Who Does Your Money Think You Are?
This is a guest post from my friend and mom entrepreneur Amanda Steinberg, the founder of DailyWorth.com. After taking part in (and loving!) her new program called Money Clarity, I asked her to share the "back story" with all of us here on The Mogul Mom.
Not so long ago, I made a declaration: "I am a saver." I told myself and my money that I was no longer the keep-up-with-the-Joneses, over-spender of my twenties and early thirties. From that day forward, I would be a saver. Before that moment, every time I looked at my account statements, credit card bills, and mortgage payment, I reinforced that old money story. "I'm a spender. I'm just no good at saving." Fresh out of a divorce, with a HELOC in need of payment, and a thriving financial education company under my leadership, I had a wake up call. There is no such thing as being "no good at saving!" I decided that a long time ago because it reinforced the decisions I wanted to make. Now I'm ready to make different decisions. I want to live simply in some areas so I can live large in others. I want to support my kids and my company. I want to walk the talk. So I told myself, "I'm a saver." Then I set off telling my money. How, you ask? I tell my money through the actions I take and the feelings I carefully craft about my money. For me, it's not about keeping a strict budget, planning where each penny goes, or denying myself the things I really want. It's about the choice to feel joyful when I can save an extra $200 at the end of the month or to be excited when I meet my retirement savings goal for the year. If I celebrate the fact that I'm saving, instead of celebrating a new car or yet another meal out, I reinforce the fact that: I am a saver. Now, maybe you already are a saver. Maybe you're ready to declare that "I'm an investor." Or perhaps it's time for your money to know you're a "high earner." Maybe today you decide "I'm a philanthropist." Make sure the beliefs you have about money and what you do with it are beliefs that are working for Money Clarity. Late last year, Heather participated in the first run of my new program, Money Clarity. She and a group of other savvy women took action on the money identities they created for themselves. They opened new accounts, invested retirement savings, and got clear on their money goals. How do YOU display money clarity? Amanda Steinberg is the founder & CEO of DailyWorth, a financial education company exclusively for women. She's on a mission to create a movement of conscious women confident about their money.