Think of a time when you had to get help through a call center – tech support for your computer, or an appliance suddenly died, or you had to rearrange your travel plans.

An hour later after being passed around to various agents, you’re tired, cranky, and itching to just get this problem taken care of.

The frustration gets the best of you.

The next thing you know, the agent on the end of the line is saying things like, “Ma’am, ma’am, that is not going to help…”

Those darn emotions made this frustrating experience just thatmuchmore challenging.

Now think of a time when you were cool as a cucumber as you talked to different agents. Made a quick friend.  Suddenly, things start working in your favor.

No matter what’s going on in life, all we know for sure is we can:

• Only control our own actions and behaviors
• Choose the meanings and impact we allow these events to have on our psyche. 

And really, the same applies to money.

You can learn to have that same level-headed approach to money which takes the *sting* out of finances.

Try this quick exercise… 

1. Write down: $10,000.
2. Then add a plus (+) in front of it. Good news! You now have that in your bank account. How does that feel?
3. Cross out that + and instead add a minus (-) in front of it. Ugh! You now owe that much money. How do you feel now?

Notice how emotionally triggered you are by even the thought of money in your bank account — or owed.

I teach you how to turn those negatives into positives (in more ways than one!). 

MONEY TIP

Let’s make it black and white. 

They are just numbers. 

You add the meaning. 

You are the one telling yourself those things. 

Your bank account balance does not dictate your self worth.

So in the example above, if you find yourself frustrated, ashamed, or stressed about owing $10,000, notice that is simply a new fact you are faced with.

You could make it mean that you received a ton of value and fun for the investment you made and feel confident we can create a fast debt payoff plan for you to get rid of it.

If you think about it in this simple example, you may be able to spot other times you have a triggered reaction around money. 

Here are some examples:

• You get a credit card, bank or investment statement in the mail and an odd fear, stress, or need to procrastinate washes over you.
  
• Your partner or family member buys something and it throws you over the edge – you blow up as if they just bought a new car (and they hadn’t).
• You call or email someone about something important (to you) and they don’t respond. Then you write them off as not interested and think worse of them.

Here’s what to do:

Follow these 3 quick steps to take the emotions out of your money management (and wherever else you want to be more objective): 

1. Put the numbers on paper: your income, your spending, and your debt (with its related interest rates).
2. Recognize the feelings you are having vs. the facts. Notice “what is really happening” in the moment vs. meaning you are adding.
3. What else could you make it mean?

The Payoff

Remember, “Your self-worth leads to your net worth, not the other way around.”
~from our book, Self-Worth To Net Worth: 12 Keys To Creating Wealth Inside and Out.

You need to take control of your emotions and beliefs about money.

That is impacting your current circumstances and likely holding you back from the money destiny that you really want. As the accelerated learning expert Jim Kwik says, “Your mind is always eavesdropping on your self talk.” So watch what you say as you will unconsciously look to prove yourself right!

Loved this?

Money’s a LOT easier to handle when you understand it, you know how to deal with the emotional side of things – and when you have a plan. And there’s plenty more where this came from, too!

Join my FREE Shift Your Money Destiny Workshop and learn the step-by-step secrets to managing your money.  You’ll learn why it’s not your fault your finances are in this shape, what to do about it, and even transform how you FEEL about money in just 3 minutes.

Plus, I’ll share my 4-step Money Roadmap so you understand exactly how to manage your money! (These are the same 4 steps I’ve used to create more than $4 million dollars in earnings and savings for my clients.  They’ve worked for thousands of people – and they’ll work for you, too!)

Get on the VIP list for the Shift Your Money Destiny Workshop starting on Tuesday June 6th, where you’ll learn some of my best money tips – free!

Belinda Rosenblum is a CPA and Wealth Expert who helps you take the worry and fear out of money. She believes life is supposed to be fun, and money is supposed to fund it for you! Belinda left her thriving corporate finance role to found OwnYourMoney.com and lead a movement to change our entire perspective on money – so we release the overwhelm and shame, take control, and learn the needed skills to be confident with money.

Belinda is the creator of the Money Makers Academy and the coauthor of SELF-WORTH TO NET WORTH: 12 Keys to Creating Wealth Inside and Out, offering a step-by-step approach to help you build your financial self-esteem and manage your own financial life. If she’s not talking about financial freedom, Belinda is likely enjoying the sunshine and chasing after her marathon-running husband and two spirited toddlers.