Getting yourself on the path to financial freedom is not just about getting your money sorted; it is about sorting your life as well. That is the premise of a newly released book by Canadian-Kiwi Amanda Morrall called Money Matters; Get your Life and $$$ Sorted (Penguin, 2013). By giving attention to your inner wealth and well-being as well as your finances, you will get the two areas working in tandem and that’s where you’ll find your personal financial flow.

Personal flow is concept used by some motivational experts to describe that state where you are working in a way that attracts wealth and success. When you are in a state of flow, everything seems to be more effortless and less problematic and opportunities come knocking. Morrall says flow comes “by doing what you love, doing it well, doing it with a purpose and trying to make a difference.”

Morrall’s recipe for success includes the usual basic principles of money management such as getting rid of debt, saving, making considered decisions about your home, and sorting out ‘housekeeping’ matters such as insurances and wills. To this she adds two aspects in particular which are often overlooked: resolving financial differences with your partner and incorporating kindness into your financial planning by giving to others.

Morrall takes a holistic approach to financial planning which is refreshing. Life isn’t about money, it is about well being. She writes: “Consider what you have and don’t have, what you want and why, where you are now and where you want to go, how you’ll get there and who (if anyone) can help you along the way. If you can see money for what it is – a means to an end rather than an end in itself – this will help you create a meaningful financial plan”.