By Michela Torczon
Earl Nightingale said, “We become what we think about.” Many others throughout history, as well as the latest neuroscientific research, echo the accuracy of this statement. The same is true with our finances. How we think about money determines the role it plays in our lives. Depending on our mindset, finances can be a source of stress, fear and limitation or a powerful tool to give generously, solve problems and make an impact in the world. Changing our perspective on money can change everything.
Your money mindset is your attitude and beliefs about money. It’s the driving force behind the decisions you make with your financial resources. It shapes the way you approach earning, saving, sharing, spending and more. Your financial habits, whether good or bad, are all rooted in your mindset.
What we believe drives our behavior, which is why it is vitally important to understand our money mindset. This is where self-awareness comes into play. If we aren’t aware of our strengths, weaknesses, thoughts and habits, we’ll never be able to lead ourselves well and reach our financial goals. Once we become conscious of our thoughts, we can utilize the power of our mind to change and navigate our life in the direction we want to go and, more importantly, into who we want to become.
How can we harness the power of our mind to adopt a healthy money mindset? Rachel Cruze offers fiv great tips to get us started:
- Read books that influence you in a positive way.
- Charles Jones said, “You’ll be the same person in a year as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” Reading is a powerful tool to shape your mind. Here are some of my favorite books for growth:
- Switch on Your Brain by Dr. Caroline Leaf
- Know yourself Know Your Money by Rachel Cruze
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- Take the time to consider how your past has shaped your money mindset up to this point in your life. What changes do you need to make?
- Give
- Giving is a proven way to shift our mindset. It moves us from selfish to selfless and brings joy like almost nothing else can!
- Get a Vision
- Visualization is a powerful tool. Visualize in detail who and where you want to be in the future. Dream big! Having a clear vision will focus and motivate your life.
- Believe You Can
- The person who thinks they can and the one who thinks they can’t are both right.
The good news is that you are in complete control over what you think about. You can become the person who believes they can win with money, and once you believe you can, you will!