How to Get the Most Out of the Money Mindset Journal Part 1
Have you ever asked yourself why you set goals for your money but nothing ever changes? Maybe you make a resolution every January 1st to spend less and save more, but a few months later your bank account balance looks too familiar. Trust us, we’ve all been there.
Getting into a good flow with your money is like any other challenge you take on. You can’t just get up off the couch and complete a triathlon, for example. It requires months, and sometimes years, of disciplined training. The same goes for losing weight or becoming an expert painter-- when we humans want to push ourselves beyond our normal limits, we have to set goals, create a roadmap for achieving them, and do the work.
That last part -- the work -- is where many people fall short. That’s because it’s easy to create a vision board full of vacation rentals and zero debt,(buying shiny toys) but doing the work to make it happen requires commitment, discipline, and sometimes an immense amount of willpower.
If there’s nothing (or no one) to hold you accountable along the way, it can be easy to return to regular habits.
Your Money’s BFF
The Money Mindset Journal is your money’s BFF. It’s your guru of good habits, your holder of accountability, and your cheerleader of wins. And, just like a good friend, it will call you out on your patterns and be there to help you change them.
Unlike other journals that get you in and out in three months, the Money Mindset Journal is by your side for six months. Why? Because that whole “21 days to change a habit” thing is completely unrealistic. In reality, it can take up to 254 days, which is more than 8 months. And while it may feel like forever, it means that you have time to take baby steps instead of creating unrealistic, short-term goals.
Here’s how to get the most out of your new relationship with your money.
Get off to a good start
A solid foundation starts with research, so be sure to read the Money Mindset Journal’s intro and take a look at the sample pages (page 4). You’ll discover not only how to use the journal, but why our approach is different. You’ll read about how most people think of money as purely transactional, but the truth involves more psychology than you realize. Spending some time with the journal’s “why” will open your eyes to a new perspective, and help you see that what you’ve always been told might not be true.
Next, answer the writing prompts about your money story (page 41). It will help you understand your relationship with money, from how you were raised to how you want your future money story to unfold. The key to success with this section is to really sit with the questions -- take yourself back to childhood, bring up the memories that you associate with money. Did you believe that you were rich or poor growing up? Was there a family member who always complained about how expensive things were? (1 more funny?) All of those things helped shape your attitude toward money today.
The money timeline (page 47) is a visual representation of that story. It can be helpful here to look at old pictures, or speak with your parents or childhood friends. Perhaps a picture of your first car will remind you of how hard you worked to earn the money for it, or your mom will tell you stories of how you spent your allowance.
Once you’ve taken a trip to your past, the final step is to create a vision board (page 50) for your future. Homework has never been so fun! Use words, images, doodles, quotes -- whatever inspires you. Picture yourself six months in the future, your journal filled to the brim and you are well on the path to a new money money mindset. How does it look? How do you feel? These pages will always be here to help you remember your why.
Congratulations, you’re ready to dive in! Part 2 gives you ideas fow how to get the most out of every month, and every day.