From Underearning to Abundance

Do you have a mental block that limits how much you can earn or set aside?  For example, there was a time when $25,000 in the savings account was my maximum.  Every time it looked like I would reach that amount something came up that pulled it below the $25,000 limit.  It was uncanny.  In an effort to bypass this strange blockage I divided the amount and put a part of it in another account.  This would make the main account definitely under $25,000.  Of course over time I made it back to $25,000, but since I had another account with more money it was actually over $30,000 for a long time.

The key is to recognize the pattern we have.  Often this is more related to your income and the dividing trick might not work for you.  Still you have to recognize the pattern that makes it happen and acknowledge that this is something in your past, not the present or future.  Your future is going to be different and you have to decide how different your future is going to be.

Remember that at one time in the past you had not crossed a street by yourself.  Then you did, and now that is in your past.  The street no longer limits you and you don’t even think about it.  The same goes for other limitations in your life.  You can earn more money and you have to allow yourself to do so.  That way you can start living a Life of Abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Tags: earning, Life of abundance, limiting, money, pattern, saving, underearning

Is it a story where you will manage money beautifully and you are earning what you want and deserve?  Is it putting you on a path for a Life of Abundance?

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Tags: Life of abundance, manage money, money, story

For many of us underearning has been a habit.  We automatically do and say things that make us underearn.  How often have you refused to be paid for small favors?  Or not asked for a raise when the opportunity came?

It is like our brain goes on autopilot and before we know we are doing and saying the same things as we have been for so long.  The explanation is simple.  We have created a pathway in our brain.  It is just like when we start driving.  In the beginning we have to focus on everything we do and on our surroundings to know how to react.  After some time we master the skill and start to do the driving as a natural thing, like we are on autopilot.  The same thing happens with our automatic underearning behavior.

When we leave underearning behind we are charting into a new territory.  Our brain only has the old brain pathway, so now we are creating new pathways and it will take some time to do that.  In the beginning it can be very scary to head into this new territory.  But the payoff is much more than worth it.

What is your payoff going to be for leaving underearning behind and start earning what you need and deserve?  A Life of Abundance?

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Tags: brain, earning, habit, Life of abundance, money, underearning

How many women have had to battle for a long deserved raise at their job?  Now it is official, it is more difficult for women than men to have the raise discussion with their boss and getting a raise.

In a recent article in the New York Times “A Toolkit for Women Seeking a Raise” it is pointed out that stereotypes are still working against women.  For those of you that haven’t asked for a raise because of the fear of how it might go, the article gives good advice on how to ask for a raise.  I want to stress that although the article states that it is different and more difficult for women to ask for a raise, there is no reason to not asking for one.

Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government associate professor Hannah Riley Bowles describes a different technique for negotiating that will give you what you want.  Here is some of what she and her peers suggest women use in their negotiations.

Be Proactive: No one will notice that you deserve a raise.  It is your job to ask for it.  Point out the good things you do and find the best time to approach your boss.

Be Prepared: It literally pays to do research.  Information is power.  When you have the knowledge the power is yours.  There are websites like Payscale.com and Salary.com with information about what the average pay is for you position in your geographical area.  At Glassdoor.com and Vault.com the information can be more specific as they have information for salaries at specific companies and your company might be one of them.  Also talk with people and more than just your girlfriends, remember the men.  Women are more likely to be paid less than men.

Tailor Negotiations: A new study by Ms. Riley Bowles found that if women explain why their request is appropriate and that they care about their work relationships they are more successful.  There are examples in the article on how to do this.

Anticipate: Don’t forget to anticipate objections and what your response is going to be.  If you are not successful this time around ask your boss for recommendations for what you could do to move to the next level.

When women have good information, are proactive and tailor the negotiations they do just as well as men.  So there is no reason to sit and hope for the best.  Go and create what you want in your life.  A Life of Abundance.

Love and peace,

ElinAnna

Tags: Harvard, Kennedy, Life of abundance, money, New York Times, raise, salary, women