Is Your Money Creating the JOY You Want? If not, Here’s How!

Are you feeling the Financial JOY you'd like to experience?

Money Coaching clients often come to their first appointment stressed, upset and angry about their money situation.  Couples sometimes blame each other for the "pit" they're in.  What they want is more financial JOY and peace but don't know how to get there.

Some of our money troubles come from ignorance - we don't know what to do - so we do nothing. As a financially recovering blonde and Innocent, in Money Types terms, I know this one.

Some of our money challenges come from wanting MORE, so charging stuff on credit. It's painful to deal with debt.  Re-training our Money Brain from debt cycles, poverty thinking requires learning new ways of behaving with money.

As we kindly, gently, but honestly face where we're at financially we're able to move towards a healthier relationship with money and create more financial JOY.

Marie Kondo’s book “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying UP” inspired people to go through their homes letting go of EVERYTHING that didn't bring JOY. 

Marie Kondo’s book inspired me to go through my closets, touch everything and decide whether it brought JOY to my life or not. Shoes, purses, gym clothes that didn’t spark JOY are now gone, gone, gone. Ah…

As a Certified Money Coach I see a lot of people who are less than happy about their relationship with money. Why?

I started wondering how Kondo’s simply philosophy could be applied to the money in our lives. Let’s take Kondo’s 2nd principle “Respect Your Belongings” and alter it slightly to “Respect Your Money.”

“Respect Your Money”:  When we show respect to others, we treat them well and expect them to do the same for us, right?

But, how are we NOT respecting the money we have?

  • Complaining we don’t have enough money

  • Worrying over too many expenses

  • Debt

  • Not saving enough

  • Stress over spending/bills

  • Not improving our knowledge about $$

  • Feeling guilty about not having enough or having too much (that’s a NO win, isn’t it?)

  • Worrying about retirement, health care costs but not taking action

On the other hand - what does respecting your money look like?

  • Developing an attitude of gratitude about the $$ you have 

  • Appreciate what your money already does for you 

  • Appreciate the work it takes for the money you have 

  • Find a healthy balance between saving for the future and fun today

  • Stay conscious and aware of where your hard-earned money is going (Ask with each purchase: Is this a need or a want?)

What are some of the things you can appreciate and be grateful about your money today?

  • Food

  • Clothing

  • A place to live

  • Car to drive

  • Starbucks (just kidding – I’m not a fan of spending $5.00 on a cup of coffee)

  • Weekends away

  • Dinner out once in awhile

  • Boats, Toys (Really Americans have SO many toys)

Kondo suggests letting go of stuff/things that don’t spark JOY. I suggest letting go of financial attitudes that don’t bring JOY.  

A great attitude to shift is the belief that MORE MONEY will make you happier. Not true. Research shows that once a couple is making about $75,000 a year, MORE money doesn’t make then any happier. Perhaps it’s time to LET that belief go and allow yourself to be happier with what you have.  

You may or may not be living in your dream home yet. What if you choose to be happy with the home you already have? (And, save towards a dream home if that's on your list.)

bigstock-Portrait-Of-Happy-Couple-Count-236367025.jpg

That’s something that works for me. I am by nature a bit of a minimalist. I enjoy our lovely, paid off, home very much. Would I like to be in a slightly nicer neighborhood? Yes. And, I’d love a larger kitchen and a pool. (Well, we’re saving for a pool right now)

But less financial stress equals JOY to me and is worth so much and so I choose to FOCUS on the beauty that is in our home now and our neighborhood.

Coaching Challenge:  Want to FEEL more JOYful with the money you have NOW and create positive energy to attract more?

Write down 3 things you’re grateful for about the money you already have for 30 days. I suggest doing this at night before you go to sleep. This is a much sweeter way to go to sleep than the TV drama/trauma news.

Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money states: “What you appreciate, appreciates.” A very true statement. The being grateful for the money you have gexercise may bring more money into your life – and great if it does – but feeling happier with what you already have – ah…that’s gotta spark some JOY!

 

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, FB, LinkedIN OR ON YOUR WEB SITE?You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

Certified Money & Business Coach, Professional Speaker & author, Lynn Telford-Sahl, writes the PowerUP Your Money blog for women in sales and small business. Get your FREE preview of Lynn’s eCourse: Prosperity, Power & Peace: The Women’s Guide to Financial Freedom