A huge part of getting what we want is believing it’s possible.
This is true for anything you want, not just your money desires. The Law of Attraction shows us we get what we focus on—good and bad. Whether or not you believe in the Law of Attraction, you’ve probably noticed once you make a decision about something, you see it reflected to you.
For example, let’s say you want to buy a new water bottle, but you’re not sure which brand. As you research the pros and cons of the various brands, you see those water bottles everywhere you look.
Once you decide on the brand you want to purchase, you see that brand everywhere because you’re focusing on it. You’ve researched it and intend to purchase it.
So the goal when working with your money story is to make it as conducive to receiving what you want as possible. You must believe it’s possible and see opportunities to improve your story everywhere.
Years ago, when I started investigating how I could improve my personal finances, experts kept asking me the same question: What’s your money story? I never knew what to say. I didn’t realize I had a money story.
I thought a money story was something complicated that I needed years of therapy to figure out. Thankfully, I was making things more difficult than they needed to be. A Money Story is all the things you believe about money.
For example, some common beliefs about money that people have in their money story are:
You may have noticed that the above are all negative things people think about money. The part of your money story that is negative is also referred to as limiting beliefs. These are the things that prevent you from getting what you want.
Not everything about your money story is negative. You want to keep the positive and turn the negative around. Your money story is made up of:
Your money story started before you were old enough to know what money was. Everything in our environments we see, hear, or feel about money affects our money story.
Whatever your current story is, that’s fine. To move forward with a new and improved story to get you where you want to be, you first need to figure out where you are. What are your beliefs about money?
Take some time to journal about your money story. You’ll find a journal prompt for that below. It’s important to understand where you’re starting from so you can make changes.
The good news is, you’re not stuck with the money story you have. You can always create a new story for yourself. I’m not going to lie and tell you it’s easy. It takes a lot of work. You’re changing beliefs you may have had your whole life.
There are three key steps to changing your money story:
Now that you know what a money story is, be conscious of your thoughts and what you say. When you catch yourself saying or thinking negative things about money, write them down. How can you turn those negative thoughts around?
I find it easiest to record those negative thoughts in Google Docs on my phone as soon as I catch myself thinking about them. Then return to those thoughts at the end of the day to journal. Make a point of scheduling time in your calendar to work on your money story.
I said it wouldn’t be easy, but I find it more manageable to do a little each day. This helps me keep things fresh in my mind. You’ll notice you are more mindful of your money story this way too.
Affirmations are a wonderful tool for creating new stories. The more you repeat them, the better they work. I recommend choosing some limiting beliefs you repeat and focus on turning them around.
The following affirmations can be used to eliminate the five limiting beliefs I listed earlier.
And a bonus, “I love money.” There is nothing wrong with admitting this and by doing so, you’ll attract more wealth into your life. There are so many wonderful things you can do with money.
What is my money story?
When writing about your beliefs about money, it’s important to get them all out (good and bad). Then go through your journal, and focus on the negative thoughts. Asking “why” about something can help us understand it better.
If you wrote, “I have to work hard to have a lot of money,” ask yourself why? Did someone tell you that? Did you see your parents working themselves to the bone? Keep asking why and journaling until you have some “a-ha” moments. You may also see some patterns in your beliefs.
If you get stuck, the 7 Days to Money Mastery journaling course includes many wonderful questions you can use to uncover your money story.
How is my money story holding me back?
Now that you’ve put all your thoughts about money on paper, can you see how the negative beliefs are holding you back? When you say, “I have to work hard to have a lot of money” that doesn’t sound like very much fun, does it? You’re telling yourself having a lot of money isn’t fun.
This limiting belief makes it seem like the only way to have a lot of money is through hard work. But if you’re working hard all the time, how are you going to enjoy your money? You’ll be too tired to enjoy any of the things your money can do for you.
What steps can I take to change my money story?
Once you recognize how your limiting beliefs are holding you back, you can take steps to change them. How can you turn your limiting beliefs around? If we stick with the hard work example, try changing that to “I make money quickly and effortlessly.”
If this feels like a stretch for you, right now, that’s okay. It’s normal to feel awkward when you start changing your money story. It’s okay to feel you don’t believe this new story you are creating for yourself. Over time, you will believe it. Your money story has developed over your entire life, it won’t change overnight.
Keep going! The more you work on changing your money story, the more natural it will feel, and soon you’ll see your finances morph into shape. If you feel discouraged, return to your journal and start asking “why” again. You can do this!
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Have you read this Money Matters article? *Don't Forget About Your Finances
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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.