I believe success is 90% psychological and 10% technical. In other words, it’s only 10% skill and technical know-how, and 90% attitude, confidence, focus, and determination. Unfortunately, when it comes to making money, saving money, managing money, and investing money, most people focus primarily on technical strategies. Meanwhile, their limiting beliefs and attitudes hold them back. Effective technical strategies are critical, but without addressing the psychological level, you’re going to spin your wheels.
We all carry around some degree of disempowering conditioning about money – from our parents, our friends and family, television, and the world in general. If you want to create a dramatic improvement in your level of financial success, you will need to actively recondition your mind for success. The best book I’ve run across for changing your thinking about money is Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker. Personally, I bought the book on CD, so I could listen to it in my car over and over.
Having Enough
I am going to outline a practical strategy for creating financial prosperity, but before I do, I need to say something very important. Just as we have all inherited negative ideas about money, we have all grown up in a world that worships the false god of scarcity. Scarcity is the perspective of “not enough”. Most people walk through life experiencing lack everywhere – not enough time, not enough love, not enough energy, not enough fun, not enough sex, not enough money, you name it – not enough. Scarcity is the biggest lie ever told, and it leads to nothing but pain and restlessness. Whether or not you experience life from the perspective of scarcity has nothing to do with how much money you have, or how much of anything you have. Many of the richest people in the world live from scarcity, and many of the poorest people in the world live from the perspective of having enough.
If you truly want to experience having enough money, and enough of everything else, adopt the perspective of, “I have enough”. Do it now – don’t wait any longer. You may still have the desire for more money, and you may still work to create more, but you’ll be motivated by vision and inspiration instead of by fear and lack. If this concept inspires you, you’ll love The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist.
Money Management Mastery
To manage money effectively you need a system. Most people don’t have a system. No matter how smart you are about money, you won’t always manage it well without a good system to follow.
I highly recommend that you open several savings accounts and distribute your income into each account in predetermined percentages. Make it the first thing you do when you get paid. Nearly every book on wealth creation ever written talks about some version of the “pay yourself first” strategy. This system is the application of that strategy. I’ve been using this system for over ten years now, and since I began using it I have had a much more peaceful, secure, and joyful relationship to money. I have also been moving steadily towards my goal of having a net worth of above $1 million, and have been able to purchase investment property in Oregon and Hawaii.
The six accounts I recommend are:
Investment/Retirement: Invest this money and do NOT spend any of it until you can live off of the interest. I recommend that you put at least 10% into this account. Use this account to make all types of investments.
Reserve Fund: At least 2-4 months living expenses for emergencies, being out of work, career transitions, so you don’t have to stress about bouncing checks, etc. Once you have the amount you want in this account, you can stop making deposits to it.
Tithe/Give: Giving away a percentage of your income is something that I highly recommend, especially if you think you don’t yet make enough money to be doing so. The act of tithing will powerfully communicate to your subconscious mind and the universe that you have more than enough, which will create it as so. I do 5%. Many people do 10%.
Play: This money is for things that bring you joy or pleasure. This is about goofing off and indulging yourself. This account is very important! If you don’t have a Play account, part of you will likely feel deprived and will sabotage the rest of the system. I do 5%. Many people do 10%.
Savings for Occasional (Non-monthly) Expenses: such as a home, car, computer, stereo, vacations, workshops, school, etc. While it’s good to have one account for miscellaneous future expenses, you might also choose to have specific accounts which are dedicated for specific expenses such as purchasing a Home. Some people also like to have a separate account for Education/Professional/Personal Development. Typically at least 10% goes into this account or accounts.
Necessities/Checking: includes rent, food, utilities, clothes, etc. This account typically gets the lion’s share of your income: 40-80%.
Barely making enough money to cover necessities? I still recommend implementing this system. However, you will need to start with a lower percentage for each account to begin with, or even put only one dollar per month into each account other than Necessities. You will be learning how to effectively manage your money, and when you begin to earn more money you will already have good habits established. The more skillfully you manage whatever amount of money you currently have, the more attractive you will be to larger amounts of money.
Setting Up Your Accounts
Step 1: Get out a pen and paper and write down which accounts you are going to open. Give them each a name, and decide on a percentage that you will put into each one. Write it down in a place that you can refer back to should you forget what percentages you decided on.
Step 2: Call your bank and find out if they will let you open multiple savings accounts without a charge. If they want to charge you, find yourself another bank. Also, make sure your bank has a user-friendly online system so that you can login to your account and easily make transfers between accounts.
Step 3: Begin making deposits into each of your accounts. If you only make one or two deposits per month, then I recommend transferring a percentage into each of your accounts every time you make a deposit. If you own a business where you are making multiple deposits throughout the month, then I recommend depositing all of your money into one account, and at the end of the month distributing a percentage of the total amount deposited for the month into each account.
Step 4: As soon as you have accumulated enough money in your Investment/Retirement Account, invest it somewhere and get your money working for you. Spend your Play Account in ways that bring you joy. Begin tithing and experiencing the joy of supporting your favorite causes. And if you are not yet earning enough money to deposit a substantial amount into each of your accounts, make it your goal to increase your income.