"The story you tell about yourself is ultimately who you become. Change your story & change your destiny."
David Bayer
Did you grow up hearing phrases like:
🫰 "A penny saved is a penny earned."
🫰 "Money can't buy happiness."
🫰 "Time is money."
🫰 "Money is the root of all evil."
🫰 “Money doesn’t grow on trees.”
🫰 "It takes money to make money."
🫰 "Money is power."
🫰 "Money burns a hole in your pocket."
These seemingly innocent sayings actually shape your money mindset, often in far from useful ways. They contribute to the creation of your money story.
Understanding your money story is crucial. It's the personal belief and narrative you hold about money, formed from childhood experience.
These experiences, including parental words, observed actions, and household dynamics, shape your financial mindset and influences financial decisions.
Many of us harbour negative beliefs about money, hindering our financial well-being no matter how hard we work or save.
Your money story impacts every aspect of your life, from housing decisions to job choices.
Knowing your money story is the first step to changing your financial life.
Once identified, you can work to shift your perspective from scarcity to abundance, opening up new possibilities for financial freedom.
I have a fun little exercise for you to help you understand your money story!
I’d encourage you to explore answers to these questions:
🤔 What did your parents teach you about money?
🤔 What didn’t your parents teach you about money?
🤔 Were there discussions about money in your household?
🤔 What do you remember about how your parents spoke to each other about money?
🤔 How did you feel when you spent money as a child? When your family spent money?
🤔 Did you have more or less money than your peers?
What do your answers reveal about your money story?
Once armed with even a little knowledge about our money story, we can work towards rewriting it:
💖 Forgive yourself - Everyone makes financial mistakes so forgive yours and allow yourself to move forward.
💖 Review values - align your new money story with your core values to provide clarity and direction.
💖 Educate for confidence - Invest time in educating yourself about personal finance management and wealth accumulation strategies.
💖 Commit to emotional change – consciously embrace a shift in mindset and behaviour towards money to reinforce positive financial behaviours.
💖 Implement practical strategies - set financial goals and create a budget, to support long-term financial growth and stability.
This is not a quick fix.
When we want to change our habits and behaviours it takes practice.
But by adopting a new money story, a beneficial and joyous money story, a money story that tells a tale of calm, clarity and informed decision-making, you can pave the way for a financially empowered and secure future.
This is transformational stuff and I am passionate about helping you feel good about your money. So, if you have any questions, you know where I am!
And let me know how you get on exploring your money story. You might surprise yourself!