As a certified money coach, I know that many people use money unconsciously as a compensation strategy to fill some void in their experience. When we can make spending money conscious, we can begin to fill those voids with what really fits… and use our money more wisely. Here’s a starting point.
Achieving financial freedom requires taking responsibility for habitual patterns that may be leading you astray.
One habitual pattern that gets in the way of financial freedom is when you use unconscious spending as a compensation strategy instead of acknowledging and pursuing what it is you really want and need.
This compensation strategy is not only unwise. It also doesn’t work! If it’s love you want, a new pair of shoes might make you feel loved for a brief time, or at least it might make you forget about wanting love. But when the novelty wears off, you’re still left wanting love. The shoes didn’t actually fill the void permanently. They just diverted your attention for a bit.
If you can relate, here’s a big piece of your financial freedom formula:
Be bold enough to take inventory of what it is you desire in your life.
And then acknowledge that you deserve to have whatever that is. What you don’t deserve is some cheap substitute that temporarily relieves the ache for your real desire. And that is the danger of using money as a means of fulfilling your needs. It keeps you from going after your true heart’s desire.
This is about healing yourself and your relationship with money.
When you notice you are using spending money as a means to fulfill a void, stop and ask yourself what it is you REALLY WANT and do something that helps you move closer to getting it. If it helps, act as if you are a loving, wise friend who is concerned about your wellbeing. What would their advice be?
And if you don’t know what it is you really want, acknowledge that you are spending money as a compensation strategy, and use it as an opportunity to discover what you really want. Then start to devise a new, more effective plan for fulfilling your needs and give yourself permission to carry it out. Practicing this will help you achieve greater satisfaction in your life while also helping you build a healthier relationship with money.