The REAL Secret to Financial Freedom in the New Year (It’s NOT a raise.)

“When you understand that your self-worth is not determined by your net worth, then you’ll have financial freedom.” –Suze Orman

Will I ever get my financial sh*t together?

Tons of people (and many of my hypnotherapy, meditation, and coaching clients) want to make big money moves in the New Year. It’s a top resolution in our culture. And just like any other intention, it takes a thousand tiny shifts to *finally* get where you want to go. But it’s totally possible.

That’s why it’s crucial to set realistic expectations, get the emotional shovel out, and start digging into what it takes to add “Financially Secure” to your identity as something you ARE, not something you strive and struggle to DO.

Now, I am no expert in financial decision making.  However, I do know a lot about mindset, and that is imperative when it comes to experiencing financial freedom.  In the recent posts, as well in the New Beginnings Personal Retreat, I talk a lot about the need for an internal shift in order to reach an external goal, and money is no different.

What’s your inner money messaging?

Whenever it’s time in your life to make a change, the first step is to become brutifully (that’s a mix of beautiful and brutal, just saying) honest about what’s true for you right now with the issue at hand. 

In the instance of money and finances, the role money played in our lives as children is what often governs how we deal with our finances as adults. 

One of my friends (I’ll call her Leslie) grew up around two very different sets of grandparents.

One set viewed wealthy people as entitled snobs who behaved like jerks most of the time. These two generous and salt-of-the-earth people in her life worked hard, owned a small business, and even enjoyed a bit of travel in their retirement, but they spent years in poverty at the end of their lives–needlessly.

The other set of grandparents ALSO worked very hard, were also the salt of the earth, incredibly generous, enjoyed a lovely home, nice cars, education, world travel, social activism, a very comfortable retirement, and the pleasure of passing down their assets to their kids plus funding a scholarship at a local university. Their money reached beyond their own comfort and security. They were the opposite of jerks.

Until recently, Leslie couldn’t seem to sustain a self-supporting salary even though she’s talented and savvy in her area of expertise. 

The underlying money message for Leslie? 

“I want money because of all the good it can do in my life, but if I actually GET some, I’ll turn into an entitled jerk and be a bad person.”

Because of this inner money message, Leslie spent YEARS spinning her financial wheels. If she received money, she spent it right away. She had credit card debt. Everything was always a financial struggle, though she always scrappily “made it work.”

Once she finally discovered the truth (and conflict) hidden in this deep money message, she could ALSO begin to tell herself a new story. It goes like this:

“It’s okay for me to receive enough money to thrive in my life. I will STILL be me even if I am wealthy.” 

And,

“People with money are good people.”

Financial change takes time

Though Leslie didn’t win a million dollars the instant she made this big money message shift, she DID start embracing new behaviors, like:

• Working with a coach to evaluate her service pricing in her small business
• Leaving a contract gig that chronically underpaid her for her work
• Opening and sustaining a retirement account
• Placing a percentage of her income into savings each month
• Creating monthly budgets that helped her organize her spending–while affording her some “fun” money each month, just for HER.
• Paying off her credit card debt and paying off her car loan early
• AND checking her beliefs about money and changing them to match her desired outcomes

It’s notable to say that these actions are the same actions that comfortably wealthy folks do without hardly thinking about it. She didn’t make these changes all at once, but each shift gave her energy and motivation to further embrace the identity of Financially Secure.

How to make your first proactive money move in 2023

I’m excited to offer the support you need to make this change with a self-led retreat for new beginnings.

This powerful experience will help you create the rituals, ambiance, and time to usher in a NEW voice—one that builds you up instead of tearing you down each day. One that recognizes and values who you are–objectively and honestly–with the help of an unbiased source (me.) 

This is the voice that allows you to thrive with money—because you’ve cleared all the conflicting messages that hold you back. And it works for so many other challenges, too. 

Reserve ONE full day in your calendar of workshops, OR two half-days for flexibility and convenience.

The retreat is available for you to start now. Get everything—all the tools to make the changes you want for yourself in 2023–for FREE.

Here’s the LINK to join me.

In the meanwhile, be well, friends. Let’s shift those money messages together, so that you can THRIVE with the income and impact you deserve.

Be well,

Sara