Variables of Change

For those who know me, already know I am a huge fan of Grey’s Anatomy. I have watched this show since the beginning! I think the creators of Grey’s Anatomy have a way of explaining life so very poignantly. Here is a quote from their Season 7, Episode 1. There is no need for a backstory, as you will learn why. Stick with it, this is a good quote…

"When we say things like: 'People don't change.' It drives scientists crazy because change is literally the only constant in all of science. Energy. Matter. It's always changing. Morphing. Merging. Growing. Dying. It's the way people try not to change that's unnatural. The way we cling to what things were instead of letting them be what they are. The way we cling to old memories instead of forming new ones. The way we insist on believing despite every scientific indication that anything in this lifetime is permanent. Change is constant. How we experience change, that's up to us. It can feel like death. Or, it can feel like a second chance at life. If we open our fingers, loosen our grips, go with it. It can feel like pure adrenaline. Like at any moment we can have another chance at life. Like at any moment we can be born all over again."

Change.
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It really can be a scary word for some. However, and as the quote argues, we can always rely on change being the most constant thing in our lives.

I was rationalizing why it is important to account for change the other day. It might not seem like first nature to us. I think we feel comfort in what is known. We see ourselves as being constant, and maybe there is something to that. It is hard to always be moving and changing and keeping up with those changes. Routine feels more comfortable, and seems to be in our first nature. So going against what is routine feels abnormal to us.

This thinking sometimes makes me laugh internally because accountants are supposed to be cut-and-dry, schedule based, with hard deadlines. Checks get paid out on a certain day. There are no variations or changes to these deadlines. But then, someone forgets to turn in that invoice and thereby throws off when the client gets paid, when the manager approves the invoice, when the check gets cut, when the budget line is off, and when the manager gets the budget report because of all of those factors. See how easy it can be for one small blip to have a snowball effect?

Sometimes when we put together our budgets we do not think about how change is a constant.

We need to ensure that we are always accounting for variables of change within our budgets. Whether that be in our lifestyle, profession, living situation; these can be our variables of change. Sometimes these changes come out of the blue, and sometimes they are well calculated and planned out steps.

One way that you can automate this is by saving a portion of money into one specific budget line for this very thing. Every month, or when you review your budget, you make sure that the money is being saved into that particular budget line. You can call it an emergency fund, you can call it savings. Whatever you like, really! But, the important part is that we make this a habit.

What are some ways that you account for variables of change?