Steal The Secrets To My Financial Success

Every day, you wake up and probably ask yourself: what is the one thing you can do today to improve your financial situation? You have worked hard but do not seem to have any progress.

You open your Instagram and see people look successful with their new car, house, vacations, and relationships.

You observe your favorite influencer spending their kid's education abroad and enjoying expensive travel with various revenue sources. So, you start asking yourself, how do they do it?

Then, you move to Linkedin and see people posting about their new job, business venture, or how they closed a big deal. You feel envious and think you will never be as successful as them.

The world looks so unfair. So why can't you have what they have? It feels like you are stuck in the same spot. You feel like running on a treadmill and never get ahead. 

"You wonder: when will it be my turn?"

You feel discouraged because your financial situation does not seem to be getting any better.

It seems like they are doing better than you. What are they doing differently?

"You then start to doubt your ability."

"Maybe I am not good for this," you think.

"Maybe I am not doing something right."

"Maybe I am just not meant to be rich."

Stop right there!

Do not fall into the trap of self-doubt and negative thinking. You can be successful in personal finance, but it will not happen overnight.

I don't need to prove to anyone, but at least my family can vouch for my financial success, and you should believe in yourself regardless of your circumstances. First, to let you know that I was not born into a wealthy family.

In this article, I want to share my secrets, and you can steal them from me so that you can achieve the same level of success.

I must warn you that my financial success is not to be compared with the success of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, or Warren Buffet.

My starting is just a humble beginning; my family is not wealthy. At my school age, I couldn't afford to buy a new school bag or shoes without saving from my "little pocket money" and working after school.

Like many others, I worked hard to get to where I am today, just like you will have to if you want to achieve similar success.

This article is for you if you are not from a wealthy family or receive tons of money in inheritance.

Once you have your financial success, you will feel great relief and accomplishment. You'll be able to sleep better at night, knowing that you're on the right track. You have more options in life, and you can pursue your dreams without worrying about money. That also means you have more time to enjoy your life and do what you love.

It was not an easy task to change your attitude about money and develop better spending habits. It takes time, process, hard work, dedication, and self-control.

But, listen to me, it is worth it!

The answer is very simple: it all starts with a daily habit.

Yes, that's right! A single daily habit can make a huge difference in your financial life.

You see, when it comes to money, it is very easy to fall into bad habits. We can all too easily spend more than we earn, save too little, and rack up debt.

But if we develop just one good habit, it can help us turn our financial life around.

Three simple mindsets you need to have before you start.

Before developing a good habit, you'll need to change your mindset about money. You need to have the right attitude towards it if you want to be successful.

One day, I had a conversation with my young, 21-year-old client and asked, "What are the most challenging tasks you'll have to do to achieve your level now?"

I found this question interesting because it showed me that she was not only thinking about her current situation but also the challenges she would face in achieving her financial goals.

I am thinking about how to answer this question for a bit and realized there were threefold.

First, you need to get accustomed to living below your means. Then, to save money, you need to change your spending habits. Finally, you may need to find ways to stretch your income further than it currently does.

Second, you need to get into the habit of investing your money. It cannot be easy if you are used to spending everything you make. Change your mindset to how to make your money work for you.

Lastly, getting into the habit of staying disciplined with your finances would be best. It means creating and following a budget, sticking to your financial goals, and avoiding impulse purchases.

If you master these three mindsets, you will be well on your way to financial success.

Spoiler Alert: 

Having these three mindsets also means you will have a different way of living from your peers, friends, or family. Unfortunately, when a particular lifestyle surrounds you, it can be hard to change your ways.

It's all about making sacrifices or trade-offs. But, of course, there will be no change to your finances if you don't do things differently from the people around you.

Your friends and family would often ask you, "Why are you not spending like before?", "What's wrong with you now that you're so tight with your money?", "Why are you so stingy now?", "Why are you not coming out with us as much as before?".

It can be challenging, but you must stay strong and focused on your goals.

You need to prepare with an answer: "I am trying to save money to achieve my financial goals." If you can remain disciplined with your finances, you will be well on your way to a bright financial future.

My answer seems too simple, and anyone reading this article could say the same thing: "My grandmother also knows this."

But it is not that easy when you are in the moment, and peer pressure is real. You have seen that people around you would be content with spending everything they have without any goals.

To fight peer pressure, you must first establish a solid financial habit. The habit should feel like you automatically brush your teeth every day or go for a run, so why don't you start making and accumulating good habits to help you with your finances?

Habit is different from goals.

Goals, especially financial goals, are measurable objectives you want to achieve in the future. Meanwhile, habit is a repeated behavior done regularly until it becomes part of your nature.

It is essential to have both goals and habits for financial success.

Goals give you a specific target to work towards, while habits provide the framework for achieving your goals.

For example, your goal might be to save 10,000 (in whatever currency) over the next 12 months.

Your habit could be to save 833.33 per month.

If you can stick to your habit, you will reach your goal. But if you only focus on the goal and not the habit, you might struggle to save money each month.

The key is to find a balance between the two. Set specific goals and then create habits that will help you reach those goals.

You will be well on your way to financial success if you can do that.

Again, my advice is to start small, and once it becomes a habit, it would be difficult to break free from it.

13 my habit in managing my finances

I love to share with you my 13 habits; again, you could steal and make your own. It works for me, and I am sure it would also work for you.

1. Set a realistic budget and stick to it

2. Invest in yourself first by maxing out your retirement contributions

3. Invest in things that would grow over time, such as stocks, real estate, and mutual funds

4. Have an emergency fund to cover 3-6 months of living expenses (at least)

5. Live always below your means

6. Pay off your debts as soon as possible

7. Invest in your education

8. Stay disciplined with your finances

9. Track spending rigorously

10. Don't put all your investment in one basket

11. Review your finances regularly

12. Have a purposeful spending

13. Spend some of your income to help others in need

I have more habits that I could share, but I want to focus on these thirteen for now. I hope you find these habits valuable and applicable to your own. You could copy it from me, make it your own, and see how it goes.

I am not perfect, but these habits have helped me advance my financial journey.

Having your "Personal Financial Coach" can help you greatly in your financial journey.

You can read books; you can read many articles I have shared, watch Youtube, or follow some Financial Gurus on social media. But having your own "Personal Financial Coach," usually I called PFC, to help you would be the best way to go.

What? Why do I say so? Do I simply look for new clients?

No, I don't!

I don't think you need my help or any other financial coach's help when you can do it independently. But, statistically speaking and from my own experience, people with a "Personal Financial Coach" or PFC have a higher rate of success in their financial journey.

There are many reasons for that, but I would focus on three main reasons:

1. Accountability

2. Consistency

3. Personalization

Accountability is essential to help you stay on track with your financial journey because, let's face it, we are not perfect. There will be many hard times, and you will want to give up and "forget about it.". But if you have someone to be accountable to, such as PFC, it would help you stay the course.

Consistency is crucial in anything we do, especially in our financial journey. You might be very disciplined today, but what about tomorrow? What about next week or next month? Can you still be disciplined and consistent?

I am not saying you can't, but it would not be easy to do it yourself.

But if you have someone to help you, to guide you, and be there for you consistently, it would make a big difference. It would help you to be more consistent in your financial journey.

I am a big believer in mentorship and coaching, especially in personal finance.

Your coach will also help you to create a personalized plan according to your unique situation.

Your coach will also help you to stay focused and on track.

Your PFC would be someone who could help you make better financial decisions, give you unbiased opinions, and, most importantly, will be there for you during your financial journey.

When looking for PFC, you should find someone knowledgeable in personal finance and with your best interest at heart. Your PFC at least has a Certified Financial Planner credential. A CFP is a designation given to financial planners who have completed extensive training and experience requirements.

If you are uncomfortable finding your own PFC, I offer my service as a PFC. So, if you think you need my help, let's have a chat and see if we are a good fit.

I have a "money coach program" that might help you immensely. My coaching program is not for everyone; I select my clients carefully. And I only work with five clients every month. But if you think I could be of assistance, please reach out.

I want to help you in any way I can in your financial journey. Because I know everyone deserves to have a good life. Having a personal finance coach can help you avoid financial pitfalls, help you reach your financial goals quicker, and make better financial decisions.

You can book a free first-time consultation with me here.

I wish you all the best in your financial journey!

And I hope these 13 habits will help you too! What are your thoughts? Do you have other habits to share? I would love to know!

A'an Sriyani is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), Personal Financial Coach, and the founder of Eduitku.com.

She founded Eduitku.com with the mission to educate more Indonesians on financial planning so that they can make sound financial decisions for their future.

She loves traveling, and her business travels often take her all over the world. She is also an investor, stock trader, and entrepreneur. She enjoys sailing and scuba diving in her spare time.