What are

Hurdles. Blocks. Outright challenges about whether I know what I’m doing or what I’m talking about. Who am I to make suggestions or have the answers to questions that they have?

Let’s take my qualifications and experience out of the equation for a minute. What is the root cause of these objections, or indeed of any objections actually?

Mindset.

It’s our own preconditioned and limiting beliefs that hold us back, and tell us we’re absolutely fine doing what we’ve always done, thank you very much.

We’ve managed to get this far, we’ve survived and are still in one piece. There’s no need to change anything, do anything differently or otherwise rock the boat.

What’s responsible for these beliefs that keep us ‘safe’? Our primitive brains 🧠 that have seen already that if we avoid what we don’t know then we can’t go far wrong.

But the problem with this is that our brains have been pre-wired to work this way. I’m not just talking for our lifetime, this goes back to prehistoric times. Stay in the cave or get eaten by a woolly mammoth times. And this Neanderthal way of operating might help you run for the train before the doors close, or keep you awake to get that report finished when you’re working to a deadline, but they also hold you back when it comes to trying something new or changing your way of thinking. It’s our brain’s job to keep us safe, so it’s easy to fall into unconscious avoidance.

And before you know it, you’re the wrong side of 35, maybe have a bit more debt than you’re comfortable with, with not as much in savings as you’d perhaps like and generally not have all your proverbial ducks in a row. The thought of a pension? Well, there’s loads of time still for that…

So what exactly is it that you’re afraid of?

 That you might get it wrong?

Well, we all worry about that. But is that a reason to not even start?

That you don’t know where to start?

My best tip for this is to start with what you know. Where does you money come from right now, and where does it go? What do you spend it on? You’ll need to get down and dirty with your bank statements for this one, but just reviewing where you are now can give you a place to start when it comes to where money could be saved. And also how much you have available for working harder for you doing something other than sitting in your bank account.

That you don’t want to admit that you should have all this stuff sorted by now?

Ah, this is a big one. For those of you that like to keep up with the Jones’ and look as though you already have everything together, it can be a huge ego sucker lunch to be able to hold your hand up and say 🙋 ‘I need some help with this’. But you aren’t alone, and asking for confidential advice from someone you trust is a massive first step.

You don’t know what questions to ask?

Again, start small, but just start. Ask those around you where they look for advice on money and financial matters. Start to pay attention to the financial press, popular blogs like Money Saving Expert and you can join groups on Facebook where like minded people can all ask in a safe environment (I have a free Facebook group for just this purpose – https://www.facebook.com/groups/thelollylounge, I’d love to see you in there!) What are other people asking? You may just surprise yourself to see that, one, you know more than you think, and two, most people don’t know either, because you don’t know what you don’t know.

That you don’t know who to ask? 

well that’s easy. You can ask me 🦹‍♀️

Is it that maybe, just maybe, you think you won’t know how to be if life wasn’t how it is right now?

You might not have your it all totally together, but you can manage that now. It’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t? You haven’t fallen off a cliff yet, so maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be?

But what if it isn’t? Humour me for a second.

What if you could change all that, and live a life of ease. Of confidence. Of knowing that you could fix the car if it failed it’s MOT without worrying about paying the electricity bill too (that is about to double because prices are going up and you decided it would be nice to hear the house for the whole of the Christmas holidays). Maybe you don’t worry now, but maybe there’s an innate peace that comes with just knowing that, whatever bills come in, you know you have enough cash in the bank to cover them without compromising or missing out elsewhere.

Or better still, you could change the car for a new one because, to hell with it, you deserve to feel good in what you drive and you’re worth every penny. And, if you take a look at the numbers, you might actually save money by having a more efficient car, have less of an impact on the environment, or have a safer vehicle for your family, if that’s what’s important to you. Sometimes, it’s not always just about the money.

Because it’s only money.

So, my challenge for you is to consider the possibilities. What is it that you’re afraid of, and would it be the worst thing in the world to try something new and stretch your financial muscles a little?