Tired of being in debt? Sick to death of living payday to, well, almost payday?

Course you are. You’re not alone. And, if you’re not doing anything about it, then you’re still not alone.

But, there’s often a lot more to debt than simple overspending (or not earning enough). We’ve all got a story around how we feel about our money – and it’s linked to all our past decisions, especially the nasty ones we’d like to forget.

You know that old quote about doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results? That’s exactly what most people do when they try to sort out their finances.

They’ll spend hours planning, sifting through bills and preparing a budget. And then? Something happens. A friend comes into town unexpectedly, or they get a new job that requires a new wardrobe, or there’s actual real emergency. People usually have the best intentions to not get in debt again; they’re just stuck in the same cycle of thinking about money and how to manage it.

To change your financial status, you need to change the way you think about money at a basic, root level. You can’t change the past, but you can take a fresh look at it, embracing all your decisions that brought you to where you are today. Changing your story doesn’t mean erasing the past; it means embracing it warts and all and working to move forward into a future you genuinely want.

When you change the story, and take responsibility for your current financial situation, you can start telling a new story – one that you’re proud to recount.

But how do I do that?

The sooner you get moving on a new story, the sooner you’ll be able to tell it. Why spend another day in the money mire when you can get yourself closer to the life you want.

Reframe the bad bits

Take a look at your financial life, and consider the moments when you felt particularly crummy about your choices or actions. Change these moments around in your mind so that you can see the positives that emerged. It was horrible at the time, but it all adds up to who you are today.

Look at your mindset

Create an action plan to change your mindset, your story around money. Don’t focus on the actual budget side of things at the moment, but rather spend some time reflecting on the financial life you truly want to have, and the things you want to achieve. There are lots of great books on this subject – bus this is a great place to start, Kate Northrup’s Money, a Love Story.

Take responsibility

It’s your story around money that you want to fix. Step up and make it happen. And, don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help. There are people out there who’ll assist, even if you’re too shy to speak to your family and friends about your financial situation.

Take action:

You can start right now with a spot of reframing. Consider a financial situation that makes you cringe when you think about it. A time you were profligate. Don’t think about that kick ass pair of shoes you bought, think about what you learned from the experience.

Perhaps you felt really guilty about spending money you didn’t have – and you resolve to only make purchases that are in line with what you believe in from now on. Kate Northrup talks about this in her book, if you spend only in alignment with our core values we seldom feel anything but marvellous about that sort of spending.

Take 5 minutes to think about your cringy momeny – and 5 minutes to reframe it. There – financial demons being squashed tiny bit, by tiny bit.

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We’re serious about helping people make the right choices for a happy life. Whether it’s taking control of your finances, or choosing a career path that’s right for you. If you’re ready to change your life, then it’s a fabulous time to dive into these articles:

6 easy ways to get better money habits now
Debt Summit: Money Monsoon
Abundance is within your grasp

You may remember we ran the Rethink Debt Summit last year – download our ace free guide on how to Negotiate your Debt Down here.