What Trips You Up?

There’s a common theme I’ve discovered in the financial lives of many of my women clients – they fear the responsibility of handling money, and more specifically, of making mistakes with the money for which they are responsible.

As children, we are corrected when we make mistakes and that is a natural part of the learning process.  What isn’t natural, however, is the carryover into adulthood that many women suffer from.

I am speaking of the mistaken belief that “someone” or “they” are watching what we are doing and clucking with disapproval when we make mistakes or poor choices with our money.

We end up feeling guilty and ashamed and punish ourselves for not measuring up.

The truth is, there is no bank employee huddled over their computer, watching your transactions with an eagle eye on a daily basis and judging you.

Instead of acknowledging that we are lacking in the necessary training about money, money management, investing, debt and credit, and asking the right questions, we beat ourselves up when we get caught out because of mistakes in choices we’ve made, or the timing of those choices.

The fact is that women are socialized very differently around money, business and success than men are and we’ve been paying that toll for far too long.

How many young girls have struggled with math in school, dropped it as soon as they could, and spent their lives telling themselves that they’re no good at numbers?

Any girl who played with a Teen Talk Barbie doll in the early 1990’s might have heard the phrase “Math class is tough!”  There was such an uproar when this doll was released that Mattel had to recall them, but the damage was already done.

What story have you been telling yourself about math, numbers and money and your ability (or lack thereof) to be successful in working with them?

What fears, guilt and shame have you been punishing yourself with?

Don’t you think it’s time to ask the right questions?  To learn basic money management skills in a way that makes you feel empowered?

When you take control of a situation, learn the necessary skills and practice them until you achieve proficiency, you rise above whatever your past mistakes may have been.

Remember, there are no stupid questions... there are no “wrong” questions and the only questions holding you back are the ones you can’t find the courage to ask.

Forgive yourself…take responsibility…learn what you need to know to succeed, and be proud of your new skills. They will help you establish a solid financial foundation and begin to grow your future wealth.

Please call or email me if you would like help in getting started.

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~ Christopher Columbus