You can have money, and still not have a good experience of money.

You can have six figures in savings – and still struggle with spending guilt, overthink every purchase, worry about not having enough, and feel frustrated your assets aren’t growing faster.

You can have six figures in investments – and still worry about whether you’ll have enough for retirement, lose sleep over news headlines, and anxiously check your portfolio all the time.

Your bank account doesn’t govern how well-off you feel. You can have lots of money, but still worry about not having enough. Credit: Simon Letch

You can have a six-figure salary – and still feel like you’re not getting ahead fast enough, like you should be further ahead, compare yourself with people earning more.

This is the bit we usually miss in conversations about money.

The dominant focus tends to be: what are the practical tactics, strategies, tools, systems that will let you acquire, grow, hold on to more money.

The default assumption is – “more” will fix it. You just need more, then you’ll feel the way you want to feel – happy, relaxed, successful, confident, secure, free.

So, you put your head down, focus on the future goal, and keep hustling – telling yourself your current dissatisfaction is just the........

© The Age