SPENDING POWER
Money is only one of the ways we pay for our lives. We also spend our time, our energy, and our attention. The question isn’t just what can you afford. It’s what is worth the cost.
We’re taught to pay close attention to our money. We budget it, track it, save it, invest it and worry about where it went.
But money is only one of the currencies we spend every day.
I think of them as the Four Currencies: Time, Energy, Attention and Money.
Three are finite. One is renewable.
Your time is finite. Your energy is finite. Your attention is finite. But money? You can make more. You can lose it and rebuild it. You can spend it and earn it again.
And yet, money is often the currency we protect the most.
Meanwhile, we’ll spend years doing something we’ve outgrown, pour our energy into things that drain us, and give our attention to things that stopped deserving it a long time ago.
The idea that we pay for things with more than money isn’t new. But most frameworks look at these resources through the lens of productivity and efficiency.
I’m interested in something different:
Are you spending them on a life you actually want?
The Four Currencies is a values-based way to look at what your life is really costing you, and decide what’s worth the price.
love, katy
THE FOUR CURRENCIES
MONEY
ENERGY
The dollars you earn, spend, save, and give.
The hours that can never be earned back.
Your physical, mental, and emotional capacity.
ATTENTION
What you choose to notice, think about, and focus on.
Every article in this collection explores one of the Four Currencies and offers practical ways to make decisions that align with your values.
A simple question that changes almost every decision.
The CURRENCY CHECK
Before you say yes…
Before you buy something…
Before you take on another project…
Before you scroll…
Before you stay in a job you hate…
Ask yourself:
Which currency am I actually spending?
☐ Money ☐ Time ☐ Energy ☐ Attention
And then ask one more question:
Is that the currency I want to spend?
Signs You Might Be Ready for a Break from Alcohol
✔ You keep negotiating with yourself about drinking
✔ You feel worse after than you expect
✔ You’re curious who you’d be without it
✔ You’re not rock bottom… just not aligned
A life well spent isn't measured by one currency.
Some seasons require more money.
Some require more time.
Some ask for your energy.
Some deserve your full attention.
The goal isn't to spend every currency equally.
It's to spend each one intentionally.
Every Monday morning I send one thoughtful essay about building a life that feels as good as it looks.
One idea.
One story
One reminder to spend your life intentionally.
Every Monday morning I send one thoughtful essay about building a life that feels as good as it looks.
One idea.
One story
One reminder to spend your life intentionally.