Category Archives: Money & Your Mind

How to Change Your Financial ‘Panic’ Into a ‘Plan’

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You constantly feel sensations of dread and foreboding.
You have a pounding headache that is resistant to strong medication.
You get a stomach ache whenever you think about money.

You jump involuntarily whenever your phone rings from an unknown number.
You wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, or sleep eludes you for many restless hours.
You sometimes even find it hard to breathe as your heart races uncontrollably.

Many persons can identify with these indicators of chronic anxiety. With the incessant increases in inflation, regular reports of redundancies, and deepening dependence on debt, more people are becoming panicked about their financial condition and terrified about what may happen in the future.

It’s dangerous to live in a state of panic, as this can lead you to develop costly health challenges, which will only make your finances more precarious. If you’re tired of living in fear about money, here’s a simple strategy which you can utilise to transform your panic into a workable plan. Continue reading How to Change Your Financial ‘Panic’ Into a ‘Plan’ →

Success Breeds Success

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Last week we discussed the importance of throwing aside your reservations when it comes to creating independent sources of income. As the saying goes, “Fortune favours the bold;” so if you need to earn more to pay bills and achieve your goals, you have to become courageous in trying to make money.

Many persons are fearful of taking action on their income creation ideas, as they wonder if they can really be successful in offering a product or service to other people. They worry that they will fail miserably in their efforts to sell, and prefer to live in financial distress rather than try something new.

If you have thoughts of failure when you consider your options to earn more money, then you have already set yourself up to be unsuccessful. Let’s look at how you can transform these feelings and develop a more success-centred approach that will help you to attain your financial desires. Continue reading Success Breeds Success →

Financial Fears

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Fear has been described in the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real, indicating that very often the thing you fear is not factual, but just based on some perception in your mind. Sometimes you may even be embarrassed about some of the strange thoughts that secretly cause you to be fearful.

Fears about money can leave you feeling vaguely uncomfortable about your finances, intensely anxious about your future prospects, or send you into full-blown panic mode. Even if your fears may be irrational they can cripple you mentally and physically and prevent you from actualising your goals.

Many financial anxieties may stem from your concerns about losing something important that money can provide, while certain types of financial mistakes can be serious enough to warrant extreme distress. Let’s look at some common financial fears and simple strategies which can help you to deal with them. Continue reading Financial Fears →

Financial Frustrations

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If you like to follow the progress of persons who are top achievers in the entertainment or business world, you may marvel at their fabulous lives that most of us can only fantasise about. Whether it’s Beyonce or Buffett, you might secretly envy their ability to accomplish their wildest dreams.

Most stories about the rich and famous usually show these persons enjoying the trappings of wealth, but they hardly ever give the background of what they had to endure to reach where they are today. The end result is celebrated, while the journey with its challenges and obstacles is often ignored.

When asked to share their road to success, many notable persons will reveal that they had to endure tremendous difficulties before they started seeing any results from their efforts. One common trait of those persons who make it big is a determined persistence to keep going despite their frustrations. Continue reading Financial Frustrations →

Patience is a Financial Virtue

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Modern society is characterised by fast-paced technology which allows us to enjoy Google searches, Twitter updates and ready-to-eat meals. Today, it seems that patience has become passé; who wants to wait for anything in this age of instant gratification?

Patience, one of the seven heavenly virtues, is the ability to accept delays in the desired timing of an event, or the capacity to endure problems without anxiety. Patience really requires you to take a passive approach while you allow nature or destiny to take its course.

When it comes to money, it could be argued that patience indicates weakness, as we should be fiercely ambitious in going after our financial goals. However, patience is an important trait to have if you want to succeed with money; without it you may actually be sabotaging your dreams. Continue reading Patience is a Financial Virtue →

Having Fun With Money

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When some people think of finance, they may conjure images of imposing business people dressed in expensive suits speaking a language that goes way over their heads. To be frank, some of the money information in the media really does sound like college course material that most of us would prefer to skip.

Apart from the formality of finance, many people have less-than-positive sentiments about their personal money situations. When they think about their financial issues, they may feel confused, intimidated, frustrated, and even fearful. Money, for many people, is definitely not fun.

Change your money mindset

Unfortunately, having a distant or apprehensive approach to financial matters can prevent you from getting the most from your money and from achieving your financial objectives. You need to be confident and optimistic about your finances in order to succeed with money. Continue reading Having Fun With Money →

Money Musings: Attitude is Everything

Money & Your Mind

I like to read or watch stories about ordinary persons who have succeeded in their endeavours despite the various challenges they have faced in life. The accounts of their perseverance through struggles and setbacks inspire me to keep striving to accomplish my own goals.

As a money coach, I often encounter persons going through serious difficulties with their finances. Their troubling issues include money woes arising from major illness, crippling debt from business failure, or deprivation caused by the death of the family breadwinner.

In a few of these cases, the customary recommendations which I would give to improve their financial problems were not applicable. The situations that they were encountering were so complex that it would take almost a miracle for them to survive and pull through. Continue reading Money Musings: Attitude is Everything →

Making Money Connections

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We live in a world that has become increasingly interconnected. We can make connections with long-lost acquaintances or faraway friends with a quick search on a social media website. Our mundane activities can become viral trends thanks to the wide web of linkages on the Internet.

We need to be cautious about the online connections we make, as people’s virtual personas may be vastly different from their reality. We should also think twice before posting comments or photos, as they could have widespread repercussions on our work and personal relationships.

While it’s easy to see the positive and negative effects of establishing connections via technology, you may not readily recognise the importance of making wise money connections. You should also pay careful attention to the linkages you make when carrying out your financial transactions. Continue reading Making Money Connections →

Fear Is A Four-Letter Word

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Many years ago, I was presented with an opportunity that left me filled with fear instead of anticipation. I was asked to teach a module of a Portfolio Management course, as the lecturer thought I had done well in the class the year before. My initial response was to decline the offer.

After reflection, I recognised that this development was perfectly lined up with the goals I had set; why would I fear taking it on? Examining my emotions, I realised that it bothered me that I did not know how to create a PowerPoint presentation, and that I was clueless about using a projector.

When I admitted my fears to the lecturer, she reassured me that those shortcomings were easily solved. After a quick introduction to the mechanics of setting up a projector, and a month’s worth of self-tutoring on PowerPoint, I designed my lesson plan and entered the exciting world of teaching. Continue reading Fear Is A Four-Letter Word →

Instant Money Motivation

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Years ago when I worked in an investment firm, I often wondered why even though all my clients received detailed advice to help them accomplish their goals, less than 50 per cent actually carried out the recommended steps. In addition, only a very small percentage of those who started the process continued until they had achieved their objectives.

Could I have done more to assist those who fell by the financial wayside? Could I have done a better job in finding workable solutions for my clients? My determination to help people achieve evoked my desire to learn about the factors required to bring about lasting change in their beliefs and behaviours.

With more experience in money coaching, I now recognise that there are various underlying reasons that can block persons from actualising their dreams. Although counsellors can make suggestions and show them practical ways to fix their financial problems, the reality is that the decision to take corrective action can only come from within. Continue reading Instant Money Motivation →