Episode 25: Designing Your “Enough” Number cover art

Episode 25: Designing Your “Enough” Number

Episode 25: Designing Your “Enough” Number

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 Episode 25: Designing Your "Enough" Number - A Nervous System-Based Wealth Plan Episode Summary "I'll feel safe when I make more. When I hit X amount, I'll finally relax." Then you hit the number—and your nervous system didn't get the memo. Most high-achieving women never actually define what enough means, so they keep living in a vague cloud of "not there yet," even as their life objectively improves. In this transformative episode, Jennifer Damaskos guides you through designing three simple numbers: your safety number, your stability number, and your expansion number—in a way your nervous system can actually get behind. This isn't about impressing anybody. It's about being honest with yourself and giving your brain permission to stop scanning for danger every time you open your banking app. Key Topics & Timestamps [00:00:00] - Introduction: Making "Enough" Less Vague, More Embodied Why you keep living in "not there yet" even as your life improves [00:01:00] - The Mental Bandwidth Cost of Money Stress Research on financial scarcity and how money stress reduces your ability to plan, focus, and make thoughtful decisions [00:02:00] - Why Your Brain Can't Tag "Safe Now" When you never define enough, your brain stays in low-level alert—even when the numbers are better than ever [00:03:00] - Your Safety Number The monthly income where basic needs are covered and your nervous system can exhale [00:04:00] - Your Stability NumberSafety plus breathing room—you're not just surviving, you're supported [00:05:00] - Your Expansion Number The monthly income where you can invest, give, buy back time, and take bolder moves with less stress [00:06:00] - The Nervous System Reality Check How to test each number against your body's response: collapse, neutrality, or quiet excitement [00:07:00] - Building Around What Feels Possible Why we don't build your next 90 days around a number that sends your system into shutdown [00:08:00] - Where Are You Now? Honestly assessing where you are and identifying one lever to pull in the next 30-60 days [00:09:00] - Living "As If" You're Already There The counterintuitive practice of making decisions as if your safety number is already secured [00:10:00] - Your Reflection Practice Which number will you organize your next 90 days around? What does your nervous system say? [00:11:00] - Final Thoughts Your wealth is about the relationship your system has with "enough" Powerful Quotes from This Episode "Most high-achieving women never actually define what enough means, so they keep living in a vague cloud of 'not there yet,' even as their life objectively improves." "Money stress isn't just uncomfortable—it's expensive from a brain energy standpoint." "When you never define enough, your brain can't ever tag the situation as 'safe now,' so it stays in a low-level state of alert, even if the numbers are better than they've ever been." "This is not about impressing anybody. This is about being honest." "Research on stress and decision-making tells us that when we're highly activated, our brains default to short-term survival choices. When we're more regulated, we regain access to long-term strategic thinking." "If your expansion number sends your system into shutdown, it doesn't mean it's wrong. It just means we don't build your next 90 days around it." "You're not pretending the numbers don't matter. You are refusing to let your worst-case anxiety run every decision." "Your wealth is not just about how much you make—it's about the relationship your system has with enough." Key Takeaways ✅ Financial stress reduces mental bandwidth and makes it harder to plan, focus, and make thoughtful decisions ✅ When you never define "enough," your brain stays in low-level alert—even when numbers improve ✅ Three numbers to define: Safety (basic needs covered), Stability (breathing room), Expansion (invest and give from overflow) ✅ Reality-check each number against your nervous system: Does your body collapse, feel neutral, or experience quiet excitement? ✅ Build your next 90 days around the highest number that feels possible and safe enough right now ✅ When highly activated, our brains default to short-term survival choices; when regulated, we access long-term strategic thinking ✅ Practice living "as if" your safety number is already secured—refuse to let worst-case anxiety run every decision The Three Numbers Framework 1. Your Safety Number This is the monthly income where your basic needs are covered. Your non-negotiables are funded. Your nervous system can exhale a bit. Includes: Housing, utilities Basic food, transportation Minimum debt payments Essential healthcare A very small "life happens" buffer Ask yourself: What is the monthly number where, if this were consistently coming in, my system would stop feeling like every bill is an emergency? 2. Your Stability Number This is safety plus breathing room. You're not just surviving—you're supported. Add in:...
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