I have been running for the past 10 odd years without much progress in my running. Or even looking like a runner, and funnily that could be like ‘why you are broke’. Are you wondering what is the connection?

Well about 1.5Km from my house is a nice big gym. About 2.5km from home is a nice hill on which I can run and build my stamina. I like to believe that I love going to the gym and running as well. I want to be a good runner like some of my friends who are my age or even slightly elder to me. What really stops me? Nothing. I know all the theory. I know what to do. I know I have to hit the gym 3 days a week and the running 3 days a week. I need a trainer, I can get one. All I need to do is to go out there and do it.

Exactly the problem – I do not think I want it hard enough. I do not do enough crunches. Or keep away from ice cream. Or sugar. It is not about knowing (Saraswati) or about having a coach (Hanuman) it is just that I lack the Wisdom (Parvati) that I have to put in the effort. To know that ‘knowing’ is fine, but it is the ‘doing’ that gets you there.

Now what does that have to do with finances? Not difficult to guess what I am hinting at, right? If you hate or hated  learning about finance and you hate actually doing finance (accounts maybe and finance is both business and personal)  you are not going to be successful at finance. Sadly, that is the cold, hard, truth. Like it or lump it.

However if you are willing to learn finance, follow www.subramoney.com, occasionally read a financial book , follow some financial events, and enjoy investing in a mutual fund or even some direct shares, understanding asset allocation, and have read ‘Goal Based Investing – You can be Rich Too’ – you are likely to do it and far more likely to be financially successful.

Of course you need not do everything yourself, you can hire a personal financial adviser. Sure you can but some of us make YOU do all the work! When I hire a personal trainer for the gym or for running I keep asking myself ‘Is he a personal trainer or a personal enemy’. He makes my abs hurt. He makes me run exactly when I want to take a water break. He says 12 twice while counting from 1 to 15 while doing sit ups or doing abs. I keep asking ‘is he here to kill me’. I still have to show up at the gym. He sends me a sms and the days schedule by wassup and I have to be there at 6am even in winter. Grrrrrrrrr. Of course Mumbai has no winter, but even when it is pouring through the roof ! I still have to get on the treadmill. I still have to pump the iron. I still have to do the sit ups. Yes with the weight rod on my shoulder. God, I just did 60 sit ups. Can you see ‘Sixty’ . No, it does not help at all. I know there’s going to be someone at the gym when you get there who will yell at you to “PUSH!!!” and “Speed of 12 on the treadmill for 3 minutes!” It’s going to cost you something to have a personal trainer and a gym membership, but if it helps you reach your goal, then it’s probably worth the expense. Actually the trainer costs you 12x the gym fees. Choice of course is yours.