6 Money Attitudes That Are Holding You Back
Are you making the kind of money you want to make?
No, wait. Let me ask you this instead:
Are you living the kind of life you want to live?
Are you able to give your family the experiences and opportunities you want for them? Can you easily contribute to the causes that matter to you? Do you have the flexibility and resources you need to enjoy the things that make life worth living?
So many business owners find themselves getting stuck at one revenue level. They might be barely keeping their head above water, or they might have reached a place of moderate comfort but aren’t seeing any growth.
Wherever they land on the spectrum, the probably is usually one of two things.
Either they’re flatlining because they’re not pushing themselves…
Or they’re unconsciously clinging to an attitude about money that keeps them from realizing their full potential.
Here are six common money attitudes that could be sabotaging your progress.
Bad Money Attitude #1: “Easy come, easy go.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You’re constantly gaining and losing money.
- You grew up watching your own parents struggle with financial inconsistency.
- You catch yourself pursuing every opportunity to earn without considering whether the effort aligns with your vision.
This is a particularly pessimistic attitude that makes it hard to celebrate wins. And when you don’t celebrate wins, you don’t think to build on them. You just wait to find out what disaster is going to clear out your account and put you back at zero.
Of course, it is true that money flows. Cash comes into your business, then moves on through as you pay for supplies, staff, and yes: the occasional crisis.
But rather than looking at this like some cynical cosmic prank, I suggest thinking of money as energy. Every dime you spend energizes growth. It goes out to people you love to support.
And that energy is all around you, continuously flowing through your business and your life.
Bad Money Attitude #2: “Wealth is a matter of luck.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You’re immediately annoyed with anyone who has more money than you.
- You blame your lack of financial success on anyone or anything other than yourself.
- You see wealthy people as different from you.
The biggest problem with this attitude is that you are willingly giving your power away. How are you ever supposed to reach your financial goals when you believe that you can be derailed by everything from a new competitor to a low-income upbringing?
Now, I’m not denying that some people have a leg-up just by virtue of their circumstances. It’s also true that some of my personal successes included a bit of good timing. But I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of that timing if I hadn’t been hard at work making things happen for myself.
The truth is, we are each responsible for 100% of our lives. Even when the worst happens, we can choose to turn that problem into an opportunity.
But if you think money just shows up for the lucky, you’ll never achieve your full potential. Because deep down, nothing is motivating you. If you’re powerless to work towards your own success, why even get up early? Why leave your comfort zone? Why innovate?
You see the problem?
Let go of the luck excuse and embrace your own power.
Bad Money Attitude #3: “You have to chase the money wherever you find it.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You’re constantly picking up new business opportunities.
- You work relentlessly but never see major growth.
- You obsess over profit margins.
This is essentially a scarcity mindset, and I personally know this one well. I grew up in a home where financial stability was never a given. I watched my parents work relentlessly to chase every last dime. And I thought that was what it took to be successful.
In the early years of my business, I worked long, exhausting days. I chased every business opportunity that came my way, never considering whether it was right for my journey.
Because I spread myself so thin, nothing I did grew significantly. Business ventures would flatline or I’d lose an investment. I never made any meaningful financial progress until I focused 100% on 911 Restoration.
By giving all of myself to the business I was actually passionate about, I was able to achieve exponential growth. But to get to that point, I had to swap out my scarcity mindset for an abundance mindset.
Opportunity is all around you. Money is abundant and completely available to you. You don’t have to go running after it every time someone waves it in your face. You just have to commit to your vision and open your eyes to the potential that surrounds you.
Bad Money Attitude #4: “Rich people are greedy.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You immediately resent people who have nice cars or live in nice homes.
- You prefer the company of people who make the same or less money than you.
- You take pride in living off less.
You’d be surprised how many business owners struggle with negative stereotypes about wealth.
It doesn’t seem like it makes much sense, does it? Many of us become business owners because we want more money and the freedom that comes with it.
That’s why this money attitude is a particularly sneaky one. You can easily hold this belief without being aware of it. This means there is something deep within you that keeps resisting financial success.
To work on combating this attitude, I suggest returning to that idea of money as “energy.” Not as something material that you use to establish your status or gain power. It’s simply energy, and you can turn that energy into:
- Stability for your team.
- Resources for your community.
- Experiences and opportunities for your family.
- Freedom to live a full life.
Money doesn’t automatically equal “fancy cars.” Or “third vacation home.”
Money has no personality. It falls nowhere on the moral spectrum. It’s like tofu or potatoes… indistinct until you decide how you’re going to flavor it.
In short, money is whatever you want it to be.
On that note…
Bad Money Attitude #5: “I only need enough to get by.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You undercharge clients and consider it “customer service.”
- You catch yourself judging others for extravagant purchases.
There’s nothing wrong with minimalism. It’s also not a bad thing to undercharge struggling clients on a case-by-case basis.
The actual problem is the way this attitude characterizes money. If you have this attitude, you most likely see money as an essential resource only up until the point where your basic needs are met. After that, it falls under the category of “nice to have.”
I’d challenge you to consider a different perspective.
I’d challenge you to think about what you would do if you did have more money than you needed.
Maybe you’d use it to help someone else meet their basic needs. Maybe you’d invest it back into your business, hiring a bigger team so you can offer your help to the wider community. Maybe you’d free yourself up to do more volunteer work.
Or maybe you’d just take a vacation with your family, which is also a virtuous use of your time and resources. After all, you and your loved ones only get this one life together.
There is nothing wrong with keeping your needs simple. But it’s just as important to remember what you could do… what you will do… when you discover financial abundance.
Bad Money Attitude #6: “It wouldn’t be fair to charge more for my product / services.”
Signs that you have this attitude:
- You break into a cold sweat when you think of raising your prices.
- Your mentors keep telling you to charge more but you can’t get yourself to do it.
- Your primary value proposition is that you’re less expensive than your competitors.
When I see a business owner hold back on their pricing, I have two immediate concerns.
The first is that they don’t fully understand the value of what they do. Your work is not just about the resources and labor that go into it. It’s also about the way you improve your customer’s life.
You don’t install custom cabinets—you help homeowners create their dream kitchen.
See the difference? The first is easy to translate into dollars and cents. The second is priceless, and it describes how your customers experience the work you do. That’s where the true value comes in.
If you can’t see that, you’re going to have a lot of trouble charging what you’re actually worth.
My second concern deals with something much deeper.
A lot of business owners struggle to value themselves higher because they don’t actually believe they deserve more money.
I have definitely been there. Many of us grow up with ideas about “what kind of people” we are and whether or not the wealthy life is “for people like us.” Those beliefs are so ingrained that we can’t really earn well until we deal with them.
I’ve seen it happen time and again. Even an entrepreneur who tries to sell themselves at a higher price point won’t succeed until they’ve been able to sell themselves to themselves.
You only get what you believe you deserve. That’s the bottom line. And that’s why it’s so important to address every limiting money attitude you have.
To truly thrive, you have to see yourself as valuable…
See yourself as limitless…
See money as a meaningful, energetic resource that helps you make the world a brighter place.
When you can do those things, you will be amazed by how quickly you grow.
Further Resources on This Topic
Blog Post: The 4 Lies That Hold You Back From Business Success
Blog Post: How To Train Your Mind To Think Bigger
Free Video Course: Personal Development for Business Success
Free Ebook: You Grow First: Tips for Advancing Your Business Through Self-Development
Book: How to Transform Your Mindset and Become a Self-Made Success Story