Many of us have been conditioned to think:
– I’m just not good with money.
– Money is the root of all evil.
– I am fine with money (when really you’re just ignoring it while telling yourself you’re fine).
But what if I told you that these beliefs are nothing more than a tangle of thoughts holding you back? These thoughts are telling you a big, fat lie, keeping you in a holding pattern, preventing you from living the life of your dreams…
That you were meant to live while you are here, on the planet, in this body, now.
The truth?
Money is a tool that helps to build the life you were meant to live. It’s a vehicle that helps get us where we are going on our life’s journey. A tool does not determine your life’s story; you do.
The real truth?
Our life, in this body, is about unlocking our inner wealth—our talents, dreams, and potential—crafting and living our story…
… that fills us with delight, excitement, and pure joy… learning what we like and don’t like along the way.
Most of us see money as a necessary evil, a barrier from achieving the really big things we want in life… rather than embracing the notion that it is a skill to be mastered. And once we master that money skill, it is the very tool to help us step into that life we want. It gives us more options to choose what we want, without restriction. A tool, a vehicle, not the driver. We get to choose.
Imagine for a moment that money isn’t a source of stress or confusion but a key to unlocking your life’s possibilities.
What would you do differently if you believed that financial success was within your reach?
If you reframe money as a tool to be mastered, that will enable you to step into the life of your dreams… What is one step you can take today to sharpen your financial skill level? Keep it simple.
Here are some actionable steps to get you started and to add excitement to your money game!
- Examine Your Money Beliefs
- Action Step – Write down three common beliefs you hold about money. For each one, ask yourself, “Is this the truth?” Reflect on how these beliefs have shaped your financial behavior.
- Excitement Boost – Turn this into a game. Challenge yourself to debunk these beliefs with real-life examples or stories where the opposite has been true.
- Track Your Financial Status
- Action Step – Take a piece of paper and write down your net worth. This includes all your assets (cash, investments, property) minus your liabilities (debts, loans). Seeing it on paper will open your eyes to your true financial picture. Go ahead… you can do it! Repeat this exercise once a week or month to track your wealth. Don’t like your debt? Start to develop a plan to pay it off.
- Excitement Boost – Use colorful markers or a fun app to track your progress. Celebrate small milestones, like paying off a debt or saving a specific amount. I buy myself flowers when I’ve reached a financial goal.
- Understand Your Spending Habits
- Action Step – Keep a spending journal for one week. Write down everything you spend money on and categorize it (e.g., necessities, entertainment, impulse buys). If you have a tracking system—like QuickBooks—even better! Analyze why you made each purchase.
- Excitement Boost – At the end of the week, reward yourself with a non- monetary treat for completing this exercise. Reflect on the patterns you noticed, and plan one change to improve your spending habits.
- Set Clear Financial Goals
- Action Step – Define one short-term (within 3 months) and one long-term (within 1 year) financial goal. Make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). Give yourself at least one action step that’s easy, toward your goal.
- Excitement Boost – Create a vision board with images and words that represent these goals. Place it somewhere you’ll see daily to keep your motivation high. I always have a vision board going—it reminds me every day to keep my eye on the prize!
- Educate Yourself
- Action Step – Commit to learning about personal finance. Choose one book, podcast, or online course to start with. Aim to spend at least 15 minutes each day on this.
- Excitement Boost – Join a book club or discussion group to share insights and stay accountable even if the group has nothing to do with money… you’ll know inside that this is supporting your goal. Learning with others can make any process more engaging and enjoyable.
- Automate Savings and Investments
- Action Step – Saving money is your goal? Set up automatic transfers to a savings or investment account. Start with a small, manageable amount and increase it gradually as you become more comfortable.
- Excitement Boost – Name your accounts with inspiring labels like “Dream Vacation Fund” or “Future Home.” Watching these accounts grow can be highly motivating.
- Create a Money Tracking System
- Action Step – Not for the faint of heart: Set up a simple tracking system so you can monitor your income and expenses. Use a budgeting app like QuickBooks, Mint, or Xero if that makes the process easier for you. If you’re old school, pen and paper work too—just break it down by week to make this process more manageable.
- Excitement Boost – Treat your money like a puzzle. Find creative ways to cut costs or increase savings. Challenge yourself to stick to these changes for one month, and reward yourself with a fun, low-cost activity at the end.
While you are sharpening your skill level in whatever way calls to you today, know this: the numbers in your bank account do not define you. They’re just evidence of all the money choices you’ve made before today. Just data that shows you what feels good, what doesn’t, and what you want to change. Don’t like what you see? Change it.
We are on the planet for such a short time. Every moment we have is a chance to redefine our path and use the tools at our disposal—money included—to craft an amazing life story worth living.
Your dream life doesn’t have to be a distant fantasy; it’s a reality waiting to be realized and shaped by you, guided by an open mind and willingness to act.
Taking full responsibility for your life, especially when finances are not supporting the dream you envision for yourself, and overcoming that money obstacle can be one of the biggest accomplishments of your life.
Money isn’t the obstacle we think it is. Our thoughts are. Don’t like where you are with your finances? Decide to change it. This, you can do.
Remember, money is a tool, a vehicle to get us where we are going. You get to drive.
