There are quite a few things standing in most people’s way, preventing them from becoming wealthy. Like the word “average”. People use that word to describe themselves and then wonder why they aren’t wealthy or living their best life.
Well, being wealthy isn’t considered average you might argue.
But shouldn’t it be?
And the same for being happy, healthy, and wise. Shouldn’t all those wonderful traits be a part of more people’s lives?
Yes, and they are all available in abundance.
The biggest hurdle people need to jump is accepting that being wealthy isn’t reserved for special last names or celebrities.
That you and I are not average. We’re quite extraordinary really. But our mindsets suffer from society’s indoctrinated definition of the word average.
A Cliche’ of a Dream
It’s funny how the cliche’ of the American Dream turned into the two-story home in the burbs with the white picket fence, 2.5 children (what is .5 a kid?) and a dog, two new cars in the driveway, and annual vacations.
And to get this life, you were gonna have to go to school, get good grades, get into an excellent college, and then climb the corporate ladder. This would involve late nights, overtime, and a long commute to the suburbs. Paying off student loans while putting basic needs on credit, because that ladder climbing thing takes a lifetime.
This is the story we are being told. People we trust…, teachers, parents, and all the other hard-working adults in our lives push and BELIEVE this message.
And many of the people following this plan, appeared to have it going on from an onlooker’s perspective. Fast forward a decade or two later and most ended in bankruptcy, divorce, or both. The quest to keep up with the Joneses sunk many families.
People trying so hard to desperately get away from average.
What Does Your Best Life Look Like?
But average has never been anything more than a mindset.
Einstein grew up poor. What most considered less than average. He grew up with many of his teachers believing he was mentally handicapped, far below the average intelligence of a student his age.
Average is a median, mode, or midpoint. It’s never been meant to describe the human condition.
You are not average. Neither am I.
My idea of an ideal life might not look anything like yours. There is no average when it comes to success, wealth, health, or wisdom.
Your best life is when each of your five walks of life are meeting or exceeding your own expectations or blueprint.
If you’re not there yet, it’s not because you are average. It’s because your mindset needs an upgrade.
Obstacles to Becoming Wealthy
Are you living someone else’s best life instead of your own? Remember that whole American Dream cliche’ I described? Are those things on your list?
Maybe some of them are, and some aren’t. If you are like me, you want way more than that. Not by way of material possessions mind you. I just have colossal size dreams of helping others and my bucket list for adventures is pretty dang long.
I have a free 5-Day assessment that is designed to answer this question for you fully. Are you really staying to your own true north and living life on your terms? I encourage you to take the assessment if you haven’t. If you do it from start to finish, it can be an eye-opening and awakening experience.
I created this goody after a weekend retreat with John C. Maxwell. I was brushing up on my leadership skills and he guided us through an amazing and transformative assessment of what our path to greatness really looked like.
You’re Only Focused on Wealth
Your best life should include a plan and a path for each area of your life. When we neglect certain areas of our lives, no amount of funds will fill the gap.
This is why some wealthy people still end up divorced, lonely, spiritually broken, or in poor health.
People often “chase” money. But when you get your mindset right and work on all the areas of your life in equal measures, the money will “flow” to you. Ooohhh. That mythical flow state people mention.
It’s not really woo-woo magic people. It’s physics. When you are forcing something, anything really, you are met with resistance.
This applies to both actions and thoughts. We often try to force things in one area or both. We have to learn to “allow” more, especially mentally.
You Don’t Believe In Yourself
Again, this boils down to mindset issues.
How often in this life have you caught yourself being jealous of someone else’s lifestyle or success. More often than you’d like to admit I’m sure.
When people don’t believe in themselves and start the comparison trap I see it usually go one of two ways:
They either put themselves down repeatedly and say that no matter what they try they just can’t seem to achieve xyz. They become the victim of all of their circumstances. They think other people are luckier, smarter, more talented, or have a leg up in life. This was me back in the day.
Or, they downplay or criticize others. They say it’s all a facade. That the other person’s life behind closed doors is probably really awful. Or that they had to work non-stop and sacrifice their family to get financially wealthy. Or maybe they starve themselves to look that good in their clothes, etc. I see this often on Instagram because people often only post their highlights in life leading others to question their non-stop goodness.
If you are someone who struggles with not feeling good enough or believing in yourself I really recommend the book You are a Badass by Jen Sincero. This book really delves into loving and lifting yourself.
You Fly By the Seat of Your Pants
As in, your routine (yes you have one) is not structured around living your best life. Going with the flow does not mean living an unstructured and unintentional life.
We are habitual creatures and even those people who think they are super spontaneous tend to follow a pretty predictable pattern after a while.
I talk about working while aligned and inspired as much as anyone. But this also means living with intention and putting effort toward things that will add to your overall success blueprint.
We have 5 main walks in this life. This article talks about how to add value to each of those.
It’s great to be flexible and spontaneous when the moment calls for it. But if you want real success in this life, you have to make decisions in your daily life (habits) that add to your best life. If not, you’ll find yourself wasting a lot of time on idle activities that don’t add value to any of the walks of your life.
You Don’t Read Non-Fiction
#sorrynotsorry
Reading is the one habit every single millionaire I have ever interviewed has in common.
And they are not reading Harry Potter, 50 Shades of Weirdness, or Dr. Seuss.
Wealthy people, like really wealthy people, read quality non-fiction often. They are constantly growing and learning and reaffirming their knowledge. Many self-development or improvement books contain some of the same information.
Do millionaires care? Nope. They keep reading. Seeing the same thing in multiple books only reaffirms their emotions, thoughts, habits, and results. And many times the new perspective of a different author can highlight something you may have missed before.
When it comes to wealth, many people think they need to read books about becoming wealthy or books specifically about money. More often than not, they need to read more books about mindset and training their thoughts to support a wealthy lifestyle so that when they do attract wealthy, they don’t sabotage themselves and lose it all again. (I did this not once, but twice before figuring this out!)
You Don’t Invest In Yourself
This one kind of ties back into the “believing in yourself” one but goes a little deeper.
Investing in yourself can mean many things. It could be spending more time exercising, meditating, praying, sleeping, or relaxing. It could be planning out your meals, scheduling time with friends, taking a new class, or splurging on your bucket list adventures.
Most people jump straight to the money side of investing, which is usually followed by a chorus of excuses.
If you “can’t” afford a weekend retreat, couldn’t you still go get a book on the same subject and brush up on those skills?
If you “can’t” find the time for a 6-month mastermind, could you go to the weekend retreat?
Wealthy people find the TIME and the FUNDS to invest in themselves. They believe in themselves and take the chance that their investments will pay off. The word “can’t” isn’t in their vocab.
If you find yourself questioning or doubting if a program, coach, mentor, or other investment is worth the time or money, it’s possible that the program truly isn’t right for you, or that you are playing small because your mindset is limiting your growth. Know the difference.
Wealth Isn’t All About the Money
Remember that increasing you wealth is actually a very good thing.
Some people feel a lot of guilt around wanting or creating more money in their lives but it’s not something to feel shame around so long as you increase it without forfeiting your wellness in other areas. Money is a resource.
Having more funds allows you to buy better quality food and invest in trainers or equipment improving your health.
Having extra funds allows you to donate and help out when you feel like it, improving your emotional well-being.
For those who tithe, earning more allows you to do so without feeling strapped or resentful of giving 10% and with tithing, intention truly matters. It also opens up options for donating in other areas of interest.
Earning more allows you to vacation more, take more time off, and spend more time with those you love improving your social and emotional well-being. And this really is key. Don’t earn more at the expense of endless overtime and ditching your family and hobbies. If that is required, you’re doing it wrong.
And earning more clearly improves your finances, which can make life a lot less stressful!
So get after your habits and routines, invest in yourself, read more, and get your mindset lined up with your resolutions!
xoxo-Deanna