By Jennifer Cramer Lewis; Business Wisewoman | Trendsetter | Maverick
If you have been stressing about money, you are not alone. So, what do you do about it? One of the things that I notice is the more that I worry, the more there is to worry about.
Ask yourself: “Who am I being with money?”
Quite often asking that simple question will bring your attention to the fact that you are not being yourself about money. With family, gender expectations, culture and socioeconomic status all playing a part, being truly yourself with money is something that may require practice.
Hint: If you hear your Mom’s voice when you talk about money, this may be a clue. It means it’s time for you to change your view of money. Your relationship with money is about you, so remove any outside influences and ask yourself what you truly value and how money will help you fulfill those values and goals.
Ask yourself: “What would I choose if it wasn’t about the money?”
You may have some deep training to do with money, like you should never choose anything that you “can’t afford” or don’t have the money in the bank for.
Not to encourage you to whip out your credit card, but close your eyes and become aware of the other choices you could make if it were not about the money. Often there are dozens of choices that you cannot see because of the deep training received from family.
Ask yourself: “Who could assist me with this?”
I notice in my work that many of my clients are programmed to be secretive and stoic about money. They have to “do it themselves” and yet they really don’t know some of the basics about money and managing finance. In addition to this, they get anxious or scared about learning new skills or tools that could have them easily understanding their finances and making more money as a result.
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from a professional. Many experts, including myself, are always willing to offer a free coffee date or online session to help you get started – all you have to do is ask. Or, if you have a friend with financial expertise, ask them for some advice on getting your finances in order.
Ask yourself: what you are stressing over “Is this my problem?”
Often wives and mothers get saddled with the budgeting, banking and purchasing for the family. When your partner or kids come to you asking to purchase something, you can ask this question, “How would you like to contribute to this?” especially if the budget doesn’t allow for the requested item.
Teamwork around creating money and financial decisions in a family start your children thinking early about how they can generate money, rather than stressing about a lack of it and contribute towards a healthy financial future for them.
Ask yourself: “What can I do to create more money?”
Often I notice my clients are caught in the thought that their one job should take care of all the financial demands of their hopes and dreams. That a Prada purse, global travel and an apartment, should all be bought and paid for by one job.
In my search for more information about creating wealth and abundance in my life, I learned that most wealthy people have multiple income streams, their day job being just one of them. Find other avenues to build your wealth, whether it be pursuing a hobby that you can sell to friends and family, or using apps like Airtasker to do any odd jobs for people in your local area in your spare time.
Use your skills and hobbies to generate income streams that will allow you to have a more secure financial position where you can enjoy luxuries, big or small and contribute to your family’s financial future.
Jennifer Cramer Lewis, Business Wisewoman, Trendsetter, Maverick
This article was originally published by WHIMN and also featured in NYPOST