What would you do with an extra $4000? That is the amount of money one of my clients discovered they could recover yearly when they added up how much they were spending on dining out at restaurants for lunch and dinner daily. This shows that sometimes what we think we need or don’t have might already be available to us. I love to invite my clients and challenge myself to think in this way when it comes to anything that can be measured with numbers. This includes time and money in particular. While doing a similar exercise, another client made an equally powerful discovery. She had gone for a year without transportation because she believed that she couldn’t afford the cost of the repairs for her car. When she calculated the amount that she’d spent on Uber, Lyft, and rental cars, she could have easily repaired her existing car or put a down payment on a new car. These examples made me wonder, are all of our challenges as real as they feel? What if we could minimize the mental magnitude by using math and metrics to measure them so that we can manage them? Here are a few strategies to support us as we use metrics to shift our limiting beliefs and mindsets.
Break It Down. When a task or problem seems insurmountable and overwhelming, break it all the way down to its smallest parts. I like to use a method called Post It Planning where I write everything down on separate sticky notes and sort them in order of priority, or into categories. What must be done right now? What can wait? What is the first step? What can be delegated? Add it Up. When I was in school, I was never convinced that I would have a use for math skills in real life for anything other than calculating money. Who knew that it could be such a powerful self-awareness tool that could lead to massive mindset shifts? One day I decided to add up how much I had been spending on food delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats. I was shocked when I realized that the monthly total was equivalent to a reasonable mortgage or rent payment, or a monthly car note on a very fancy vehicle. Needless to say, I changed that habit quickly by exchanging ordering for grocery shopping. Pay Attention. Write an exhaustive list of your monthly spending, or track how you’ve been spending your time. First, look for anything that you can eliminate. For example, I was paying for Hulu, but as a Sprint customer, a subscription is actually available to me for free. Next, determine which expenditures are a want by writing a ‘W’ next to them, and which are a necessity by writing an ‘N’ next to them. If you are analyzing your time, write a ‘T’ for traction when it comes to things that move the needle toward your goals, and a ‘D’ for distraction next to the things you could do without. Examine this data and adjust accordingly. Thankfully, technology does a lot of this for us automatically with the screen time feature on our smartphones or the budget features in our banking apps. This week I challenge you to examine the metrics in your life. Being present to these indicators will lead to increased self-awareness and massive mindset shifts. Remember, if you can measure it, you can manage it. Manifestation Affirmations I am present and aware of that which is in my care. I manage my money mindfully. I am reimagining and repurposing my time.
Master Your Mindset to Manifest a Life You Love. Most Sincerely, Monica Marie Jones Your Soul Journey Guide
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