How To Change Your Financial Scenario

2024 Author: Harry Day | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:43

Today they turn to a psychologist not only to understand themselves or improve relationships, but also to change their financial scenario.

A financial or monetary scenario is an unconscious pattern of attitudes toward money and financial behavior.

You've probably noticed that the thinking of a wealthy person is very different from that of a poor person. Many articles, books have been written on this topic, and many video tutorials have been filmed. However, this theoretical material does not work for everyone. The reason for this is an unconscious monetary scenario. And working with him, you can significantly improve your financial situation. Here I will try to provide knowledge and schemes that you can practice on your own to work with your financial scenario.

You should start working with what is available to awareness here and now, namely, from your financial habits. Like any other, financial habits can be good and bad. For useful purposes, I include maintaining a personal and (not) family budget, valuing savings, the adequacy of expenses to the current standard of living. To the harmful ones - the stable position of the debtor, inadequate expenses, thoughtless investments, the purchase of low-quality things. With useful ones, everything is clear: maintaining a budget allows you to control finances; buying stable currencies makes large expenses independent of the exchange rate of these currencies; the adequacy of the costs allows you not to spend more or less than expected. But bad habits are more difficult. For many, they are the norm of life, and it will not be easy to refuse them or at least realize their harm.

Take debt, for example. I often hear an excuse from clients-debtors: "But the whole world lives in debt, in the United States everyone has everything on credit - and nothing, they are alive." It is, of course, so, only the developed USA and Ukraine - these are two big economic differences. Their economies are capable of withstanding crises, and banks, for the most part, regularly fulfill their part of the contract. And even with their relative stability, it is not easy for debtors to live. After all, for non-payment of the loan, they will be deprived of their property without further ado.

If we talk about small debts (for example, a few hundred dollars from a friend and a constant small debt on a credit card), this is harmful to the formation of the debtor's psychology. The debtor's psychology is a way of thinking in which a person's debt becomes a comfort zone, and his expenses are initially focused on the formation of new debt. A kind of perverted form of feeling of omnipotence - "I can afford it in debt: one more, one less." This means that a person runs the risk of "overgrowing" with so many small debts that together they will add up to one large, inaccessible payment. In addition, there is a very real risk of losing most of your friends due to debt.

It's easier with inadequate spending. Usually, this bad financial habit is expressed in the choice of household expenses that are not on your financial level. And it's not about a high-quality business suit, which everyone should have. And in unjustifiably expensive coffee at every break, simply because everyone drinks it. Or on daily taxi trips with a small current income. Sound familiar? Most often, this habit is reinforced by a desire to match colleagues, friends, or your fantasies about the desired level of life. It is important not to confuse the pursuit of a better standard of living with spending that does not correspond to the real financial picture.

Another habit is very close in terms of harmfulness - to purchase low-quality goods in an effort to save money. Remember the old adage, "I'm not rich enough to buy cheap stuff"? The obvious meaning of this phrase is that a cheap and low-quality item will soon fail. Therefore, it is worth establishing a rule: important things should be of high quality and at the same time reasonable prices. Not cheap. If this is a technique, weekend clothes or cosmetics, for example, it is better to overpay than to take something that will quickly break down or cause harm to health. There is no need to buy luxury brands either.

The next important point is financial traps. They are inevitable, but, in my opinion, some are still worth being aware of and avoiding. For example, investing in dubious projects (about which you can not get any forecasts, no specific deadlines, no detailed information), the promise of easy and quick earnings (yes, people still fall for it), scam schemes (pseudo-collectors, "send SMS to a short number ", etc.). In order not to fall into such a trap, follow three simple rules: check with an official source, check information about the investment object, do not believe in easy money.

So a financial scenario is an unconscious program of financial behavior. Unconscious because it was acquired from a very early age in the process of observing the financial behavior of loved ones.

For example, when you went to kindergarten, you were taught to share every apple and even your favorite toys. On the one hand, this is correct. But on the other hand, you were left with a stable feeling that your things did not belong to you. Moreover, you have been instilled with shame for defending property rights. In an even more sad case, they said: "But Petya has nothing at all," and you, in addition to resentment, shame and anger, also felt guilt, to which you only reacted. If your ownership was respected, you just grew up to be a well-mannered person. But if not, you run the risk of inheriting the habit of saving up completely unnecessary things. Just because from childhood they learned to collect, just in case, they will suddenly take away. And if suddenly you allow yourself more, you feel a whole range of unpleasant feelings.

Later, as you became more critical and conscious about reality, you began to internalize the attitude towards money of your loved ones. For example, my father kept saying that "everything we have is the result of my super-hard work," and my mother spent money left and right. The hero of such a situation can play the learned scenario in several ways: the first is to become a workaholic, ruin his health and at the same time not keep the earnings to himself; the second is to sit on the neck of a workaholic and spend his money; the third is to work a lot and hard to the detriment of oneself and at the same time spend inadequate earnings, incurring debts.

The script is strengthened in the psyche not only at the family level, but also at the cultural level. Almost the entire history of our people are "lords", and the people themselves bend their backs for a penny. If a representative of the people has something more, it will either be taken away from him (smoking and hunger), or made common (collective farms), or they will envy and scratch the car with a key. Hence the corresponding cultural scenario: to be rich is a shame, to make good is in vain, to share is a pity. Plus, a genetically programmed fear of starting a business, because they can take away, spoil or shame.

Sometimes the script can play into the hands. People with analytical minds and leadership skills, even in an unfavorable environment, can develop the potential for wealth. That is to say, not thanks to, but in spite of. For example, a boy from an orphanage, accustomed to defend his own and who knows a lot about saving and accumulating money. Such a boy can become a successful and well-to-do entrepreneur in the future. Because from childhood - for himself and against everyone. However, this, alas, is not his conscious choice, but the so-called. anti-scenario - "whatever you like, just not like that."

Both scenario and anti-scenario are unconscious processes. Either thanks or in spite of. And none of them are healthy, because they leave no choice or options. What can you do to bring more awareness into your financial life? When you have fixed your typical financial habits and traps, you will have to pull yourself together and stop - borrowing, making expensive purchases, taking a taxi (if you cannot afford it). Then a healthy distrust of easy success patterns should be developed. And your next step will be to work with the learned financial scenario. It is more effective to do this in a psychologist's office (the scenario model itself is taken from transactional analysis, therefore it makes sense to look for a psychologist in this method).

But there is a way that is available to you right now. Take a piece of paper and divide it into three columns. In the first, write down attitudes about things and money that you can track. You can recognize them by the characteristic feeling of "must" and "must not", without a rational understanding of why this is so. For example, "it is bad to be rich", "you only need to earn money for living", "take it while you give it", etc.

In the second column, write down the actions you usually take to follow the guidelines (don't tell your mom about a new car, don't buy new things, save up unnecessary things). In the third column, write down your own experience and related feelings (ashamed when you have more than others; scared that they will take away). Then analyze which ones really suit you and which ones seem out of place and unnecessary. The excess can be written out separately and similarly divided into three columns, only in the first there will be a new setting: "I can afford more", "I can always get what I need exactly when I need it", "I can be proud their achievements ". The second correct column will go to new mechanisms of behavior. For example, saving 10% of your paycheck for next summer vacation. Or share with loved ones the joy of your achievements. The third column will focus on pleasant emotions associated with new behaviors.

In order for new strategies to strengthen better and work more efficiently, it makes sense to read materials on financial literacy, attend trainings and, if necessary, consult psychologists.

The psychology of a wealthy person assumes the confidence that the world is full of opportunities for earning money, and you just need to find your niche. It is very important that you do not limit your potential with false beliefs about your age, your place in the world, or your abilities. At any time, each of you can change your life. Not immediately, not simply, and not by myself. But it certainly can. It doesn't matter what country you live in, what family, if you have the desire and readiness to develop, study and advance in various fields.

Self-discipline, self-esteem, and continuous development are your natural companions on the path to a new financial program.