In her Decodes: Short-termism feature video, Lucy explains how becoming a mother helped shift her attitude to the future, and how she is very different to her friends when it comes to money.
‘Once you become a parent your attitude changes because now you know that there’s someone who needs to be provided for in your absence. There’s no there’s no greater spurt of ambition than that. I’m completely untypical when it comes to future planning in contrast to my friends and colleagues, because I’ve been so worried from such a young age – I’m such a bizarrely natural saver.
‘Even among my closest friends, who I have so much in common with, when it comes to money and financial planning it just seems to be a closed world to them. It’s not rocket science. Short-termism at any time is a perfectly rational human response. We are here to enjoy ourselves, that’s what makes life worth living. What we also need to do is factor in some long-termism, so our lives can continue to be fun and happy and provided for. That’s the bit that gets tricky.’
We’ve worked with a panel of world-leading experts including Author Lucy Mangan, Behavioural Economist Ivo Vlaev, Life Coach Fiona Buckland, and Trends Forecaster Jonathan Openshaw to create this Decodes: Short-termism research.
Lucy Mangan is an author, columnist, features writer and TV critic, as well as being the author of Hopscotch & Handbags: the truth about being a girl. In her latest release, Bookworm, she revisits her childhood reading, our best-loved books, and the subtle ways they shape our lives. Lucy is a University of Cambridge alumna with a strong understanding of modern lifestyles, parenting and our professional lives.