Financial Detox….
If you could change just one thing about your relationship with money, what would it be? (Please share your thoughts in the comments section below)
Negative perceptions about your finances cause long-term stress and limitations. Just as too many rich foods can leave you feeling sluggish, stressed out and unhealthy; too many rich purchases can leave you feeling exactly the same!
Is it time for a financial detox? In the same way that a bodily detox begins with an assessment of what your body needs and then identifying the things that need to go, a financial detox looks at your needs, wants and dreams and what is in the way of you living them right now…
Take a moment and reflect on what unhealthy financial beliefs you have? What do you need to release? Do you ever feel that the way you spend your money defines who you are?
Perhaps it is true to an extent, but it is only true if that is one of your beliefs about your money. This is an example of a bad money belief. Instead of thinking that your purchases define who you are, shift your thinking to: ‘Who I am will determine what (and who!) I invest in.’
By switching your focus, you are empowered to choose and track where your money is going and how your finances can enable and support you to live in peaceful abundance!
Here are my 5 Easy Financial Detox Steps
GRATITUDE
Practice gratitude. Fill your heart and soul with gratitude. If you are reading this, then there really is sooooo much to be grateful for! Being grateful for what you have in your life right now is a powerful foundation on which to grow your wealth. Remember, what you focus on grows, so make sure you that focus on how well you are doing, the things you are grateful for now and the things that you are thankful for, in advance. Being grateful, in advance for the blessings that are on their way to you….
As John Demartini says: “What you think about and thank about, you bring about.”
And here is a truth that I personally love…..”Happiness is not having what you want… it’s wanting what you have.” – Unknown
WALLET MANAGEMENT
Go and grab your wallet right now and open it up. What do you see? Slips folded over or scrunched up? Some notes in between. Is it messy? Do all those slips weigh you down? Even if you don’t think they do, let me tell you a messy wallet is not abundant or respectful. Make cleaning out your wallet a regular (as least weekly) practice. Money loves to be organised and respected, as you do too!
TRACK THE FLOW
Track both your income and your spending for 30 days. Acknowledging what is coming in and going out is imperative to your financial well being. A client arrived at my office; feeling depressed about her finances and told me that she had not had a great month. I asked her why she felt that way and if she had checked her income. She said she had an idea of her income and said she felt that the results were not great and therefore she did not feel great. This is an example of letting your bank account ruin your day, your week or even your month. I suggested we check all the figures and in doing that she discovered that she had a GREAT month. Getting the clarity made all the difference for her.
PLASTIC
Take all cards out of your wallet and set up the cash diet – for more information on the cash diet, please take a look at last week’s blog post – The Challenge.
This is the next step in wallet management – only carry the cards that you ABSOLUTELY NEED. Protect yourself, your money and your future from impulsive shopping.
PAPERS
Do you love filing? Perhaps not, but please think about how you feel when it is done! Having your papers filed and organised is another step in your financial detox. It is an important part to having financial peace of mind. Life is good when you know your papers and filing are in order! This can be a weekly practice of getting your filing up to date. If this is something that you need help with, then get that help! Being organised is a gift that you are giving to yourself.
Taking care of your finances is a form of self care and taking care of yourself is your job!!! Do your job, it is that simple!
Please share about what you feel inspired to action in the comments below…
