Can we talk for a second about money and money mindset?

I know, I know, it’s not exactly PC but I like to think that women (especially) being open about money is becoming more of a thing that we can embrace and TOTALLY ROCK.

I have always claimed to be REALLY good with money. When I was a kid, I saved my pocket money like a boss. When I was at school and uni, I paid for everything myself and saved my part-time job money like a boss. When I started working in TV, I went through periods between contracts where I didn’t have money so I saved my money like a boss.

Yep, I was awesome at saving.

Tightly holding onto money out of fear that I would never have enough. Sure, it served me well when deciding to go overseas or buy a car without having to borrow money and I’ve always been so proud that I have a little pile of money hiding away for ‘just in case’.

But what does it mean? Being scared of having no money.

Of holding onto it tightly and agonising over every decision based on that.

Always worrying that I wouldn’t have enough.

It’s so limiting and it wasn’t until last year that I actually realised that this was a problem.  That fear around money meant that I was restricting how I lived my life.

I discovered this in a Kinesiology session around the same time I was reading Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas.

Funny how things pop up quite insistently when you need to pay attention to them.

So I listened up.  I started to let go of fear.

And then I ditched my career with one paying client and no real business to speak of, somehow believing that if I followed my heart, the money would come.

Have I learned a thing or two since then!? You bet I have.

But here are the three things I implemented straight away from Get Rich, Lucky Bitch.

 

1 – Writing Down My Money Goals

I didn’t do this straight away, but when I did do it, lo and behold, it worked instantly. I decided I needed to make $500 a week to pay my bills and that would be a good starting point. I wrote it down and put my energy towards that for an entire month and I feel crazy saying it, but it worked.

Things just popped up – new clients, affiliate income, writing work, and other opportunities.

I like to think of this as dipping my toes into a completely new way of thinking.

That if I was clear and focused on what I wanted to do and how much I wanted to make, and took inspired action, it would actually happen (and sometimes, it would pop up as if out of nowhere  – courtesy of the magical mysteries of life and the Universe).

Keeping track of the money coming in is another Denise tip that is actually invaluable, especially if money stuff stresses you out. I love when I talk to people who say that they have no idea how much money they make. That they don’t care. Clearly they have some blind faith or a really awesome business manager looking after all of that for them!

For the rest of us, having an idea of what you want/need and how close you’re getting each month to achieving that is a pretty nice feeling. It feels good to celebrate those little achievements and get on top of your bills instead of stressing for no reason when the money was there all along!

 

2 – Feel Good About Your Money Now

This was a HUGE lesson for me and one that I’m still working on!

I trust that as long as I stay true to myself and keep moving forward, the money will come. I have slowly learnt to adapt my thinking to believe it to be true.

Because, the thing I’ve realised is that there is ALWAYS more money. There are opportunities everywhere, there are back up plans, and part time jobs, and ideas that haven’t even formed yet just waiting to bring money with them. What you don’t get more of is time.

And nothing wastes time more than feeling shitty about your current financial situation. What a downer that is.

It’s important is to feel good where you are right now. If things are dire, then it’s time to start working on a new plan. But it’s so important to be grateful for what we have right in this moment, knowing that there will always be more money, we just have to alter our thinking to make room for it.

That is one of the biggest revelations that I have had. And one of the most powerful happiness boosters.

 

3 – Incremental Upgrades

This is NOT about living above your means and getting into debt. This is about the small choices you can make every day to feel significantly better about your life right now. It’s so easy to say, ‘I’ll do this when I win the lotto or get a promotion at work’, but that day may never come. So what can you do right now to show gratitude for what you have and dramatically increase your standard of living by making tiny changes?

My best example of this is that the whole time I’ve lived in my apartment, there has been a (pretty crap) Woolworths in walking distance. I shopped there for over two years, hating the overall awfulness of it and getting super grumpy on more than one occasion. When it closed a couple of months ago, I was pretty annoyed because it meant DRIVING to another equally average Woolworths to get my groceries.

And then one day I decided to walk around the corner to the more deluxe grocery store. It’s much fancier than your average supermarket and, whilst some things are a bit more pricey, the selection of meat, and fruit & veg is far superior for about the same amount. It also means no more driving, feeling crap about where I am and overall, a much more enjoyable and luxurious shopping experience.

I used to HATE grocery shopping, but I actually enjoy it now. I feel rich shopping there. I smile as I walk past the fresh flowers and bread at the entrance. And all for maybe an extra $10-$20 a week.

Totally worth it.

 

BUT, What I’ve realised lately…

These things are all good, and there are so many excellent tips in Denise’s book (that you can read a free sample of here) that I hope to continue implementing into my life. The one thing I’ve realised lately, though, is how easy it is to fall back into old habits.

 

You know, little things like:

:: Freaking out about bills I didn’t plan for

:: Worrying about pricing of any of my current or upcoming offerings

:: Forgetting my ‘there’s always more money’ mindset because I feel a little poor this week

:: Bitching to my bestie about money

:: Being a little unpleasant towards my guy about his/our spending (eek! The worst!)

:: Forgetting to write down my goals and income

These things slip back in if you don’t make an effort to form consistent habits.

It’s so damn easy to get caught up in the lack mentality. Especially because that’s what most people like to do, and so getting sucked back into it can be unexpected and sudden.

Have you noticed that?

Or can you relate to my little money issues?

 

How I’m going to fix it

I have a tendency to be ‘girl on a mission’ when I start to notice things I don’t like in my life. And that’s where I’m at with all this money stuff right now. I want out. I want to upgrade. I want to feel good about money. And I want to embrace this life of abundance that so many money/business/self help gurus talk about.

It’s not about being greedy, or selfish, or demanding.

It’s about being positive and forming great money habits that will, inevitably impact the rest of my life.

 

Do you know how good things can be when you have an abundance mindset?

 

I have to think that you’d truly understand that:

:: There are enough clients/customers/jobs for everyone.

:: There is always more money on its way to you.

:: You can get or have or be whatever you want.

:: Anything is possible.

:: You can help others when you’re no longer struggling.

:: Your positive attitude about money will spill over into your relationships, your career, your family, your lifestyle.

:: And who knows what else (see the awesomeness of abundance? It has UNLIMITED POTENTIAL)

Get my drift?

So, I’ve decided to do Denise’s Lucky Bitch Bootcamp and get a bit of assistance to learn about letting go of limiting beliefs and developing core habits about abundance.

Better still, Denise’s prices are rising this Thursday (10th July/Friday 11th of July at 2pm for Aussies) and she’s giving away a bunch of awesome bonuses for free, so I’m pretty happy that I decided right this second to do her course.

If you can see the unlimited possibilities of changing your mindset from lack to abundance, this is the perfect time to jump in with me. There is a supportive Facebook community and we can help each other out too.

If you want more info about the Lucky Bitch Bootcamp, check it out here.

And if it’s not for you, but you’re sick of living in a state of constant money worry, how long can you live like that for? And are you actively looking for a way to change it?

It’s time for a positive money mindset, don’t you think?

I’d love to know what you think about money mindset, what you’ve learned, or if you’ve done the course yourself! Leave a comment in the section below or please share this with someone you think could benefit from this post!

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