Published August 1, 2019 • 3 Min Read
Do you find yourself feeling defeated, frustrated an even fearful of your financial position? Or do you feel your financial situation may never change? These may be tell-tale signs you’ve given your power away to the “gap” and bought into a way of thinking colouring how you think about your money.
In this Money Mastery Series edition, life coach and spiritual guide Sheila Hill shares how to define — and redefine — a financial gap
Q: Sheila, can you talk about what you mean by a “gap” when it comes to finances?
Hill: Everyone’s measure of financial stability, freedom, and level of abundance is different. That being said, if you aren’t quite where you’d like to be financially —meaning there is a gap between where you are and where you’d like to be — your thoughts, beliefs and behaviours may in fact be creating an even bigger gap.
Q: How can this gap affect a person’s ongoing thinking about money?
Hill: People often allow a gap to make them feel financially disempowered.
For some, that gap might be the difference between the resources they have today versus the resources they need to make a retirement plan come true. Or, the ability to make a dream vacation become a reality, or even the capacity to manage day to day living expenses. If you have this gap mindset, it can quickly become where you focus all of your beliefs and thoughts about your life.
Q: So how do you overcome the gap and gain financial confidence?
Hill: Being fully aware and proactive about your current financial situation is the key to money mastery. Mastery is where you take power back, by not allowing your situation or a gap mindset to control you, and shift your mindset instead to an overall sense of confident abundance.
Here are some money mastery tips:
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Budget. Set a budget using only what you have and then be creative in how you execute it. Price match, coupon clip, scale back, use envelopes marked for certain purchases — whatever works for you. Master where you are with what you have, and be sure to stick to it .
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Save. No matter how much or how little you have there is always room for an amount be to be skimmed off the top. Make a commitment to save a certain sum of money regularly and watch it grow. Even pennies become dollars over time.
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Plan. No matter what you have or don’t have, there is power in knowledge. Knowing and fully understanding the scope of where you stand based upon your short and long term goals is very empowering. If you need help, a financial advisor or knowledgable friend may help you create a plan based on your objectives.
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Be. Be conscious with your purchases and really understand the “why” behind each one. Be conscious of your thoughts and emotions around money and be aware if you start to allow a mindset gap to colour your thinking.
Q: And what’s the ultimate outcome of mastering the gap?
Hill: When we are able to master where we are financially, we fill the gap with confidence and abundant thoughts, beliefs and emotions. These are the ingredients needed to get you where you want to be!
This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.
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