Advice to My Younger Self:
Unlock Your Money Mindset
By Rebekah Mays

$300,000 a year. That's my long-term income goal.

A few years ago, this number would have sounded ridiculous to me. That kind of money might be fine for some elite group of people. But for me? I couldn't imagine it!

Little did I know there was an invisible barrier holding me back: my mindset about money.

AWAI member Rachel Gray talked to us about the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

In a nutshell, a fixed mindset is a limited perspective on your potential in general, or in a specific area of life.

On the flipside, people with a growth mindset hold an expansive perspective …

They focus on learning through ALL situations — including the challenging ones.

But … have you worked on your money mindset?

By money mindset, I mean your thoughts and feelings about making money. Your beliefs about your earning capacity. And your conviction about what you can accomplish.

For me, it took six years of working in this industry to see how I was limiting myself when it came to my earning potential … and to begin to break free.

So if I could, I'd have a chat with my 26-year-old self as she was just starting out her copywriting journey. I'd put my arm around her, and point out the barriers I was placing in my own path.

Here's what I'd tell her … and what I'd tell anyone else who might be limiting their own financial potential.

Money Mindset Shift #1: Sort Through Your Limiting Beliefs

Our beliefs shape everything we do.

Whether it's our habits, daily actions, goals, or dreams … our beliefs are at the center.

If you believe you can live a healthier lifestyle, you're far more likely to make positive changes to your diet.

If you believe you can earn a certain level of income, you're much more likely to achieve that goal.

The problem is, we often let our beliefs hold us back. We may never even try … because deep down, we don't truly believe we can or should achieve our goals!

The sooner you become aware of your "limiting beliefs" and work through them, the sooner you'll make big-time progress.

Money Mindset Shift #2: Figure Out How Much Money You Actually Want

If you're setting income goals, it helps if your numbers actually mean something to you.

Instead of setting arbitrary goals, set goals that represent something specific. Do the research: how much money will it take to make your dreams a reality? What will you need to do to achieve this?

If the number you come up with seems unrealistic, don't automatically rule it out. This could be the limiting beliefs talking.

Money Mindset Shift #3: Learn from High Earners

When you've arrived at your number, the next step is to find the people who've made the level of income you want. Then, study how they made it happen.

You won't be able to comb through every detail of their lives. But you might discover what path they took to reach their goals … how much they worked on their skills … and the obstacles they overcame.

This is what makes AWAI's courses and community so powerful. You can learn directly from the people who've achieved high levels of success.

By studying the paths that others have taken, your own path will start to become more and more clear.

Money Mindset Shift #4: Learn to Love Work

Another mindset shift to make? Learn to love what you're doing.

If you've bought into the narrative that work is something to avoid, it's going to be hard to reach your income goals. Instead, train yourself to love the work that will pave the path toward your dreams.

If you already do love aspects of your work, great! Lean into those areas.

But if you find yourself resisting the work, start to rewire your brain to love it. You'll land more projects … accomplish more … and get closer to your goal every day.

Money Mindset Shift #5: Surround Yourself with Positive Support

Do you have cheerleaders on your journey to financial success?

This "personal support team" could be the people in your life … a coach … even books and podcasts.

For a healthy money mindset, spend time in communities that believe in you and support your success.

Money Mindset Shift #6: Enjoy the Journey

As you start getting little wins, you should celebrate all of them.

Every compliment on your writing. Every client outreach. Every copywriting paycheck. And every lesson you learn …

It's all evidence you're making progress toward your goal.

By appreciating every step of the journey, you'll give yourself the fuel you need to keep going.

Money Mindset Shift #7: Acknowledge Your New Reality

At some point, if you keep at this long enough, you'll achieve things you never thought were possible.

When this happens, look back and acknowledge the shift in your reality.

You made this possible. YOU did that. And from now on, your beliefs about what you can do will be forever changed.

It's Not Just About the Money

And this, in the end, is what it's all about. You, unleashing your full potential. Becoming the person you were meant to be.

Financial success is just one expression of that.

You may be on a separate path … and have a completely different income or life goal than I do. You get to decide.

But whatever you do, don't let your money mindset stop you from getting what you want out of life.

If you want this, you can achieve it. Only you get to decide if that will happen.