Is Money Your Excuse For Failure?

If you want to increase your chances of happiness and success, start by making different choices around your habits and beliefs around money

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Have you ever said, “If I only had more money, then I could or would do this…”? 

Don’t get me wrong — having money can certainly make creating things easier and faster. But at some point, just about everyone is guilty of blaming a lack of action, happiness, creativity, or success on not having enough money. It’s as if having more money would solve all the problems of life. But is this necessarily true? 

From one perspective, money may enable success or happiness. But the truth is that money is not the source of your success or happiness; it is the byproduct. Since you are the actual source of your success and happiness, when you see money as the solution, it drastically narrows your options. 

This limited thinking automatically blocks you from looking for other more expansive ways to create what you wish to experience. 

You are left feeling stagnant, the opposite of what you want to create, the success you desire.

I grew up in a financially conservative, middle-class family. While my family wasn’t poor or destitute, I heard, “No we can’t” plenty of times. As a result, I learned other ways to create or get what I desired. 

As I became an adult and started my own business, I kept looking for other ways of doing things. What I realized is that I never stopped or gave up and that is what made me different. If there was something I desired, I kept moving or taking actions towards it. I didn’t let not having the money stop me from taking action to create what I wanted. Now when I work with clients, I notice that many of them stop themselves before they have even started on their road to success. Why? A fear about money. 

To avoid using money as a roadblock to your own success, here are some tips to consider:

1. What would make you happy and feel successful?

The largest impediment to creating success or happiness is our inability to be clear on what we really desire. Success and happiness are different for everyone, so you need to be clear if you want to hit your target. This may change or evolve as you start taking action (which brings us to tip #2).  

2. Take action

Go after the things you are most often thinking about.

You may not know all the steps required to get where you would like to go, but the only way you find out is by making choices that move you forward.

As you can gain more information and clarity around how you can create what you desire, force yourself to take action on the things you are resisting. Do the things you know you ought to be handling, whether it be updating your bookkeeping, making that call, or sending that email. When you resist doing things you know you should, you create your own roadblocks to your success. The things you are avoiding and resisting eat away at your energy and happiness. They are an anchor that weighs you down mentally and physically.  

3. Follow your gut instincts

Many top entrepreneurs and leaders acknowledge the importance of following their instincts, even if it doesn’t always make sense at the time. If something feels right, do it; if it doesn’t, don’t. Taking risks is an element in creation and life. When I first graduated chiropractic school, I got a job as an associate doctor. In a short time, I realized it wasn’t for me because I knew I wouldn’t be happy coming to the same place day after day, week after week. I knew that I wanted to travel and facilitate classes. Even though this choice didn’t make sense, I eventually accepted it as my truth and  gave notice.

Remember: Happiness doesn’t have to be logical.

4. Acknowledge your ingrained beliefs about money

Do you think people have to ‘deserve money’ by working a certain way, or a certain number of hours each week? Do you believe, deep down, that you don’t actually deserve to ever have what you really want? Do you somehow equate wealth with greed? Improving your money situation doesn’t have to mean making any major or difficult changes. Simply acknowledging your points of view around money allows you to begin to change them. Ask yourself: “What does money mean to me?” Then write down what comes up for you. Now ask yourself if there is another way to look at money. When you enlarge your perspective about money, you open a pathway to new possibilities. That’s when you allow yourself to become aware of financial solutions that were not previously visible.  

5. Explore other ways 

There are an infinite number of ways to create whatever it is you desire. So instead of using lack of money or any other excuse to stop you, start exploring alternative ways to create the success you want. If you’d like to earn more money, what are other ways of generating more income? How can you monetize your skills, talents, or hobbies that can provide value for others? Is there a new service you can provide to current clients or a creative collaboration with others? If you would like to go on a trip or purchase something you don’t currently have the money for, consider alternative ways to find it for a reduced price, such as purchasing it a time of year when it is reduced in value. From my personal and professional experience, I have found that when you start looking for other ways to create your happiness, you will find them.

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You may also enjoy Podcast: Jim Brown | True Abundance: One Man’s Search for (Mindful Money) Meaning by Best Self Media