Choices

Another revelation from the Millionaire Mind Intensive was the concept that we always have a choice. Most of the time our excuses that we can’t are just a choice that we won’t.

My biggest can’t thoughts usually show up when mountain biking. I’ll look at some scary chute or drop and decide that I can’t. But in reality, I’ve usually often nailed something similar — or scarier.

But the last time I rode, I actually found myself just saying I won’t do that (today), rather than I can’t. And that thought pattern translates to the rest of my life too — including my attitudes about success and money. Something happens in the Millionaire Mind Intensive if you really participate at 100%. You actually destroy negative thought patterns in a way that would probably never happen just reading about it — even in the bible of Peak Potentials Training, T. Harv Eker’s Secrets of the Millionaire Mind.

So just do it.

Reasons? Or results?

I definitely thought I wasn\’t one to make excuses. And in most cases, I\’m not. But when it comes to money and financial freedom, I had an excuse that was so sneaky that even I wasn\’t aware I was using it. When we explored our money myths, I discovered that perhaps my obsession about what other people think of me — that has stopped me from pushing myself in front of other people on the mountain and perhaps crashing in front of way too many people — might be my \”reason\” that was stopping me from financial freedom too. \”What if\” I tried a new business tactic that might fail — and didn\’t succeed? Oh no! I would look like an idiot! But \”what if\” I succeeded and not only looked like a rockstar professionally, but actually made bank and finally had the funds to follow every fabulous opportunity that showed up on my doorstep? The lesson of the day? There are reasons. Or results. You can\’t have both. Don\’t stop success with excuses.

Money personalities

Money personalities dictate how we interact with money. Spenders, savers, avoiders and monks are the options. Last week at the seminar, I actually chose avoider as my type because I have always procrastinated when forced to deal with financials and budgeting and forecasting. But when I discovered that other avoiders feared money — and that spenders are the ones who equate money to fun, I had second thoughts 😉

Each type has its pluses and minuses. My avoider peeps noted that avoidance resulted in less stress — at least for the short term. Spenders have more fun. Only to face negative balances on Monday morning.

The c-word

One of the other things I learned last weekend is that it takes a herculean effort to get anyone – ourselves especially included – out of his or her respective comfort zone.

Two days later, when I was mountain biking, I told my husband that I wasn\’t \”comfortable\” railing at breakneck speed around berms. Ack! The c-word. I decided then and there that I was deleting the word comfortable from my vocabulary, as it\’s obvious one of my usual excuses for not showing up and giving 100%!

Attitudes affect every aspect of our lives, from money to relationships. But often, we\’re completely clueless about their impact until something or someone wakes us up!

Now it makes sense!

I\’m one of those people who has always hated financials. It\’s not that I can\’t do them – math wasn\’t an especially difficult subject for me. But I haven\’t wanted to deal with them. Even though I knew it would help my business (and since I am a solo entrepreneur, if I\’m not dealing with something, no one is).

Money was something I wanted. But it seemed like too much work.

But that\’s not to say that I didn\’t keep looking for answers. In December, I decided to show up at
MoneyTalk: For People Who Hate To Talk About Money, an evening set aside to talk about topics that should be obvious from the name.

One of the other people there, Charlie Czech, mentioned Peak Potentials. And how it had changed his life. Here was someone else who apparently hated to talk about money who had devoted three days to developing his Millionaire Mind at a seminar created by that company. I was, needless to say, intrigued.

That night I headed home and Googled Peak Potentials. And discovered that there was a Millionaire Mind Evening introduction to the company\’s seminars in just a few months in Vancouver. I am always looking for excuses to go to Vancouver. So I signed up.

A few months later, I learned the company was having their Millionaire Mind Intensive, a three-day exploration of people\’s \”money blueprints,\” here in Seattle, my hometown. And all that was necessary to get a free pass to the seminar was to buy the book Secrets of the Millionaire Mind – selling for a mere $14.93 at Amazon.

Two more months passed and it was finally time to start the 3-day, 38-hour adventure.

What did I learn? That things that seemed completely unrelated to money were at the core of my struggles with the almighty dollar. And that money = fun! I learned about more-serious topics, including how to budget without even thinking about it – the other highlight of the weekend. But when our trainer Doug Nelson framed financial freedom as the crucial component of structuring our lives however we want, suddenly money was a fascinating topic. By achieving financial freedom – where work is an option, not a necessity – I would be free to play. Yes, play! Perhaps one of the most important words in my Sagittarian world view. In my universe, snowboarding trumps almost anything – except one of my really fun photo shoots, perhaps. (That describes most of them). What if I could travel the world, capturing award-winning, money-making images, meeting fabulous friends and business associates, snowboarding all the time, and not worry about money? This may make zero sense to those of you with your collective noses to the grindstone. But I know the idea resonates with some of you!

I recommend the Millionaire Mind Intensive to anyone, even if you think you don\’t have money issues. You might be surprised at what you learn. And check out the other courses too – I am attending the Guerrilla Business School next spring and hope to get into one of this summer\’s currently-sold-out Enlightened Warrior Camps in gorgeous Squamish, BC.