You want to pay off your debt, decrease your expenses, and increase your income.

You want to get it together when it comes to your financial life. But every time you start to track your spending, you get hives and fall off the wagon within a day or two.

You have a guilt attack every time you go to Starbucks because you know you should be saving money instead. (But you really love your latte!)

You feel embarrassed about your financial life, and despite your best intentions, no money app, financial software, budgeting tool or get-out-of-debt program has worked for you.

Why? Because you’re approaching it from the wrong perspective and you’re missing a really key piece.

That piece is what you believe about money.

When we try to change our behavior without addressing our beliefs, we always fall off the wagon.

But when we address our beliefs first, the new behaviors actually stick.

When it comes to money there are four common beliefs that keep people playing small.

Read on to see if you’ve got some of this stinkin’ thinkin’ going on. The first step to lasting change is awareness, so let’s bring these beliefs that are holding you back right up to the surface so they can leave your experience STAT!

Money Belief 1: Someone else should/will do this for me.

YOU are the one you’ve been waiting for.

Your ability to earn more money (and take great care of the money you already have) is dependent upon your ability to add value to people’s  lives. It’s not dependent upon the government, the economy, your husband, or anyone else.

Even if you do have someone who’s taking care of you financially, the average age of widowhood is 56, and nearly half of marriages end in divorce. Getting financially empowered is one of the smartest things you can do, especially if you want to make a difference in the world.

Money belief 2: I’m not good with money.

No one is inherently good at anything. Have you ever met an infant who could walk or talk? No! We learn things over time. Believing that you’re “just not good with money” causes you to avoid dealing with it. And when you avoid dealing with it, you don’t manage it well and you don’t make as much of it as you deserve.

Instead, focus on engaging with your money in small ways to start. Every morning check your bank account balance and spend a moment in gratitude for what you have and how your life is abundant, even if you’d still like to have more.

What we put our attention on grows. So be sure you’re paying loving, conscious attention to your money.

Money belief 3: People with money are greedy, or it’s not spiritual to have money.

If you have a belief that wealthy people are greedy or that it’s not spiritual to be rich, your subconscious will do everything in its power to prevent you from becoming one of those people you judge.

Remember, money is simply a tool. It’s neutral, neither positive nor negative. It’s simply a stand-in for what we value and a way to trade value for value in exchange.

The more value you provide in the world, the more money you’ll make. And the more value you create in the world, the more people you’re helping. Is that not spiritual service?

Next time you notice yourself judging someone who has money, stop in your tracks and instead celebrate what they have. Appreciate the abundance that’s possible for them because if they can have it, so can you. Over time, as you release these judgments, you’ll become more and more prosperous.

Money belief 4: I’m not _________ enough.

The most important key to having a great relationship with money is valuing yourself first. Since money is simply a stand-in for what we value, we have to start by owning our own worth. When we do that, we automatically turn up the volume on the amount of value we’re providing. As a result, we receive more value in exchange (financially and otherwise).

The belief that we’re not anything enough is the single most important factor that holds us back from making the amount of money we deserve. We keep ourselves small by believing that there’s something wrong with us. We don’t ask for what we’re worth. We back down in negotiations. We don’t charge enough for our services.

Instead, begin to put your attention on what you value about yourself and the ways you bring value to the world. Write down three of these things before bed each night so that you begin to grow the muscle of self-value.

No one will value you more than you value yourself, so if you want to make more money, start by paying attention to your own worth. Then prepare for the world to pay you what you’re worth in exchange.

Next time you catch yourself thinking any of the four things above, stop yourself. Choose a money mantra like “I am a money magnet,” or “There’s more than enough to go around” to replace the negative thought.

When you change your beliefs, you change your actions. And when you change your actions, you change your results.

The smartest way to change your financial reality is to start with your beliefs. Once you’ve got those working for you, the abundance will sort of just take care of itself!

We’d love to hear from YOU…

Are you holding onto any of these money beliefs? What thoughts can you replace those beliefs with instead? Leave your answer in the comments below!

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business owner, entrepreneur, finance, make money, money beliefs, money thoughts, money worry, online business, September 2016 Issue, women in business