We’ve talked about graduating high school and graduating out of college in the last few weeks. Today, let’s talk about adult graduation. It’s not about school – it’s about graduating to financial success. You may be 30 or 55 and haven’t really gotten to the point of managing your money and finances – instead of your money running your life. When you graduate is up to you – the sooner the better. There’s a great Chinese proverb: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now.

Adult graduates make a financial plan and follow it. Kids do what feels good in the moment. It’s called delayed gratification.

Adult graduates have discipline in choosing between what you want now, and what you want the most.

Adult graduates actually practice what they teach their kids or tell coworkers at lunch that they ought to do. News flash: Your kids emulate what you do and not what you say and have you ever noticed it’s all the broke people that want to give you financial advice?

Adult graduates don’t just focus on the immediacy. They don’t get conned by the 0% headline.

Financially successful grads live on less money than they earn. That’s Money 101 – if not – they’ll never graduate. They have a game plan and serious goal of getting out of debt, starting with their smallest bill and working their way up. These graduates slowly start changing over from paying everything on the planet by credit card to moving over to a debit card. That’s changing their life from living on debt to living off their chequing account balance.

An adult graduate will have read at least two books on credit, finance and investing. It’ll make them more money-smart than 95% of the population and yes – smarter than most bank employees – honestly!

And a small group will graduate with their financial PHD: They’ll have at least one week of net pay in an emergency account, and set aside one-twelfth of their annual bills for Christmas, property tax, car insurance and the likes in a separate savings account.

Are you graduating one financial class or a bunch of them? Is this the year you want to get your financial PHD? I’ll never know how many adults will graduate sometime this year. I hope it’s you – you’re worth it – it’s worth it. But I can’t fight harder for you than you’re prepared to fight for yourself…