I am very much interested in your financial well-being.
More than anything, I want your financial life and choices to reflect the successes you experience in other spheres of your life.
I want you to feel confident, powerful and validated. Yet, this is not necessarily how some of my clients feel when we begin to work together.
Instead, they are hiding in the financial closet embarrassed because their financial condition doesn’t reflect what they project or want. Or, they feel guilty about past choices unable to forgive themselves, let go and move on. Or, they are ashamed by what they don’t have, don’t know or don’t have control over like they expected.
For my clients whom are educated, work in diverse professions and industries, live creatively, often quirky and successful at charting their own path, this is unsettling. Because it’s out of sync with everything else about their lives.
Lots of people (I know very scientific, right?) are in the financial closet about their money situation for any number of personal and societal reasons ranging from shame to acceptance to control to validation to power. The result: They think they’re the only one!
- Are the financial goals and resolutions you have for 2015 the same as what you had last year and the year before that and the year before that?
- Has the same financial demon (however you define that) reared its head, again?
- Do you have a financial regret you simply haven’t been able to shake?
- Does that big, audacious goal feel oh so close, yet so far from your grasp…again?
Do you feel financially alone – like this is only happening to you? Do you keep it to yourself because you feel embarrassed or ashamed or guilty or confounded? Do you believe that to disclose the aspects of your money situation you’ve been hiding will minimize the accomplishments in other areas of your life?
Well, let me tell you: From my work with hundreds of coaching clients and thousands of workshop attendees, I can assure you YOU are not alone. Everyone struggles with something when it comes to money. (And by the way, don’t fall into the trap of limiting the meaning of the word struggle to survival.)
The key is to not let your financial struggles sabotage your financial well-being.
Now, to be clear, there’s a difference between “secret” and “private” and I’m NOT recommending that you broadcast the details of your money situation to everyone, everywhere. Unless sharing like that is something you do naturally. Personally, I can’t imagine that; I’m open, but reserved. Professionally, my private banking training can’t fathom it.
But if I may, I’d like to add another goal or resolution to your list — come out of financial hiding. Especially if you think you’re the only one dealing with whatever is tripping you up. This way of thinking is costly – both financially and emotionally – and can negatively impact your financial well-being.
So as you settle a little more into 2015 remember – you’re not alone. And if you are ready to come out of the closet about your financial situation, I can help. Click here to learn how.
