#1 - Law of Attraction
Throughout the book, Jen focuses on the reader’s mindset. If I wish to bring abundance into my life, I need to be specific about what I want. For example, she wrote:
“Specifics allow the universe to fulfill your order.
You wouldn’t go to a deli and order a sandwich by saying, ‘Hi, yes, I’d like a sandwich, please.’ You’d order the specific kind you want: ‘Roast beef, mayo no mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomato, on a roll, please - actually not that roll, can I have that bigger roll over there?” And you would, hence, recieve the specific sandwich you ordered. And it would make you happy. The universe needs details too. It will respond, it always responds, but if you just focus on how awesome it would be to make more money, you may recieve ten bucks instead of the tens of thousands that would make a significant change in your life.” - You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, pg. 101
The same goes for your life. If you know what you want, you need to shift your thoughts so that it reflects what you really want. The more you focus on what you don’t want, the more likely it is to enter into your physical reality.
Of course, don’t forget - actions speak louder than words. So, reinforce your intentions with action.
“Poverty and staying broke are diseases that we cause with our mindsets, which is why when we make the conscious choice to focus on what’s true for us and what feels good, instead of why we can’t and mustn’t get rich, we can cure ourselves.” - You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, pg. 240
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#2 - “You have to want your dreams more than you want your drama.”
Complaining is easy. Doing the internal work, diving deep, learning my barriers, and undoing all the negative patterns I’ve learned over the years is hard. Jen explains it well:
“We choose to stay in our stories because we get what I call false benefits from them - we get to keep our identities as a broke person, we get to blame our brokeness on things outside ourselves (I don’t have time, I have 7 kids, the economy sucks, I can’t find a pen to write down my to-do list with), we don’t have to push ourselves outside our comfort zones and risk failing, looking like an idiot, losing money, changing and becoming different from our family and friends - the list goes on and on.” - You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, pg. 90
Some examples that I noticed in myself in 2018:
Recognizing the patterns of behaviour in people around me that enable my “woe is me” mentality.
Creating a self-fulfilling prophecy and living with the constraints of imposer syndrome that blocks potential positive outcomes.
Fear of failure is the root cause to my fear of success.
Reducing judgement of others who make “bad” decisions.
Talking myself into taking risks, but in reality I’m only inches outside of my comfort zone (so really, I didn’t do anything scary).
Rallying and complaining about injustice, but not standing up for what I believed in.
Negative self talk.
Do you see some of these behaviours in yourself?
#3 - Have two chequing accounts
When I had one chequing account, I frequently used money budgeted for bills towards impulse purchases.
A simple “oh, it’s okay, rent is due later, $50 isn’t too bad at the beginning of the month”.
Oh it was bad.
I found myself frantically panicking. Re-jigging my money in my accounts to cover upcoming bills.
The moment I opened a second chequing account changed my ENTIRE experience with money. One chequing account is my regular “do not touch/pay the bills” account, the other is my Tangerine “do whatever the EFF you want” account.
I’d leave the “do not touch” card at home. Simple and easy.
All my bills got paid on time and I didn’t have to re-jig my budget.
If you want to earn an easy $50, you can use my Orange Key (#335 251 07S1) and open your second chequing or savings account and depositing $100, check out Tangerine.ca today.
Jen Sincero didn’t instil this tip into me, but while reading the book I opened another bank account and I can openly attribute my better spending decisions to her.
“Most people stay in financial struggle not because they suck at what they do or don’t have any prospects, but because they don’t stretch their minds.” - You are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero, pg. 209
#4 - Yes, new friends.
Look around at the people you spend the most time with - in person and virtually. What are their goals? What do they complain about? What does their living situation look like? How do they treat others? Are they moving in a trajectory that is healthy and abundant?
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You Are The Average of the 5 People You Spend the Most Time With
What kind of time-management person are you? Busy or Productive?
I took a good look at some of my old friend circles and saw myself reflected in them. Over time, as I was figuring out my career, started travelling, trying new things, networking, changing my lifestyle, I noticed my friend circle transforming alongside me.
You don’t have to ditch your old friends, just make more friends.
Not only did my in-person, physical friend group change, but also the content I started consuming changed. In 2017 I started listening to a ton of podcasts, in 2018 I would wake up and watch a motivational video while eating breakfast. I tried to surround myself with people that I considered widly more successful. I needed to see that it was POSSIBLE and ACHIEVABLE. I needed to learn the steps toward how these folks “made it”.
I was 27 when I first started talking about investing (thanks to reading Unshakeable by Tony Robbins) and actually understood the terminology and lingo of investing. Previously, I couldn’t hold weight in a conversation about investing because I had NO IDEA how the industry worked. Now, I talk to my friends about investing. I have a general knowledge about the stock market and how trading works.
If I didn’t take the time to learn from people outside of my friend circle, I wouldn’t have this information, nor would I have a portfolio balance of $400+ in 6 months with investments in:
Government bonds
Low carbon global stocks
Socially responsible Canadian stocks
Global stocks
Cleantech stocks
This is the beginnings of my emergency fund. What are you saving for? How are you investing in yourself? How are you taking the time to build yourself a better future? For folks who are looking to begin their investment journey, check out Wealthsimple, I trust they will make my money work for me.
How I am different after reading the book?
I talk about and treat my money differently.
Instead of saying “I’m broke”, I say things like “It’s not in my budget right now” or “All of my spending money is gone”.
I don’t lend money that I can’t afford to lose. I would occasionally lend money and pull it out of my all-in-one account. But after creating two chequing accounts, I use my Tangerine “do whatever the EFF you want” account funds to help out a friend or family member. If there’s nothing in there, then I don’t have the money. Simple.
Comfort zones are destructive, but I love it in there (I shouldn’t though)
I’m not gonna lie. Comfort zones are called comfort zone for a reason. It’s like taking a blissful nap, wrapped up in a warm fuzzy blanket. Why would I ever want to leave? I see this limitation and coach myself out of it (or watch a video by Eric Thomas - he always pumps me up).
Victim mode gets me nowhere
When I am in crybaby mode, complaining about how I feel wronged by the world, and making ZERO changes, nothing happens. Nothing happens when I complain. Now, when I take a tiny step and complain while backing it with some action, then that’s the direction I need to go!
In the end, I’m punishing myself by not doing anything. I beat myself up for not doing anything, yet continue to do nothing, so the cycle is infinite. Do nothing. Cry about it. Hate myself for doing nothing. Continue to do nothing, and fall deeper into the pit of despair. Where does this lead me? Nowhere.
If you have a competitive personality, find peers whom you can compete with.
Deep down inside my heart, I am competitive. I like when I win, I love when my team wins, I love when people win. When I see folks in my circle rising in the ranks - getting better gigs, networking with cool new people, recieving accolades and awards, I cheer them on and I also say “I want that”. The people in my circle make me want to be a better person. I push myself because I see other people pushing themselves.
Recommendations:
How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Conquering Life by Lilly Singh
Upgrade: Taking Your Work and Life from Ordinary to Extraordinary
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