Picture this:

It’s January of 2024. You’re sitting in a comfy chair, curled up with your favorite cup of tea, thinking back over everything that happened in 2023. 🍵You almost can’t believe the change in your finances.

Here’s the scoop: You’ve been involved in a secret relationship most of your life.

Don’t worry, this isn’t the stuff of scandals, but it IS the stuff of frustration and disappointment if you don’t pay attention to it.

I’m talking about your relationship with money.

Yes, you have one. We all do.

By “relationship”, I mean your beliefs about money, which are reflected in the way you think about, talk about, feel about, and interact with money.

It’s all part and parcel of your Money Story.

Very few people talk about the psychological and emotional aspects of money, but after multiple smackdowns in the early days of my work, I’ve learned that your money mindset is (almost) everything. Ignore it at your peril. ⚠️

Here’s the thing: Your Money Story is behind your current results with your finances.

So if you want the opening scenario to be true for you, you need to rewrite your money story.

A fresh start

This year, I’m offering you a fresh start with your finances – a chance to intentionally build a money system that will act as a foundation for the big, beautiful life you’re building.

Every structure needs a solid foundation. It’s true in real estate and it’s also true in personal finance.

Your financial foundation starts in your mind.

Later this month, I’m going to launch my brand spanking new money management course called Your Foundation to Financial Freedom: A Proven System to Help You Take Charge of Your Finances, Strengthen Your Relationship with Money, and Create Great Options for Your Future. 🎉
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The very first module is all about rewriting your Money Story and ensuring that the six inches of real estate between your ears is working FOR you, not against you.

Don’t think you have a relationship with money?

I get that. It sounds like a strange concept at first.

One of my clients didn’t believe it either, until I asked her these questions:

1. When you think about money – making it, managing it and growing it – does it bring up positive, negative, or neutral feelings?

2. What were you taught or told about money growing up? Can you spot any recurring themes or patterns in your current life?

3. Where are you blocked in your finances at the moment? What’s behind the block?

It only took her a handful of minutes to realize that she was living her parents’ money story. 😱

There weren’t any external factors blocking her success. All the barriers were internal, stemming from her beliefs, which in turn affected her choices and actions.

Why Jim & Sally failed

One of the first couples I worked with as a Financial Repair Specialist were Jim & Sally (not their real names).

Between them, they had a family income of $150,000 and no dependents.

You’d think they’d be rolling in spare cash, but instead, they had six figures of credit card debt and no savings.

We worked together for three years, creating a budget, a debt repayment plan, a spending plan, and a savings plan. Every dollar was accounted for.

It worked!

During our time together, they paid off nearly all their debt, increased their credit score by more than 100 points, saved $30,000 – enough to buy a house, which had been their dream – and created a system that they maintained on a weekly basis.

Cue the mariachi band, right? 🎺

Not quite.

Six months after we parted ways, I followed up with them to see how they were doing. I was shocked to discover they were back in debt. 💸

They were slipping right back into their old patterns.

This scenario happened with couple after couple until my research brain kicked in and I said, “Hold on a second, what the hell is going on? This is now a pattern. What’s missing from the personal finance success formula?”

The missing piece is the psychology of money.

Your money mindset.

If your head’s not in the game, you don’t have a game.

What’s your Money Story?

As we work together to get you to your big, happy life and rock solid finances, start by asking yourself, “What’s my money story?”

❓ What feelings does dealing with money bring up for you?
❓ What’s your past story with your finances?

See what comes up for you and write it all down in your journal.

As you think about these questions, remember my motto: No Shame, No Blame, No Judgment.

You’re simply trying to understand the story, for now.

The reason you’re doing this work is because you can’t rewrite your money story if you don’t know what it is.

If there’s an area of your finances that is less than stellar, you can bet there’s a story and an emotion lurking underneath.

Once you’ve had a chance to give this some thought, hit the Reply button and let me know what you find. I’ll share some thoughts on where to go from here in my next post.

Much love, 💖
Doris

PS Did you get your hands on my Cheat Sheet to Making Better Financial Decisions: 4 Questions to Ask? If not, do that right now! Seriously, you want this powerful tool to give you the edge when making choices with your $$$.

Don’t make a single financial decision without having the 4 Q’s at your fingertips. Once you have it in your hot little hands, share the link above with two girlfriends who would love a financial edge, too. The more women making savvy financial decisions, the better!