Money, Mindset, and my very own "Aha!"

As most of you know Julie and I are coaching our very first (the first of many!) group of Wise Women. I am so thankful for our "guinea pigs" that are helping us work out the kinks and bumps in our process. Their feedback has been invaluable already - and we're just three weeks in!

This week the goal was to REFLECT - to recognize the mindsets, patterns and negative thoughts that can really have an impact on our success when it comes to many aspects of lives - though, as it turned out - especially money. We started with what we thought would be a harmless quiz on Money and Mindset. It had questions like:

1) What was the predominant lesson you received as a girl about money?

a. Money doesn’t grow on trees.
b. You can’t take it with you… might as well enjoy it!
c. Save, save, save, and pinch your pennies.
d. Be grateful for what you have and stop fantasizing about having more.

And the floodgates were open. We spent the entire workshop on just this quiz – 15 questions! I hope it was meaningful to everyone. It sure was to me. See, I have this idea that just like in feng shui, where a bookshelf can be blocking a window in your home, our beliefs and patterns about money (and food, and goals, and lots of other stuff too) can become bookshelves that are blocking the windows to success in our lives.

I’ve been working with money for just about my entire professional career. I know money. And you know what I realized? I horde it. When I get a bill, even though I have the money to pay it – I wait until the last possible moment to pay. I like to look at my accounts – I jokingly say to “visit” my money. Sure, Michael and I donate to charities – and lovingly give gifts to our family and friends. I’m not a miser. But I am not fond of parting with my money. And if I don’t freely send my money out into the world then how can I expect it to freely come back to me? There is a bookcase in front of my window.

So new rule… I am going to pay my bills as soon as I get them. I am going to stop “visiting” my money – it is not an adorable neighbor! I am going to find a charity I believe and donate to it on a regular basis. I am going to move my bookcase! And I want you to move yours.