***How to Overcome Your Derailing Money Behaviors

I’ve noticed from my own and my clients experiences that money has a way of showing us where and when we’re on or off track in our lives. To understand where you’re off track ask yourself these questions: “What are my primary operating beliefs about money?” And, “What are my consistent money actions or behaviors?” In other words, are you so frugal that you’re practically starving yourself (of important necessities and healthy pleasures) just to watch your savings account grow as much as possible? Do you often argue with your partner about money? Are you earning too little to take care of yourself in the ways that you should? Are you investing money in your business so that you can grow it to the next level? When we discover that we’re off track, we have a tendency to opt for the quick-fix approach; in a moment of optimism and hope we’ll attempt a new, half-hazard attempt of marketing our business and connecting with prospects, or force ourselves to sit down, pull out our checkbook, create an unrealistic budget and promise ourselves we’ll be better from now on. Or we’ll make a ste resignation not to yell at our partner when talking about money. The problem with these quick-fix approaches is they often lead us right back to where we started because they don’t address the deeper issues causing our behavior. Address the Underlying Reasons Unfortunately, these tools don’t address the underlying reasons why we don’t make healthier financial choices for ourselves. What leads us to the root of the problem is beginning to look at our money behaviors with curiosity, and see them as opportunities to learn more about ourselves. Before you read any further, take a quick minute to think of one area around money where you’ve gotten off track. Try not to be critical of yourself when you do this; all of us, regardless of where we are in life, have room for improvement. When you have this one area in mind ask yourself, “What is the gift in this challenge that I’m currently experiencing around money?” Or, “What can I learn about myself from this challenge?” Take some time to reflect on this “gift.” Often we beat the messenger into submission before we’ve had the chance to receive the message. Identify the gift in your money challenge. If we’re being to tight with our money so that we’re literally financially starving our business, perhaps our gift is to invest in our business in ways that allow us to learn new marketing and mindset techniques that support us in making more money in our business so we become more powerful and effective money creators. After you’ve explored your gift, identify one baby step you can take (something that feels both manageable and motivating) to get you back on track. Perhaps you’ve always paid late fees on your credit cards, so your baby step is to pay all your credit card bills on time next month. Maybe you don’t check your checking account balances consistently so you’re constantly acquiring over draft fees, so your baby step is to check your account balances for just 3 minutes each day. These small baby steps are small successes that will build our self-esteem and inspire you to take on bigger financial challenges. And remember, one great thing about money is that it gives us constant opportunity for improvement, and our money successes (and failures!) can easily be measured. We know when we’re accruing debt, when we’re arguing with our partners, and when we’re spending more than we earn. Money reflects to us externally what may be going on internally. If we take the time to hear our money messages and use them as an opportunity for deeper understanding, we’ll discover our own unique path that will motivate us to stay the course. Get on Track Action Step 1. Identify one area where you’ve gotten off-track with money. 2. Ask yourself, “What can I learn about myself from this challenge?” 3. Then identify one baby step you can take that is both manageable and motivating to get yourself back on track.