Money often dies on the vine as a scapegoat for larger issues and behaviors at hand. It is used as an excuse or a reason for something in an individual’s life. The reality, it often isn’t the money that is the issue. It is the attitudes, habits, beliefs and behaviors tied to money that are the issue.
“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”
Ayn Rand
You see, people will blame their financial situations for their choices and behaviors, but what it actually comes down to are their priorities, their mindset and their emotional connection to money that actually drive these actions and situations.
Excuses with Money
I’m Broke. I don’t get paid enough. I can’t because I don’t have enough money. I had to buy the cheap version. I can’t go on that trip.
Just a few of the many excuses people use for not doing something they would love to do or use when they do not reach a goal they initially set out to achieve.
A great number of studies dive into behavioral economics and what it means. They prove that lack of money is not always the core problem and showcase how emotions, biases, and social influences actually guide financial decisions. It is often a person’s relationship with money that drives the decisions on how it is earned, spent, saved, and invested.
The Behavioral Changes
At the very basic level, money is only a thing. It is a piece of paper, it is a number in you see when you open your bank account. It can’t make decisions. It can’t tell itself where it will be used and it does not grow on its own or just show up.
A person makes these decisions. Money is just the servant that helps us get there. If money dictates actions, it becomes our master, our ruler. This creates stress, anxiety and conflict.
On the other hand, if we are judicious with our money, control our money and create a plan for our money. The money can serve us in ways we never imagined.
The Bottom Line
Indeed, money plays a vital role in our lives and the decisions we make on a daily basis, but it is not the only influence on our decisions. Our decisions are our decisions and we as people need to own up to those decisions.
If money is low because we have chosen to use it in a manor that will not allow us to do other things, that is on us. If we choose to spend it poorly. If we choose to live life on a whim and do not create a plan for our money, it is on us when there isn’t money around for other things in life.
I understand not all situations are the same and that some people are just straight up struggling. I get that and for those who are struggling I can only hope and pray they find a solution. The problem is that for change to happen, it is still going to rely on them to make a change.
The easiest possible solution then is to start by noticing your actions or feelings around money. Start to notice how it feels as you divvy out your hard earned cash. Notice how it feels when you can’t go on that trip with your friends.
From there, take those feelings and start writing out your priorities. Start writing out your goals. Start looking at your life from a different lens. One that is not looking at what you can’t do because of money, but one that looks at how you can get there. What do you have to do with your money to get where you really want to be? How much work and change will it take to get there? Then make a decision and do whatever it takes with your money to get you where you want to be. Just stop using money as the excuse.
If you need a hand to figure out your priorities.
Hit me up and I will get you on the right track. Helping people is where my heart lights up every single time.
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