The battle for your money begins in your mind.
Many people make financial related resolutions for the New Year: save more, spend less, pay off credit cards.
Our thoughts are a very powerful force that can either support or sabotage these money goals. Yet most of us never stop and think about what we’re thinking about when it comes to money!
What are you saying – in your head and out loud – when it comes to money? You may want to manage your money better, but if you’re thinking and saying negative things about your personal finances, it’s unlikely you’ll see positive change.
Why?
Your thoughts become your words; your words become your actions. Your actions build into habits, and your habits will make you or break you. It all starts with our thoughts. And if our internal dialogue goes like this, “I’m always broke,” “I never have any money for savings,” or “I’ll have these student loans until the day I die,” then our thoughts are working against us.
So how do we upgrade our money thoughts and words?
Step one is to think about what you’ve been thinking about! You can’t change something you are not aware of. Pay attention to the words you think or say about money.
Step two is to write these things down. Carry a small notepad or a few index cards with you for the next week. Write down anything you think or say about money.
The third and final step is to look over your list of money thoughts. How many of them are negative? Rewrite these as positive money mantras. For example, change “I’m always broke,” to “I have plenty of money to buy the things I need and want.” “I never have any money for savings,” becomes, “I save 10% of my income on a consistent basis.”
Take this list of positive money mantras and say them out loud at least once a day for the next month. This will get your thoughts and words lined up with your new money goals and set you up for financial success in 2017!
Christine Luken is the Financial Lifeguard and author of “Money is Emotional: Prevent Your Heart From Hijacking Your Wallet.” She helps individuals, families, and entrepreneurs design a financial road map to help them arrive at their Preferred Financial Destination.