Change Your Beliefs: It's Okay To Check Your Bank Account
To me, she was the vision and definition of success. She has a multiple six-figure business and confidently declared she was on track to be a millionaire by the end of 2018.
On her website are a few “as seen on” badges. Two are Business Insider and Forbes.
Not a single strand of hair was out of place. Her manicure was perfect and her makeup was flawless.
She exuded a talk-show-host-like quality, speaking clearly, without the typical “um” and “ah” that tend to fill my sentences.
This woman is a single mother of two children and appears to have it all. She was a strong representation of my client avatar, also known as my ideal client.
Naturally, I requested to speak to her because I wanted to learn about her relationship with money. After all, if you’re featured on Business Insider and Forbes, you must have a ton of wisdom, right?
The other reason for interviewing her was to share her wisdom with my clients.
They too are six-figure earners…however a couple are what I call “broke” six-figure earners. That means, the money that comes in goes right out, often with more going out than coming in.
By sharing her wisdom I believed my clients would feel inspired to change their beliefs around money and take control of their finances in order to live the life they want and deserve.
I began the interview by asking my avatar if she looks at her bank account.
She quickly replied “nope!”
I thought she was trying to be funny, therefore, I asked the same question again.
…and again, she said “nope!”
Confused, I changed the question slightly. I asked if she reviews her business financials.
She said, “Uh, uh.”
Finally, I asked how often she speaks to her bookkeeper or tax person.
She said, “Chioma, it has been a few years since I last saw my tax guy. I think he handles the bookkeeping. I usually just hand him stuff and walk away.”
The vision of success was dissolving in front of my eyes, and I started to feel like I was being told, yet again, that Santa Claus was not real.
I expected to hear how she checks her bank account daily because doing so reminds her to be grateful for the opportunity to make an impact in her community AND support her children.
I expected her to tell me how she couldn’t live without her bookkeeper because she now has the clarity needed to grow her business and serve more clients.
I also expected her to praise her tax professional because he saved her at least $50,000.
Instead, she tells me she is afraid to check her bank account.
When I asked why, she declared she did not want to face the possibility of not having enough money.
She further explained how fear would cause her to subconsciously sabotage her attempt to check her bank account.
For example, she would forget her bank password, or “suddenly” encounter Wi-Fi issues. She’d even type the wrong URL for her bank’s website.
Ultimately she would get frustrated and give up, believing she was not meant to know what was in her account.
Her final confession blew my mind. She said she always prays she has enough money whenever she buys something.
The fact is, her situation is not unique.
I’m sure many of us can relate.
My six figure-earning clients didn’t have a relationship with their money when we first started working together.
Even I didn’t have a relationship with my money a short two years ago, and I had been working as an accountant for 13 years!
Yet the reason for not connecting with our money (other than getting paid) was the same as my avatar’s.
Fear.
I was afraid. I’d deny it but, yea, I was afraid.
My clients were afraid.
Perhaps YOU are afraid.
Therefore we avoid looking at our money.
After all, what we don’t know won’t hurt us, right?
Or is it better to say ignorance is bliss?
And then existing limiting beliefs further justify our fear. Some are:
“I’m just not good with money.”
“I’ll never have enough money.”
“I’ll never be able to retire.”
Or maybe you believe you need to be “realistic” about your financial expectations. After all, you weren’t “born with a silver spoon” in your mouth.
In his best selling book, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker shared a wealth principle. The principle has three statements. They are:
Beliefs lead to feelings.
Feelings lead to actions.
Actions lead to results.
For those that have read the book, the word 'belief' is synonymous to 'thought'. I promise, I am not trying to reinvent or change anything that is in the book.
In my avatar’s case, she believed she did not have money.
This belief created a feeling of fear.
Her fear stopped her from checking her bank account, reviewing her business financials, connecting with her tax professional, and, in general, forming a relationship with her money.
As a result, she risked embarrassment every time she made a purchase.
Worse, she probably did not socialize with peers, friends, or family as much as she wanted because she did not want to risk the waiter or cashier telling her that her card had been declined.
The beautiful thing about the wealth principle is that you control the outcome. That's because beliefs can be changed, which means feelings, actions, and results can also change.
What if we DID face our fear and look at our bank accounts because we changed our beliefs? And I mean look more often than when a fraud alert summons us to do so.
Let’s switch this to you.
How nice would it feel to confidently buy something because you know there is money in the bank?
How accomplished would you feel creating a new program for your clients or upgrading the tool that helps your patients gain the mobility needed to play with their children because you looked at your bank account?
How awesome would it feel to plan and prepare for the epic vacation of your dreams because you looked at your bank account?
How much more secure would you feel knowing you can contribute to your retirement fund because you looked at your bank account?
How would it feel to confidently say yes to dinner, drinks, or a concert with your friends because you looked at your bank account?
If you want to change your financial outcome, change your beliefs.
I was able to share some wisdom and other benefits, from the interview.
For starters, my avatar brought a feeling of comfort to my clients.
And because of her honesty, my clients felt comfortable being honest about the relationship with their own money.
As a result, my clients pushed past their fear and developed the courage to look at their bank accounts.
They no longer say a silent prayer when they make a purchase.
Cheers to your prosperity.
Are you afraid to check your bank account? Might you have beliefs that make you feel insecure about your financial decision making? Let's talk about it. Click here and schedule time. Cheers to your prosperity!
