Personal finance is not always about the numbers.  So many people, including financial professionals, get wrapped up in crunching the numbers to make a financial decision.  However, personal past decisions and perspectives from other financial professionals have made me realize that personal finance is mostly behavior.  If you can change your behaviors, you WILL become successful with handling your money.  The point is that the APR on your credit cards and the mix of your investing portfolio is not the problem.  The problem is YOU.  The reason you have credit card debt is because you spend more money than you make.  The reason you have had bad experiences with investing is because you try to get rich quick off of the market.  Here are three essential characteristics of a man or woman who wants to WIN.

1. Educated — I am not talking about having an MBA in finance.  I am talking about spending time to educate yourself about mutual funds, mortgages, life and health insurance, IRA’s, your company 401k, budgeting, and ways to save money.
2. Discipline – We must be disciplined enough to keep a monthly budget.  We must be disciplined enough to follow through with your financial goals.  We must be disciplined enough to ride out the waves the stock market.  The market will go down, but you must be willing to wait.  Historically, it always rebounds.  Invest for the long-term or you will get burned!
3. Self-Control — I am talking about the kind of self control when a guy walks through Best Buy or when a girl is walking through Macy’s during a 50% clearance sale.  Self-control is so hard to find in today’s society.  We want it FAST, and we want it NOW.  We are an “our way, right away” culture.  We must suppress our impulses to buy things that we cannot afford.  Demonstrate self-control by saving up for clothing, electronics, and accessories.