Creating a vision of our future and setting goals to achieve it will help to overcome emotional responses to our finances, especially during difficult financial times. A vision can include: a decent education for our children; to be debt free in ten years; a family holiday overseas or a retirement by the sea.

By having a positive goal:

• We tend to react less to the emotional ups and downs of our day to day life.

• We feel more positive about our future.

• We feel in control of our finances.

• We find the discipline to postpone consumption.

• It becomes easier to talk about how you will get there together rather than focusing on the negative.

Craig Peters is the Executive Individual Life: Product Development and Support at Liberty Life.