Does This Thought Sabotage Your Financial Goals?

Let’s say you’ve sat down and come up with your financial goals. Maybe you’ve even created a vision board or started a wealth journal to really dig into what you want to create in your life.

As you were thinking about what you really wanted, and putting together some estimated numbers that you could use for those financial goals, how many times did you think “I can’t afford it?”

Do you hate thinking this? By having this thought replay over and over in your mind, it reinforces your belief that you can’t afford it and limits your thinking to possibilities for expansion.

Here’s a simple strategy for dumping that debilitating declaration once and for all… Turn “I can’t afford it” into “How can I afford it?”

“How can I afford it” creates all sorts of possibilities.

And you’ll realize that the purchase you are pondering is a choice, just like all of the money you spend is a choice.

When was the last time you looked at the money you spend with this abundant perspective? When we think in terms of choice and priority, we feel much more empowered.

And when we feel empowered, we take actions to create the results that we want in our lives. Since how you use your money is a choice, let’s look at some possibilities for exploring an expense that you’re considering.

The first possibility is: What am I willing to not have, do or get in order to make this happen?

The second possibility is one that is generally not the focus of financial planners and advisors, but is often a major focus for money coaches…It’s “How can I increase income so I can afford it?”

The third possibility is “What am I willing to do without (maybe later) in order to have this now?” This choice usually involves dipping into money set aside for a financial goal.

Which one of these possibilities has the most potential and just feels the best? Possibilities 1 and 3 are based on doing without and lack, but possibility 2 to increase income holds the potential for impactful change.

The next time that you’re about to say “I can’t afford it”, shift to possibility #2 and ask “How can I increase income or shift my priorities now so I can have more of what I want?”