We’ve Moved! 6121 Excelsior Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416

It was Aristotle who first suggested that humans are driven by five senses: eyesight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. However, neuroscientists say we have between 22 and 33 senses, including:

  • Equilibrioception – our sense of balance
  • Proprioception – controlling body parts without looking, which is how we can type without looking at the keyboard or walk around without looking at our feet.
  • Thermoception – feeling whether the environment around us is cold or hot
  • Chronoception – sensing the passage of time

What’s interesting is that our senses tell us more about our environs when they work together. For example, we may see a coffee cup, but it’s not until we pick it up that we get the sensation of it as a three-dimensional object. Furthermore, that sense of feel can tell us whether the liquid inside the cup is hot or cold; its weight tells us whether the cup is full or empty.

Our senses are so strong that they can instinctively influence our daily lives — even our financial decisions. For example, we may see something at a shop or on TV and get a gnawing, pervasive drive to own that item. All sense of discipline or prudence may go out the window, replaced by something far more aesthetically gratifying. It’s not just sight. Wonderful smells coming from a restaurant can cause you to abandon all plans for cooking at home tonight, even if that means the meat you left out to thaw will go bad.

However, there are ways we can attempt to control our senses and even use them to our advantage. For example, practice “selective hearing.” Try filtering the advice you hear on the local news or a financial news channel. You could also utilize the advice of a trusted financial advisor who has taken the time to understand your particular financial goals and situation.

When it comes to impulse buying, perhaps you can replace a frivolous item with a symbolic one. For example, you may be tempted to buy a new cellphone or a pair of shoes that you really don’t need. In the moment, these products can be more satisfying than paying off a credit card because they are tangible items you can touch. To counter this tangible reward, find a symbol of your financial goal that you can see and/or touch on a daily basis — even if it’s just a picture torn out of a magazine and stuck to your refrigerator — such as the house of your dreams, a picture of your credit card, a cap and gown, a sailboat or the Eiffel Tower.

Physical and visual reminders can help you stay on track to meet your goals and offset temptations that may steer you wayward.

Share This Article

Get the latest retirement news today!

Subscribe Now

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Pick your topic or keywords

Similar Posts

Getting to the Truth: How Strong is Social Security Anyway?

The number one news headline grab this month isn't the Kardashians or Donald Trump. Nor is it Spieth's distressing loss at the Open Championship by…

Continue Reading
Secured Retirement Radio: Probability Investing vs. Safety First

Blog post written by Dale Decker We all have different tolerances for risk. Some people prefer to go big and climb Mount Everest. Others are perfectly…

Continue Reading
Cary Grant’s Retirement Income Checklist

“You never miss the water until the well runs dry.” His Girl Friday (1940) – Walter Burns (Cary Grant) In the 1940’s movie His Girl…

Continue Reading
Ryan Keapproth

Ryan Keapproth

Retirement Planner

Ryan is dedicated to serving clients to achieve their retirement goals. Ryan’s holistic approach centers on wealth management strategies with a focus on income planning throughout retirement. As a Financial Advisor, Ryan is an Investment Adviser Representative (IAR), life and health insurance licensed and a Certified Tax Preparer. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with an Accounting and Finance major.

Ryan is a lifelong Minnesotan originally from Woodbury and currently residing in Bloomington with his wife, Riamae, and their rescue Terrier Beagle mix, Douglas. He and his family are avid travelers in their free time. Ryan enjoys playing golf and poker, and describes himself as a major foodie enjoying new restaurants around the cities whenever possible. He is a sports fan especially when the Vikings and Timberwolves are playing.