In my years of money coaching, I’ve heard scads of beliefs people hold about money that keep them afraid, stagnant, and immobile. I could probably list 100, but I decided to pick two very common, and especially destabilizing, ones and deconstruct them a bit.
At the very base of all fears about money is the behemoth belief that there will never be enough. Scarcity at its scariest. However, most times that belief is folded into something a little more intricate. Let’s take a look:
If I get serious about figuring out my money, I won’t get to do anything fun ever again.
Oh that darn financial statement, ruining all our FUN! This one is tough. Digging into our finances and really getting clear comes with a looming threat that we’ll never again be able to buy concert tickets or that delicious, foamy latte. I get it. We want to do what we want! But here’s the thing – whether or not you are aware of the impact of your money habits, the consequences are happening. The difference with knowing the consequences is that you get to choose if you want those outcomes. And you know what? You may still choose exactly the same choices. But you’d do it knowing what the outcome would be, instead of harboring that sickly fear and guilt that it’s really awful and terrible and wondering when it was all going to come crashing down around you. And in fact, you may discover that it’s nowhere near as bad as the scariest thought you had. Knowing what you’re signing up for puts the power back in your hands to be at choice, in any given moment, about what you want to do next.
My finances are so bad that they’re unfixable.
This is one of those vicious cycles that keeps feeding itself – and starving you in the process. Whatever your finances are, not looking at them or dealing with them will, in all likelihood, make them more and more challenging to manage. Which makes you less and less likely to look at them or deal with them. So you don’t, and they get worse and worse. And around and around we go. But here’s what I found. There IS a way forward for just about any financial situation in existence – but there’s no way to know what it is if you have no idea what your situation is. So the difference between not looking and looking really comes down to a decision: do I want to know what the fix is or not?
There are two things to account for when it comes to having a strong and powerful relationship with your money. One is obvious – it’s the logistical basics of knowing what’s going on in your finances, planning, and then using your plan. The other is a little more subtle - it’s getting tuned into these beliefs that may be keeping you stuck or making you feel painted in a corner and choice-less when it comes to your money.
Do you want to change your relationship with money for the better? To move from feeling at its mercy to making it just another tool in your tool belt that can help you live your best life? Maybe the answer is no – and that’s OK. But if it’s even “Well, maaaaybe…….” then I invite you to check out my 12-week program, designed to move you from a passive, uncertain relationship with your money to one that is strong and confident! Join me!
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