How you think about money affects sales, salary, spending, and everything in between. It’s super important to understand your relationship with money — and to dig a bit deeper. 

You may have heard scarcity or abundance mindsets, and not been sure which one you have. Or you may assume you have an abundant mindset when that’s not necessarily true. That can keep you stuck.

So I’m going to ask you to dig a bit deeper into what money means to you in this blog, so you can shift yourself to more success in life and business.

If you’d like to watch me talk about money mindset, click here. If you’d like to listen to this episode of Female emPOWERED, click here.

Money mindset mistakes I’ve seen entrepreneurs make

I get a lot of questions about what to charge, how to raise rates, and so on. It’s a normal thing to ask when you’re trying to grow or start your healthcare or wellness business. While that’s important, I also think it’s important to talk about our mindset about money.

You can have the highest rates in the world and still feel like you’re not making enough money. You could have the most reasonable rates in the world and spend like you’ve won the lottery. Our rates are important, but our relationship to the money we make and spend is important, too.

This is where I see entrepreneurs making three mistakes:

They just think about the things they want

When most entrepreneurs think about money, they start from what they want. They think about “I want to be a 6-figure business,” or “I want to open multiple locations.” But they’re not actually working like a 6-figure business or a business with multiple locations. They’re simply working like they always have, and using mantras or trying to “manifest” with their thoughts.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Mantras and manifesting thoughts can help get you pumped up to do the work. But manifestations and mantras don’t just give you money. We have to be really clear on what we want and then move toward them.

We also have to stop thinking about what we want, and start thinking about how we can really serve people in return for the money and success we’re capable of. We have to show up, be excited, and be willing to serve.

There’s another side to just “thinking” about money. It turns out, we have to ask for what we want! If we’re uncomfortable talking about money or asking for the sale, we’re making customers uncomfortable. That’s why it’s crucial that we have that relationship so we make more with it.

They’re operating from a place of lack

Many of us are operating from a place of lack. We were raised to believe that money is finite and there’s only a certain amount of it. I personally was raised that way myself, and it took some time to realize that was affecting my relationship with money and therefore the growth of my business.

We find ourselves thinking, “I need $10,000 more per month,” or “I need more clients to get my PT’s schedule full so I can afford their salary.” Those are practical goals, sure, but they’re also focused on what we don’t have.

Instead, boost your money mindset a bit by thinking about what you DO have. “I do have $9,000 per month,” or “I have my other PT’s schedule full.” Focus on what’s going well, rather than obsessing on the money or success you don’t have. 

Most importantly, think about what is going well in your business, and show up for it. Have 10 amazing clients? Let them know. Serve them to the best of your ability. They’ll tell their friends, and your money will grow.

They don’t spend on themselves

One last thing I’ve noticed: Business owners and healthcare pros say they want to grow their business, but don’t practice what they preach. They’re not willing to invest in the things that are going to level up their game, but still expect their clients/customers to invest in them. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last decade, it’s that if we start learning to invest in ourselves, the money will turn around and flow back to us. You start to accept that there’s “more of that” coming back to you. Because, when your clients aren’t willing to spend $100 on a session, but you’re also not willing to spend that on something you need, there’s a place of tension. You need to express that you know money will come back to you.

It’s not an easy ask, but it’s so worth it.

A challenge for you

With all of this in mind, I challenge you to do something this day, week, or month to shift your mindset from a place of lack to a place of abundance. Celebrate yourself. Treat yourself to something you deserve. I challenge you to find a way, over the next month at least, to shift your mindset to more abundance. Give yourself the chance to accept the idea that money will return to you.

If you DO take part in this, I’d love it if you used the hashtag #AbundanceChallenge and tag me on Instagram @christagurka to share your experience.

Remember: You can’t receive with a closed fist. The more we unpack about our own relationship with money, the more money will flow back to us.