Budget Not Working? This Might Be The Hidden Culprit
Does this sound familiar?
The reason your budget might not be working, and it has nothing to do with money.
You give up on trying to stick to your budget or manage your money because you just don’t have any willpower.
You get sad and then all of a sudden find yourself in Bed Bath & Beyond convinced that you really do need to buy those $200 pillows because…#selfcare.
So you buy them, and you feel really great in the parking lot but on the way home you experience some guilt creeping in because…well, you don’t really have $200 to spend and …well, actually…you have no idea how much you have to spend.
So when you get home you decide, OKAY – I HAVE TO DO MY BUDGET.
The week is going great and you’ve been sticking to your budget. During lunch you see on Instagram that your friend from high school is on an amazing beach vacation and suddenly you feel a pang of jealousy and before you know it, instead of finishing the lunch you brought, you’re sucking down a venti, mocha frappucino on your lunch break in Target as you buy $100 worth of clothes.
And the cycle continues.
What if I told you that it has nothing to do with your willpower or your budget and everything to do with telling your brain to eff off!?
Woah Bri!
I know…it’s getting hot in here.
Let me break this down for you:
You decide to create a budget – awesome.
That means you are taking actions that are most likely different than your current behaviors. This also means that your thoughts are different. - Yup, that makes sense.
And then all of a sudden, you start to feel some emotions and thoughts creep in that are all consuming. “This will make you feel better” “ You already went over your food budget sooooo…”
Stop right here.
This is where it goes wrong.
Your thoughts and emotions around your money, are habits.
Yes, friend.
And your brain is trying to keep you efficient – ie…on the easy train. So when you challenge your normal thoughts and behaviors, your brain is like, “Hold up sister…uh…this feels hard. I think we just need to do what we’ve always done.”
That’s the flood of doubt, emotions and temptation.
It’s your brain, not your willpower friend.
How do you overcome it? Telling your brain to eff off and it looks like this:
“Thanks brain, but I’m in control. I know what I’m doing.”
Just like that.
Bri…that sounds weird.
Of course it does, and also…have we met? I’m the queen of taking the unconventional route.
The first step to creating new habits and behaviors is recognizing the triggers and where our brain will try to take over.
Try this for a week and let me know how it goes. You’re gonna be shocked…in the best way possible.
Livin’ & Lovin’
B
