Money plays an important role in nearly every aspect of life. It affects everything from where you live to the success of your relationships and more.
As a vital and powerful force in life that can help you access happiness and security (when used wisely), money can also lead to unhappiness, jealousy, and anxiety. It’s easy to feel down if you are paying off debt, feeling like every last penny you worked hard for is owed to someone else first. It’s even easier to compare yourself to others who have more, like the infamous Joneses, and wonder why you have so much less.
However, it’s not money itself that leads to these things. It’s your money mindset.
Cultivating the right money mindset is key to start reaching your biggest financial goals and opening yourself up to more opportunities. But how do you go about changing something like your money mindset?
It all starts with a bit of gratitude — being thankful for what you already have, not what you don’t. Consider all the wonderful things in your life and celebrate your financial successes, no matter how little. This holiday season, start cultivating the right money mindset and be thankful for where you are in life, and your financial successes. Here are some things to celebrate:
Making Progress on Financial Goals
Setting big financial goals like paying off debt, saving for a down payment, setting up an emergency fund, or retiring early can be difficult. It often requires a lot of planning for the future and dealing with many unknowns.
It’s easy to lose sight of your progress when you still have so much more work to do to get where you want to be. But progress is better than perfection, so celebrate the fact that you are moving in the right direction! (Yes, even if you’re taking baby steps to get there.)
Focus on how much progress you made. Celebrate that fact and let it inspire you to keep going.
Doing Something for the First Time
Starting down a road to financial wellness can bring a lot of firsts. After realizing what you need to do to improve your financial situation, you might find yourself creating your first budget, booking your first side hustle, or even reaching your first big financial goal.
Changing your behavior and doing something for the first time that radically changes your money mindset and financial situation should something to feel proud about. It’s not easy to develop good money management habits. You can express gratitude for the money epiphany — no matter how hard it was to deal with initially — that led you down a path of change.
Having Access to an Abundance of Free Resources
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get educated on all things financial. Be thankful for the abundance of free resources through the library and internet. Empower yourself and utilize these free resources to change your life.
- Use Mint.com to track your expenses and create a budget
- Use ReadyForZero to track your debt repayment
- Check out Your Money or Your Life by Joseph Dominguez from the library and start thinking about money differently
- Read personal finance blogs for financial tips and find people in a similar situation as you (paying off debt, retiring early, making more money, etc.)
- Use Pinterest to find affordable and delicious recipes, or make crafty gifts
- Watch YouTube to figure out how to do something yourself
- Listen to personal finance podcasts that share information on nearly every aspect of your finances
Embracing Your Situation
Think about your life, your career, and your money successes. Embrace the good in your current situation, regardless of how much money you make or where you’re at in reaching your financial goals.
Appreciate the little things like having a roof over your head, a warm meal to eat, and having a job. Avoid comparing yourself to others by realizing that everyone has their own successes and struggles.
You can only manage yourself and your life. Be grateful for all the good that’s there and be thankful for all the people who have helped you get where you are today.
Let money be a tool in your life that helps you achieve your goals. Cultivate the right money mindset by setting up an attitude of gratitude, appreciating what you have accomplished, and being thankful for what you already have. Most importantly, never stop working hard and dreaming big — with the right money mindset, your financial goals are in reach.
What are you grateful for this holiday season?