I opened my last post by discussing the meaning of prosperity--favorable or marked by success or economic well-being. There are many things you can do to help yourself get to a state of feeling prosperous much faster than you would otherwise.
January is a time of resolutions, but the truth is, you can make a change whenever you want. You don’t need to wait for a new year or even a new day. Start now! But since financial resolutions are usually at the top of everyone’s list along with physical health (my personal resolution this year is eating better) it’s the perfect time to discuss a few ways you can attract prosperity.
Thirty-one ways, to be exact!
Why 31? Well, 31 is the largest number of days any month can have, so I thought it would be fun to set this post up so you could do it in any month, just one item per day. Or, if some of the prompts don’t resonate with you, try the ones you like and leave the rest. It’s totally up to you. That’s what change is all about isn’t it, figuring out what works best for us then sticking with those new habits.
Below are 31 things you can do to attract prosperity. If you’ve been following my posts, none of these things will be new to you. Do them in order, or not. This is meant to be fun and put you on a path toward new financial habits.
Get your journal ready. Each of these 31 ways to attract prosperity come with a journal prompt to get you started. Don’t worry, if you’ve never journaled before, you’ll find tons of tips on the blog. Here’s a great article from Mari all about getting started.
For your first prompt, I’d like you to take five minutes and write about the first thing that comes to mind. If you are hesitant to journal, write about that. If you don’t know what to write about, it’s fine to put the words, “I don’t know what to write about” on the page.
This is probably the step people hate the most, because it reminds them of their current financial situation. When times are tough, we tend to want to ignore our finances, because we don’t want to know how little money we have. But we can’t improve if we don’t understand where we’re starting from. Grab your journal and write about your current financial situation--the good, the bad, and the ugly.
There are many ways money can come to you that don’t involve a job or a business. Be open to receiving money in all forms. In your journal, brainstorm some less frequently discussed ways money can come to you. Here’s a couple of ideas to get you started: a gift or sale of property.
If you are familiar with the law of attraction, you know it involves picturing yourself having achieved your goals. The feelings you experience when you achieve your goals are just as important as the goals. Journal about your vision for the future when it comes to your personal finances.
There’s a lot to be said for being accountable to someone when you are trying to make big changes in your life. If you are someone that needs accountability, tell a friend or family member that you are working on your personal finances. Maybe they will want to join you, and the two of you will change your financial futures together. Write about who might be a good person to keep you accountable.
This is another step in knowing where you are so you can make improvements. Look at your bank accounts and credit card accounts and note the income as well as the expenses flowing out of your account. Categorize them into groups like groceries, entertainment, and vehicle expenses. You can do this in your journal or start a separate book or use a spreadsheet program. Journal about how you feel about the current state of your financial affairs.
Something that has tripped me up in the past with my finances is forgetting that I have automatic payments coming out of my account or forgetting to make monthly payments that aren’t automatic. Take a moment to write these in your calendar so you don’t forget about them. Answer this question in your journal: How do you feel being prepared for the upcoming payments you’ll need to make?
Take a look at the categories of expenses you tracked in the sixth way to attract prosperity. Are there any expenses you feel are too high? Are there any expenses you can reduce? Make a note in your journal or calendar then take the steps necessary, such as calling a vendor to cancel, to reduce these expenses.
This is another item borrowed from the law of attraction that says, “What we focus on grows.” If you find yourself thinking negatively about money, how can you change these thoughts? Use your journal to answer this question. You might even want to write down your negative thoughts then write new positive thoughts to counter them.
In order to attract more prosperity, you must be open to doing so. If you constantly think you will never get ahead financially, then you never will. In your journal, write about how you can be open to attracting more money.
Affirmations build on the ninth and tenth way to attract prosperity. They are a great way to help you turn your thoughts around. Write a few financial affirmations you like in your journal. If you need help coming up with some, check my previous posts or type “financial affirmations” in the Google search bar.
Realizing what we were taught about money and how that impacts us today can go a long way to helping us overcome financial woes. Answer the question, “What is my money story?” in your journal.
If you find yourself thinking negatively about money or overspending once again, that’s okay. You’re human. Know that it’s normal to slip once in a while. Journal about how you can be kind to yourself when that happens.
Giving yourself a break for the occasional slip up is one thing, slipping back into the harmful patterns that got you where you are is quite another. Open your journal and write about the harmful patterns you’ve noticed in your life. How can you put an end to them?
One thing you can do with harmful patterns is replace them with healthy new habits. Take a few minutes to list in your journal several healthy new financial habits you are working on.
This is another thing borrowed from the law of attraction. If you want to attract prosperity, you need to feel as if you are already prosperous. Visualize how you will feel when you meet your goal. How does it feel to be prosperous? Make some notes about this in your journal.
It’s important to notice how far you’ve come. By now, you’ve learned 17 ways to attract prosperity. Some may be new to you, some you’ve likely heard before. Celebrate the things you’re doing that are attracting prosperity. Journal about your wins, no matter their size.
This would be a good point to take another look at your bank and credit card accounts. How do things look? What else do you notice about your journey to attract prosperity? Are you closer to reaching your goal? Journal about your progress.
If you noticed some things that could use adjusting, take this opportunity to make a note of them in your journal. How can you adjust your plan to get back on track to reaching your financial goals? If you enlisted an accountability buddy, this is a good time to check in with them.
When manifesting anything in your life, it’s good to do so from a place of positive energy. Some quick ways to raise your vibe include dancing, singing, and laughing. In your journal, write about the last time you did one of these things and remember how great you felt.
Sometimes we have to let the universe work things out for us. We know we want to attract more money, but we’re not sure how to do this. Don’t worry. The universe will work out the details. What are some unusual ways money might come to you? Make a note of them in your journal.
Continuing from the 21st way to attract prosperity, we have to expect the unexpected. You have every right to expect prosperity in whatever way it shows up for you. You are worthy. In your journal, write about how you feel about being worthy of prosperity.
Look back as far as you like--last month, last year, last decade. In your journal answer the question: What signs are there that you can turn your financial situation around?
If you want to make a change, it’s up to you. Nobody can change for you. You get to create the future you want. Journal about what that future looks like.
Just like when you were tracking and recording your money, it’s a good idea to review your income and expenses at least every month. If you haven’t done so yet this month, now is the time. In your journal, write about how reviewing your numbers makes you feel. Is it empowering? Scary? Overwhelming?
I love filling a jar with spare change. The sound of dropping the change in the jar is reinforcing to me. You’d be surprised how it adds up over a month, a week, or a year. You can use this change jar to fund your small celebrations. Journal about what you’d like to use your spare change for?
We all have weaknesses. If you know you will spend more money in the grocery store when you shop on an empty stomach, then prepare by grocery shopping after you’ve had a meal. Take some time to think about your weaknesses, jot them down in your journal and come up with a strategy for combating them.
In his book, Atomic Habits, James Clear says we are more likely to create new habits if we link them to good habits we already have. What good habits do you have that you can use to help you on your journey to create better financial habits? Note them in your journal.
I’ve heard that it takes five positive thoughts to overcome one negative one. If you find yourself thinking negatively about your personal finances, let it go and replace the thought with a positive one. The more you dwell on the negative, the worse you’ll feel. Give these negative thoughts to your journal! Get them out of your head and say goodbye.
Wow, you did it! You made it to the 30th way to attract prosperity. Just reading this far and trying a few of these ideas is worth celebrating. The beauty of celebrations is they keep your vibe high which helps you attract even more good stuff. Open a page in your journal and list some inexpensive ways to celebrate that you haven’t thought of before.
If you’ve been a member of the Create Write Now tribe for any length of time, you already know how important writing in your journal is. If you’re new to the Create Write Now community, trust me when I say, journaling is life changing. There is power in putting words down on paper. Take a moment to reflect in your journal about these 31 ways to attract prosperity. Which ones are your favorite? Which didn’t resonate with you? And how can understanding this help you on your financial journey?
I hope some of these methods for attracting prosperity resonated with you and you give them a try. Remember, you can try them all, or just a few. Do them in a month or over several months. It’s completely up to you. Here’s to your success on the road to wealth!
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From Mari:
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Author bio: Michelle Cornish is the author of Prosperity Planner: Manage Your Personal Finances and Get Out of Debt, an undated planner where she shares more about her personal financial journey and her TREE Method for keeping her personal finances in check.