If you’ve been working on your personal finances for a while, you’ve probably come across the idea of a money mindset. The idea is that your perspective about money, positive or negative, will influence the decisions you make with your finances.
Do you believe that debt is just a “part of life?” Chances are you’ll make decisions that continue to keep you in debt. Think that you’re not worth a higher salary? You probably won’t seek out opportunities to increase your income or ask for a raise.
However, the inverse is true as well. Suppose you’re someone who sees money as a tool to reach future goals or believe that you’re capable of making sound financial decisions. In that case, that is probably going to be reflected in the way you allocate your budget (or even have a budget at all!).
Changing your mindset isn’t easy, though. That’s where a Money Mantra comes in. Just like the idea of positive affirmations, a financially-based saying that you repeat to yourself on a regular basis can help you align your thoughts and actions to reflect your values.
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If you need to change your outlook on your personal finances, check out our reasons below for why you need to create your own Money Mantra and take charge of your finances today.
What Is a Money Mantra?
Simply put, a mantra is a simple saying that you repeat to yourself daily. Not only does this remind you of your goals, but it can encourage you to think more positively about yourself and your financial situation.
This matters because money is inexorably linked to our emotions. And when those emotions are primarily negative, such as guilt, fear, shame, worry, or even apathy, our opinion of ourselves and our finances are impacted. Replacing those emotions with positive ones is good for our mental health and can help us get a better handle on our monthly cash flow. Win-win!
Why a Money Mantra Matters
If you want to change your money mindset and associate more positive emotions with your finances, a money mantra may be the ticket. In fact, it may be the best and quickest tool to help you overcome financial obstacles and identify those mental strongholds that are keeping you from making positive change.
1. Money Mantras Can Change your Perspective
Believe it or not, there is research to back up the power of positive affirmations and their ability to help change your outlook. According to David Hanscomb, M.D., affirmations can help us reprogram our brains, break bad habits, and think differently about our situations.
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There is even evidence that using a mantra can create new neural pathways that help us process stressful situations and challenges in a more optimistic manner.
2. A Money Mantra Can Influence Your Behavior
Have you ever heard the Bruce Lee quote, “So you think, so shall you become”? There is a lot of wisdom in that statement. Your thoughts, positive or negative, not only influence how you see yourself, but also how your actions line up with that belief.
A study from 2018 tested participants using positive affirmations to increase fruit and vegetable intake. The study found that those who practiced self-affirmations were 21% more likely to meet their goal. In addition, the participants who felt the least confident and felt the most lacking in tools to help them succeed were the ones who benefited the most!
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When we think, “I’m just terrible with money,” we‘re not surprised when we go on a budget-busting spree at Target. But intentionally change that thought to, “I can make wise financial decisions,” and we may pause and think twice before adding unnecessary items to our cart.
3. A Money Mantra Can Help You Reach Your Goals Faster
One of the most powerful tools we can use with mantras is to break down big goals into smaller and more manageable steps.
Financial goals, just like fitness, can seem overwhelming. They are also not accomplished overnight. Instead, we must make smaller, more insignificant decisions each day in order to build up to the end result we have in mind.
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If you have a large amount of debt, a big savings goal, or even thinking about retirement, don’t get defeated. Saving $25,000 for a wedding, just like losing 25 pounds, is an accumulation of small decisions you make each day. Eventually, those days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months (or even years) get you closer to achieving what you set out to do.
Ask anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight, devoted themselves to the FIRE movement, or paid off huge student loans and they’ll tell you: it didn’t happen overnight. But they likely will tell you that reaching their target took sacrifice, effort, and focus.
A mantra can be a simple way to remind yourself of what you really want, whether that be financial independence, paying off debt, or reaching a certain net worth. Take it day by day and you’ll get there faster!
4. A Money Mantra Can Raise Your Self Esteem
It’s well documented that negative self-talk is toxic to our mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and a fixed mindset. When you catch yourself letting that inner critic go wild, make sure you stop it in its tracks.
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Instead, take that opportunity to replace the negative dialogue by repeating your money mantra. Because its such a short and simple statement, it’s easy to remember and say to yourself when moments of self-doubt, loathing, and inner anger appear.
When you effectively use a Money Mantra (as in, more than once a week when you remember), it can help you to believe in yourself and your own ability. Frame your mantra as a powerful, positive saying and you’ll begin to believe it. Cutting out your negative self-talk can only ever be a good thing!
Tips for using your Money Mantra
Using a Money Mantra doesn’t have to be complicated or hard! Follow these pointers to help you integrate a mantra into your daily routine.
Make it Your Own
While coffee cups and shirts with cute sayings are by no means a bad thing, there is also a lot more meaning behind a saying you’ve created for yourself. Use your own specific situation, challenges, and goals to write a mantra that is personal to you.
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Download my free planner to help you get started on your own Money Mantra today!
State it in the Present Tense
Future tense can be easy to put off as phrases like “someday” and “tomorrow” seem to never actually arrive. Instead, today is the opportunity to you have to take one more step on your journey.
Money Mantras are a small step that you can use to help you reach a much loftier goal. By writing your mantra in the present tense, you’ll be reminding yourself that each day is an opportunity to get one step closer towards your ultimate destination.
Repeat It Daily
Don’t forget to repeat your Money Mantra to yourself daily. Put it on your bathroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. Repeat it throughout the day as you find yourself faced with challenges.
The more often you repeat it, the more you’ll believe it and the more second nature the saying and behavior will become.
Write Your Own Money Mantra
Are you ready to write your own Money Mantra? Check out the FREE planner to work on your own positive affirmation in order to reach your financial goals faster.
Once you’re done, don’t forget to leave your mantra in the comments! I’d love to hear what you came up with to help you on your personal finance journey.
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