It's Time to Reset: Shifting the Post-Pandemic Money Mindset
The light at the end of the 'rona tunnel is here. Pubs and hair salons are reopening. Travel restrictions are lifting. Your limiting, negative beliefs around money are being swept away, and you're en route to smashing your money goals...right?!
For better or for worse, every one of us was financially affected by the lockdown in different ways. Whether you found yourself finally opening a savings account, reassessing what's worth spending on and what isn't (turns out we can all survive without expensive handbags), or panicking about not having enough emergency savings, the pandemic-induced lightbulb moment has been real.
A positive money mindset is all about getting rid of your limiting money beliefs - the ones that prevent you from taking powerful actions that help you achieve abundance in your life. Why not use this momentum in a practical way and finally shift your money mindset to a more positive one? Sure, money can be demoralizing and frustrating, but it can also be a powerful tool to help you live the life that you want and deserve. Here's how you can start mending the relationship between your mind and money:
1. Understand your existing money mindset. You gotta do a bit of digging within yourself to understand your money story. Your money story is the set of beliefs - usually shaped by your upbringing, and formed at a young age (3 to 7 years old according to research) - that you have about money. Do you think it's selfish to have money? Do you feel that, just because you come from a family that isn't rich, that you're incapable of building personal wealth? Or, perhaps, your limiting belief about money is that it's there to spend? The first step to shifting these beliefs is awareness. The next step is creating positive affirmations that you repeat each time a negative one comes up (see number 5).
2. Forgive yourself for your financial mistakes. Forgiveness is a powerful tool because it helps to prevent you from being a prisoner to our past. If we shift our focus away from shame, we can make room for better practices and a healthier attitude towards money. So, whether you've found yourself knee-deep in credit card debt, racked up a bad credit score because of missed payments or spent all your savings on a holiday -- take the time to acknowledge what's happened and let it go. You simply can't rebuild your mindset on a foundation of shame and guilt!
3. Acknowledge the impact COVID-19 has had on your habits. For most people, the pandemic offered an opportunity to reflect on what really matters. Quality over frivolity took centre stage, as did the wish to experience things with loved ones over buying possessions. Take these lessons and carry them with you into post-coronavirus life and focus on your goals and what you want to achieve. If you find that falling into the trap of impulsive shopping, remind yourself of what really matters.
4. Create and maintain good habits. Once you're aware of your limiting beliefs about money, have taken the time to forgive yourself for your financial blunders and set some ambitious goals, you need to delve deep into your income and expenses. Create a budget and understand where you're spending your money. Look into the different types of savings accounts and consider investing for the long-term. One especially effective and important habit to get into is to commit to a set time - one or so hour per week - to review your finances and monitor your progress.
5. Use money mantras and affirmations to help you stay on track. The Law of Attraction is the idea that you attract into your life what you focus on. It might sound like phoney nonsense, but when you need to rewrite your existing negative money beliefs and habits, money mantras really do work. At the core of it all, you need to focus on what you want for your future, which includes what you want for your finances. A consistent stream of thoughts directed toward a particular outcome is the heart of any affirmation. So, whenever you catch yourself out being negative about money, say something along the lines of - "I deserve to be paid for my skills, time and knowledge", "I give myself permission to prosper and grow," or "I am worthy of all the richness I desire". Say these things daily for a prolonged period of time and you'll see that you'll start to believe them!