This is another obstacle that is so common it’s almost a cliché. For many of my clients, it’s their go to obstacle – the first thing that gets in the way of anything and everything they want. So because they need the money and they don’t have it, that’s the end of their dreams. Only it’s not – there’s always a way forward from this obstacle. So if you find that lack of money is an obstacle for you, don’t panic, because it’s easier than you think to get over this obstacle.
If what you need is money, you can make money. You probably have been for years, in many different ways. You have probably found money at some point in your life. You have probably been given money at some stage. Unfortunately, you’ve also probably had experience of money being scarce, which makes people fear money and think it’s really hard to get. I understand that – I’ve been there myself. I’ve had to train myself to be creative when I come up against the obstacle of no money.
The first thing to do when you are stuck on the no money obstacle is to get clear on exactly how much you need. I’ve lost count of the number of times a client has said “I don’t have the money” and when asked how much they need, they don’t know. If you don’t know how much something actually costs, how can you know you don’t have that amount?
Once you find out how much you need, start saving it now. Even if you think it will take you 5 years to save enough, start saving now. Savings magically attract other savings (but if they don’t seem to straight away, don’t worry about it – just keep saving anyway). One of my clients needed to save £1000 but could only save £5 a week…but she kept saving, and soon found she could put more aside. Not only that, but she got what she needed for less than she expected to pay. It’s magical when you commit to saving for something.
You may also find that the “money” obstacle is a smoke-screen for the real problem. For example, I wanted some work doing – I didn’t think I had enough money but when I investigated how much it would cost, it turned out I had the money. But then I found myself resisting delegating the task, because I’m a control freak. I’m working on that!
Clients often find if they had the money, there’d be something else getting in the way. So check…what might money be a smokescreen for? If you had the money, would you go ahead and do whatever it is you want to do? Or is there something else that might get in the way? It’s worth diving deep on this; you don’t want to spend 6 years saving the money for something only to find you don’t want it after all.
Once you’re sure it’s the right thing for you, and you’re committed to saving for it, check your facts. Do you really need that much? Can you bootstrap it? Can you do it a different way? If you want to go to Necker Island (and you don’t have a spare £280,000), can you go to another Caribbean island for a fraction of the cost? Or meet other businessmen in your area for the cost of a networking meeting?
Get your creative hat on. What do you really want and how can you achieve the same end in a different way for less money? For example: couch-surf to travel the world, create a free website instead of getting a fancy-schmancy one, or shop around. Find more cost-effective ways to do the same things (or similar enough), bring back bartering and trade your skills for other skills (or for some cash to go towards what you want).
On that very subject, it’s time to break the belief that money is impossible to get. Make a list of 50 things you could do to make money – be creative, have fun with it, and write down all your ideas; even if you know you won’t do them, they’ll only make pence, or you think they’re silly. Every time I do this exercise, I put “drive a taxi”…something I have no intention of doing, but the idea is always there.
This is a fun exercise to do once in a while even when you aren’t trying to save for something specific; it helps you to realise that money is easier to get, and you have more options than you think. One of my clients sold all the junk from her attic and raised enough for a holiday, a VIP session with me, and a deposit on a new car.
There are literally thousands of ways to legitimately get your hands on money. Once you have made your list, do one of those things. Even if it’s a miniscule amount towards what you need, income attracts more income and entrepreneurial thoughts attract other entrepreneurial thoughts.
Money is eminently gettable. You just have to be creative, open to receiving and relaxed about it – if you’re stressed and grasping, money runs like water through your fingers. The more you play with it, have fun with it, be inventive, and stay unattached, the easier it is to get money. Being unattached simply means that if it works, great; if not, you tried, and you learned something. It’s all good. When it comes to money, the more relaxed you can be about it, the better.
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