If no one ever told you, the way you behave affects the way you manage your money.
Have you felt you were unworthy of an opportunity that you automatically disqualified yourself from even trying?
You guessed it. That’s how behaviour affects your decision making. Sometimes it can cripple and paralyse you from moving forward.
I’d like to share with you a couple of the behaviours I exhibited. It’s been a work in progress, but I will tell you how I overcame.
Lack of Planning
For those of you on the verge of completing University, this is especially for you. I obtained my first job in 2005. I remember first receiving my pay cheque thinking I had officially “made it”. I was still living at home with my parents with no responsibilities. It should have been easy for me to save some money, but I opted not to.
On Saturdays, I would find myself in town shopping just because I wanted things. I didn’t think about having any goals. I wanted to live in the present, until one day all of that changed. I thought if I continued down this path, I would go absolutely nowhere. So what did I do?
I opened my laptop, sat down and started budgeting. An exercise I didn’t like very much back then. Due to my lack of planning, I went here, there and everywhere with my money. Through having a plan for my money, I was less likely to swerve off my financial course.
Feeling Unworthy
While at University I decided I would seek to apply for a scholarship. I asked a question about making an application. I was asked about my academic performance and deemed not qualified to obtain a scholarship. His perspective of me influenced me not to try. I concluded I was not worthy to receive an opportunity. Years later, I shared this scenario with my friend and she indicated to me that I could have received a scholarship no matter my performance. I had to change the way I saw myself and to accept that I was just as deserving of any opportunity that came my way.
Discontentment
I received an increase in my salary. Rather than placing the increase towards savings or an investment, I decided to obtain a line of credit. I was convinced that the amount of money I had was not enough, so I wanted more. I got a loan. My income became further tied up in debt and it took a while for me to repay it in full.
The truth is if I didn’t think I could be happy then with what I had then, how could I be any happier in the future? I made the decision to be happy and be grateful for what I had and what I had accomplished.
Changing your behaviour will take work. The key is to recognise the triggers, to own your behaviour and seek to move forward with a different mind-set.