Making Money Decisions

Making money decisions
What to do… what to do…

When you are making decisions about your money, it’s hard to know what to do.

You have so many thoughts about what you “should” do.

I “should” stick to a budget.
I “should” look prosperous.
I “should” be generous.”
I “should” have a new safe car.

Whew.
You also have a lot of messages from your past and how you were brought up that steers your decision-making.

The human brain is amazing.
And it gives you a lot of conflicting opinions.
Faster than the blink of an eye.
Often without even registering as thinking.
It just seems like how things are.

Fear not, friend.
You have a compass you carry with you that has got your back.

Listen to your body.

Your body is like the kid who can’t keep a secret.
Your body always tells you the truth.

If you go into the car dealership just to look, and you find yourself signing on the dotted line and driving away with a brand new SUV, your conscious and subconscious influences aren’t talking with each other.

You MEANT to stay within your budget.
You ACTUALLY let your immediate gratification go on a spree without permission from your managing mind.

Let’s get these two parts of you working together.

First, when you catch yourself about to do something you told yourself you weren’t going to do, take a deep breath.
Reengage with your physical self.

I use what I call the clean and dirty test.

I try out different options on my body.
I think about making car payments the next eight years.
Then I check in with my body.
If it feels a little dirty… unclean… I steer in another direction.
If I feel clean, I make the leap.

Sometimes I have to try out a few thoughts.
Maybe with an SUV I feel off… I feel dirty… icky.
But when I think about owning a four-door car, the feeling changes to clean.

Some people call this checking in with your gut, but often I feel it in different parts of my body.  I may feel it in my back or my palms may be sweaty or tense.
Feel around all over your body.

This is a skill that takes some practice to get right, so try it first with some things that are less expensive than a car.
You want to have this skill fine-tuned when you are making a decision about a car or a house.

I like to use it to figure out what to watch on TV.  When I am scrolling through, if I catch myself flashing a little tiny smile, that’s the show that’s going to satisfy me.

Try it with what you order at a restaurant.  Read through the menu and pay attention to how your body reacts. It’s a fun thing to try.

Your subconscious can hide from your managing brain, but it can’t hide from your body.

Tune back into your body and use all of your resources to make your next money decision.