When it comes to our finances, creating a positive money mindset is as useful as the kind we take on when trying to lose weight or power through a new goal. Once the mindset has shifted, things open up. Kind of like how once you conquer your fear of driving, it becomes that much easier to control the car.
If money makes you anxious, consider shifting that mindset.
The problem? We tend to think about money as a resource that empties regularly instead of recreating a new thought process and thinking about money more positively. According to Freedom Coach Paula Janse van Rensburg, many people have a scarcity mindset when it comes to money. “This is something that is anchored in the belief that there is not enough money and not enough time, and it creates a reality where there is never enough. This, in turn, creates high levels of stress and anxiety, and feeds the hustle culture,” she says.
But to unlock growth, “understanding who you are with money is critical if you are to break the cycle and switch to an abundance mindset and create the life you dream of,” says Janse van Rensburg.
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If you’re nodding your head because you always treat every cent as if it’s your last, read on to heal this relationship and pivot to one of abundance.
Heal Your Money Mindset
“Start looking at the dominant thoughts that you have during the day,” says Janse van Rensburg. “We need to ask ourselves a number of questions to establish what our deep-seated ideas are about money. Your thoughts and beliefs create your reality, and thanks to the work of neuroscientists like Joe Dispenza, this is now accepted truth, and no longer considered ‘woo’ talk.” To start, ask yourself these questions:
What are your dominant beliefs and thoughts about money?
If you have a scarcity mindset around your moola, it impedes your ability to access more of it, says Janse van Rensburg. “You receive what you believe. If you don’t believe there is enough, you will never have enough. Switch this belief to money being an abundant resource that is here to support you and watch your world transform,” she says.
What were your parents’ dominant beliefs and how did they handle money?
How your parents treated money can become how you handle it, since their treatment flows into your belief system. If it was negative, chances are, you’re handling things the same way.
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Do you treat money as a limited or as abundant resource?
When you treat money as an abundant resource, “you experience more calm and flow when it comes to money,” says Janse van Rensburg. “You enjoy life more from a place of deep appreciation. This creates a new level of freedom. You make more empowered decisions.”
Do you believe money is good or bad?
“When money feels unsafe or shameful, your nervous system will reject it which, in turn, sends out a signal that it’s unsafe and therefore blocks your channel of receiving,” explains Janse van Rensburg. “When you reframe what you believe about money alongside regulating your nervous system that it is safe to receive more, more money can flow into your life.”
Do you believe you are truly worthy of being wealthy?
Your money mindset can actually impact your wealth. One study in Journal Of Financial Therapy surveyed individuals and categorised their money mindsets. They split the mindsets into four groups and found that three of the groups were significantly correlated with income and net worth. In the study, money avoiders (one group of mindsets) tended to have lower incomes and net worths, while money worshipers were likely to carry revolving debt, the study notes. In this way, shifting your money mindset to one where you feel more worthy of the money you have could open up new financial freedom.
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Do you respect money and honour your commitments?
“Some women are not consistent with their money commitments. This often manifests in women not paying things on time and not keeping their money in order,” explains Janse van Rensburg. “When we clean up our act with money, money can start flowing again.”
If you take away one thing…
Let it be this, says Janse van Rensburg: “Take time to understand your relationship with money. Think about what you are spending your money on and how you are receiving money. Just spend some time every day thinking about how money is moving through your life. This will be the start of the shift you may need to allow more money to flow to you.”
