What is it about money that makes us so uncomfortable?
We set out to create a business… that should come with the expectation that money will change hands.
We dream of success… but always quietly so no one thinks we’re greedy.
We toil when we’re barely making ends meet… worrying alone so no one thinks we’re failing.
We want to make a difference in the world… but wouldn’t mind hitting that six-figure, or dare we say, seven-figure mark.
I think it’s fair to say most of us have more than a few hang-ups when it comes to money.
The problem is, the longer we ignore these issues the more they manifest problems in our mind and our wallets.
So while it can frequently make us fidget, it’s time to start being mindful about our mullah.
Putting Your Pain Points on Paper
Like with so many aspects of your business, it’s hard to solve a problem you don’t fully understand. You may avoid a call with your CPA or hand over your taxes to your spouse, but that isn’t really an acknowledgment of the issue. It’s the opposite in fact. It’s avoidance. Those little warning signs, however, are a sign that there is, in fact, a problem you’re choosing to ignore.
And the same way you can’t succeed on Pinterest if you never look at your analytics or even spend 15 minutes on the platform, you can’t get to the root of your money issues if you pretend they don’t exist.
So spend some time focusing just on your relationship with the finances in your business. Here are a few talking points for getting yourself off the ground.
- When I think about money I feel:
- I am avoiding these parts of my business because of finances:
- I wish I felt ________ when I thought about money.
- How much money is enough?
- If I had [amount] in revenue/profit, I could change the world in the following ways:
- If more people had my product/service, how would their lives be better?
When you’re moving towards being mindful about money it’s important to not only explore the trouble areas, but also the great benefits that can come with resolving your economic issues.
One For Me, One For Them
One of the areas that make money so difficult is the feeling of selfishness. Especially in women. We run through these imaginary scenarios where we tell ourselves “I should be grateful for what I have and stop demanding more.” Worry about outearning a spouse, achieving beyond anything their parents did, and being perceived by society as “rich” can drive people away from financial ambition.
Even if we know those thoughts are unrealistic and unfounded, it can be hard to break free of this mold we’ve put ourselves in that tells us wanting to make more money is a selfish dream.
So do an exercise where you consider how making more money could help you and others.
For example:
If I were to make $10,000 more this year, I could take my family on vacation and donate a check to my most treasured organization.
If I were to make $100,000 more this year I could hire two employees relieving my plate and offering employment to two bright young minds.
If I were to make $1,000,000 more this year I could build out an entirely philanthropic division of my business and pay off my house.
Making money doesn’t make you selfish. Don’t allow these toxic thoughts to destroy your dreams. Instead, channel the energy into all the good you could do.
Why Not You
A powerful, but simple consideration to make is that money is being spent in the market every day. It’s unlikely you offer an entirely unique product unlike any other. So whether it’s vegan cookies or pet grooming services, you’re in a business where people will spend money on a product or service like yours every day.
So why not you?
If you have belief in your business (which you should) and value to offer (which you do), why shouldn’t people spend their money with you? Lots of times people aren’t making more money because they fear being sales-y.
The reality is though, that consumers are going to spend whether you ask them to or not. So driving up your marketing, advertising or outreach in order to drive sales and therefore drive revenue isn’t about bothering people, it’s about leading them to an offer (yours) that will satisfy their need.
A Little Bit of Faith
Have you ever been in a scenario where you don’t know how you’re going to pay this bill or afford that equipment and then boom, you magically book a new client or have your best month ever?
At the risk of getting a little woo-woo, we want to acknowledge that part of the balance between being mindful and having a money mindset boils down to faith. Trusting in your own abilities, trusting in the world to unite you with your desires when hard work is applied, trusting that what’s supposed to happen will come to be, trusting that there are paths out there that you’ve yet to discover is all part of the process.
We can’t know every little thing the world is going to throw at us (as 2020 has proven) and when absolute knowledge fails we have to fall back on our convictions.
Stressing and agonizing over money often trips us up more than anything else. Trying to force a profit onto your passion can detract from the magic. So while we know it’s hard and not an all-encompassing solution, we do want to encourage you to consider how your thoughts are impacting the flow of money and how relinquishing some of the anxiety to the universe can help shift your trajectory.
