Rewilding Your Finances

In nature, rewilding means restoring an ecosystem to its natural state — removing unnecessary barriers, allowing balance to return, and letting new life take shape.

The same can be true of your finances.

So how can you put these concepts into practice?

1. Notice Where the System is Stuck

Every business has places where energy — and money — gets trapped. Maybe it’s an outdated spreadsheet no one trusts, a bloated subscription list, or the anxiety that creeps in each time you open your bank app.

Start by observing your systems, not judging.

Ask yourself:

• Where am I overcomplicating things?
• What processes drain my time or confidence?
• Which tools or reports am I not actually using?

Just like in nature, awareness comes before restoration. Once you see the blockages, you can gently start to clear them.

2. Clear the Overgrowth

Before you add new tools or dashboards, remove what’s unnecessary. Rewilding is about subtraction before addition — pulling out what’s no longer alive or aligned.

That might mean:

• Simplifying your chart of accounts.
• Closing unused bank or credit accounts.
• Canceling duplicate software subscriptions.
• Letting go of old reports that no longer reflect your goals.

The goal isn’t to do less for the sake of minimalism — it’s to do less but better. A healthy financial ecosystem is simple, clear, and full of intention.

3. Reconnect to Purpose

Numbers without purpose are just data. Rewilded your finances reconnects you to why the money matters — your mission, your team, your personal wellbeing.

Ask yourself:

• What do I actually want this business to make possible?
• How can my financial systems support that vision?
• Am I tracking the things that measure real health — not just output?

When your budget and goals are rooted in purpose, they stop being restrictive. They become tools for freedom and creative energy.

4. Create Conditions for Natural Growth

Once you’ve simplified and realigned, it’s time to build the conditions for sustainable growth.

That might include:

• Clean, accurate bookkeeping so you can trust your data.
• A monthly rhythm for reviewing reports and making small adjustments.
• A cash flow plan that reflects your real working style — not someone else’s.

Like a rewilded forest, your finances don’t need constant intervention — just steady observation and care. Growth will follow when the environment is healthy.

5. Protect the Ecosystem

Rewilding is not a one-time project; it’s a practice. Schedule time each quarter to check in on your systems and goals.

Take the time to ask:

• Is everything still serving me?
• Does this process still feel clear, aligned, alive?

You don’t need to control every detail — just stay in relationship with your money, your systems, your plans, and your reports. That ongoing attention is what keeps your financial ecosystem resilient and responsive through every season of business.

And finally, always remember: rewilding your finances isn’t about perfection.

It’s about coming back to what’s natural: rhythm, alignment, and trust.

Because the most sustainable kind of growth is the kind that feels alive, and brings joy to your work and your life.

About the Author

Liz Kinnmark is the founder of Wild Return, a consulting practice that helps founders and organizations bring clarity, flow, and sustainability to their financial systems.

With a background in creative entrepreneurship and finance, Liz specializes in helping teams rewild their operations — creating structures that feel as alive as the people who build them.

Learn more at wildreturn.co, or schedule a consultation to start your next season of growth.