April is probably my favorite month of the year. There is something really fresh, exciting, and rejuvenating about spring. It is also the time where we instinctively want to clean and declutter.
Decluttering your money beliefs is one of the most powerful things you can do to bring more abundance and joy around money into your life. When you clean out the old, you make space for the new. Money decluttering might look like clearing out old clients that are no longer a good fit, letting go of old money stories and beliefs, or physically cleaning out your purse and wallet. The trick with decluttering is to be deliberate about what you want to keep.
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Sometimes we outgrow things that once worked for us. The act of decluttering allows us the opportunity to assess and make choices about what is working and what is not. What we want to keep, and what we want to release.
One of the best places to start with decluttering old money beliefs is to take a look at your money story.
Every single one of us has a money story. You may not be aware of the beliefs you have about money if you’ve never examined them. But trust me, they are there.
As a bookkeeper I have the honor and privilege of seeing hundreds of people and their intimate relationships with money. Because I am their bookkeeper, I see not only their relationship with money, but how that relationship correlates to what is or is not in their bank accounts.
What I have discovered is that uncovering your money story is a critical piece of understanding WHY and HOW you interact with money. If there is part of your money story that isn’t true, or no longer serves you, it is time to declutter that belief and let it go.
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Your money story is a moving force in your life
Your money stories are important – they shape who you are and your beliefs about money. They are formed by your family, your culture and your earliest interactions with money.
Both of my parents were entrepreneurs and I learned at a very young age about working really hard. The last “real” job I had before I started my business, I was running an event center that was operated by a non-profit. And no surprise – I worked really hard, just as I had learned from my parents. This story about working really hard followed me my entire life and it wasn’t until I decided to declutter this belief that I was able to truly find abundance and joy in my relationship with money.
So, what’s YOUR money story?
Your story might be similar to mine, (the belief you have to work really hard is very common), or it might be something else. Examples of money stories include:
● I’m not good with money
● I have to work really hard to earn money
● I just want to help people
● As a healer, I shouldn’t charge for my services (or replace with another profession)
● As an artist, I am destined to be poor (or replace with another profession that has a stereotype of not making money)
● I should keep my prices low to make them more accessible to people
● I don’t deserve to have money
● I’m not worthy of having money
● Having lots of money is greedy
● I can’t be trusted with money or I’m irresponsible with money
● I can’t trust anyone else with money
Keep in mind there are LOTS of different money stories. These examples just scratch the surface of some common ones. Many times, you might have several stories that are influencing you.
So, where do you begin to figure out what your money story might, be and what needs to be decluttered? Exploring and uncovering your own money story can be painful, delightful, triggering, and empowering all at the same time. Remember, this is deep soul work.
The first step to discover your money story is to do a brain dump of all of your money memories. Sit down with a blank piece of paper and start listing every single memory you have around money. It might be:
● the first time you talked about money with your family
● things you heard as a child
● a time when you didn’t get what you wanted
● an experience of wild success
● it can be something that happened decades ago, or just last week
Don’t judge what comes up—let it all flow.
Once you have everything on the page, look through your list for patterns.
● Are there certain feelings or reactions to money that keep coming up, or situations that keep repeating themselves?
● Is there a story you have been telling yourself about your money that isn’t true?
● Is there a belief around money that no longer serves you or maybe isn’t even yours?
Write it all down.
It is likely you will have LOTS of things come up, and that is totally ok. Pick just one money belief or story you would like to declutter.
Once you have the belief you are going to focus on decluttering, notice when it comes up and replace it with something new. This could be in the form of a mantra, or simply being more intentional about the way you react to a specific situation.
Be gentle on yourself and keep in mind – exploring your money story is life-long work. As you start to peel back the layers, more stories will rise to the surface. With practice you can easily recognize when a belief or a story that no longer serves you is present, and it will be easier to rewrite that story.
Exploring your money stories and decluttering old money beliefs opens the space for new, more empowering beliefs and stories to be present in your life.
If you are ready to do some spring cleaning and declutter old money beliefs in your life, I am offering my 21-Day Money Cleanse starting April 12, just in time to do some spring cleaning. You can find more information and sign up on my website.
Carolynn Bottino is an author, speaker, and founder of the Money Empowerment Project®. Her international best-selling book of The Land of Plenty: A Soulpreneur’s Guide to Finding Joy, Possibility and Abundance through Money Empowerment was featured on the Spirited Woman’s top 12 book pick list for 2020.
After empowering more than 100 clients in her bookkeeping business, she discovered her passion helping soulpreneurs find joy around their money. Carolynn approaches money from a practical and holistic standpoint, with no judgement, helping you find abundance and transform your relationship with money.
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