When we’re pursuing financial success, often a new level comes with a new mindset devil. We’d like to think once we’re earning six-figures, it’s because we’ve conquered all of our money mindset demons. But I have found that’s rarely the case!
When we ascend to new financial levels, encountering unfamiliar money situations, we frequently discover new mindset devils we didn’t even know existed. This happened to me almost a year ago when I went to test drive my Alfa Romeo.
New Level, New Mindset Devil
A picture of the Giulia hung on my vision board for seven months, so I felt pumped and ready to make it mine. Plus, I had 100% of the cash I needed pay for the car in full.
When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that the Alfa Romeo and the Maserati dealerships were combined. For some reason, seeing the Maserati logo on the building intimidated me! I pulled around to the side of the building and into a parking spot.
As I put my Hyundai Sonata in park, I heard a stern voice in my head say, “What are you doing here? You don’t belong here.” My blood iced over.
Me: “What?”
Voice in my head: “You heard me. You don’t belong here.”
Me: “Um, yes, I do. I have cash to buy the Alfa Romeo right now.”
Voice in my head: “People like you don’t drive cars like that! Look, there’s an exit on the side of parking lot over here. Just sneak out and no one will know you even came.”
Me: (Considers leaving for a minute.) “No, I’m going walk in there and ask to drive the Giulia.”
Voice in my head: “You don’t belong here! You’re going to embarrass yourself. You should just buy a new Hyundai; that’s more your style.”
Me: “I’m doing it anyways.”
Defeating the Devil
The walk from my car to the front door of the dealership felt like a mile. All the Maseratis I passed seemed to stare at me with judgment in their headlight eyes. “See, I told you that you don’t belong here,” the voice in my head whispered. As I walked, I silently repeated my mantra: “I belong here! I’m a wealthy woman who pays cash for her Alfa Romeo!”
I knew that if I chickened out, not only would I be disappointed in myself, but I wouldn’t be leading by example for my clients. Once I entered the dealership and met Brandon from the Alfa customer experience team, my anxiety melted and excitement bubbled up in its place. I test drove the Giulia and came back the next day to pay cash and drove it home.
Examining the Root
In the days that followed, I thought about that stern negative voice in my head. Where did it come from? I’m not 100% sure, but I have some suspicions. Growing up, my family landed solidly in the middle class. No one I knew drove luxury cars, and certainly not Italian sports cars like Alfa Romeos or Maseratis! Everyone in our neighborhood owned Fords, Chevys, and Toyotas.
There could have a been a conversation in my youth, when perhaps I asked one of my parents about a shiny sports car, and the response was, “People like us don’t drive cars like that.”
I also found it interesting that the Maserati logo and cars seemed to trigger the new mindset devil, not the Alfa Romeo. That’s probably because I already familiarized myself thoroughly with the Giulia by having it on my vision board, visiting the Alfa website on a regular basis, and imagining myself driving the car. I had conditioned my unconscious mind to accept the fact that I belong in an Alfa Romeo. If the dealership hadn’t been combined with Maserati, would the stern voice still have made an appearance? Who knows?
One thing I am sure of: this won’t be the last new mindset devil that tries to spook me as I continue climbing the ladder of wealth. And you can expect to encounter them too, as you reach new levels of financial success.
Your Mindset Battle Plan
Here are some tips to flick that mindset devil off of your shoulder when he decided to materialize.
- Notice exactly what the negative voice in your head says. Does it sound like something one of your parents used to say?
- Ask yourself, “Is this true?”
- Pay attention to how you feel in your body. Frequently, fear and excitement feel the same in our body (racing heart, sweaty palms), it’s just the thoughts that are different.
- Take a few deep breaths.
- Reframe anxiety as excitement. Tell yourself, “I feel this way because I’m excited!”
- Give yourself a pep talk to counteract the negative voice in your head.
- After the situation has passed, see if you can identify where that mindset devil originated.
You might be pleased to know that I now have a Maserati on my Financial Vision Board! I will own the thing that once intimidated me. (But for now, I am thoroughly enjoying my Alfa Romeo.)
P.S. Want a Magnetic Money Mindset™? Here’s the proven system for success I use with all of my clients.