都藏在數字裡頭」

I believe we can all do this type of audit of our own financial behavior

我相信大家都能幫自己作帳

and that we can learn surprising things about ourselves

透過追蹤，能發現出乎意料的自己

through tracking and charting our expenses.

Here's how.

方法如下

Number one, take a look at your bank statement

第一步：看一下過去半年的銀行對帳單

for the last six months

and categorize the expenses by type

把支出分門別類

for a more holistic view.

For example,

舉例來說

your spending on shopping versus transport versus entertainment.

比較各種花費，像是購物、交通、娛樂

Number two, when an expensive pattern emerges,

第二步：發現規律的大筆花費後

see what that pattern says about yourself.

看這個規律怎麼解釋你的行為

Be curious and inquisitive.

要保持好奇、多提問

At first, it may not be that obvious,

一開始可能不好看出來

but asking yourself what led you to make that choice in a given moment

不過問問自己 為什麼會在這情境下這麼做

can provide some clues.

這個問題能幫助自己推導

Do you buy pizza every Wednesday night

你是不是每週三晚上都買披薩

because that's when you're too tired to cook after a stressful weekly meeting?

因為每週三開完會後 你已經累到不想下廚了？

Number three, observe if there are any line items

第三點：看看有沒有 任何令你吃驚的項目

that you are shocked by in terms of value or volume

不管是花費上還是數量上

and see what patterns emerge.

並找找看規律

For example, did you buy that new smartphone

像是，你買新手機的時間點

just before a major function or event

是不是都在大活動之前不久

so that your friends would notice?

好讓朋友見面時看到？

Or do you tell yourself you only take taxis late at night,

或是你答應自己 只在很晚時才搭計程車

but then realize that you're taking way more taxes every month

看帳目時卻發現 一個月來你比預想的多搭了好幾次

than you thought?

Are you working late more than you thought?

你是不是比自己想的 更常工作到很晚？

There's so much that we can learn about ourselves

我們可以觀察到好多自己的事

if we take the time to look.

只要我們花時間看帳本

And sometimes our money knows us better than we know ourselves.

我們的錢有時比我們更懂我們

Tracking our finances can reveal what we are in denial of,

追蹤自己的帳務 能發現我們自己否認的事

our hidden biases,

或是潛藏的成見

our fears and what might be holding us back.

能看到我們的恐懼 還有絆住我們向前邁進的事

Though it can be difficult and uncomfortable

雖然可能有點困難，有點難為情

to take a good, hard look at our financial behavior,

但確確實實地看自己的消費行為

it can reveal some deep emotional truths.

可以發現我們深藏的情緒事實

Some truths that can help us re-evaluate our careers,

這些事實能幫助我們重新思考職涯

our relationships and our priorities.

重新檢視交友關係和生活重心

So give it a try. The payoff could be huge.

試試看吧，很可能會大有收穫

Thank you.

謝謝