Most of us have been raised in societies where debt is just a way of life. It doesn’t have to be, but with the average American in $38,000 of personal debt – it certainly appears to be the norm. While not making the assumption that all debt is bad, very few of us are exposed to financially empowering tools and practices that teach us to have money in our lives, easily create wealth, and eliminate the debts that cause stress, struggle and limitation in our lives.
One simple practice can begin to change your financial status and set you up for increasing wealth in your life is called the “10%” rule. This is where you begin creating personal wealth through the simple practice of putting aside 10% of every dollar that comes into your life – and not spending it.
Putting away 10% just for you has many benefits, not all of them immediately obvious. Here are 3 reasons why putting aside this small percentage of money can make big changes to your financial future, no matter your current financial situation:
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It gets you out of the ‘all I have is debt’ mentality
Being in debt can seem like a vicious cycle of never getting ahead or not being able to see a way out of money struggle and into a brighter future. Putting aside 10 cents of every dollar that comes into you, is a small but profound commitment that can break a very negative financial cycle.
Generally speaking, and subconsciously, we are not raised to be empowered to change our circumstances easily, to be able to change our own mindset and beliefs of powerlessness into knowing that we are strong and valuable enough to create the changes we wish to see in our own lives.
We need to go beyond self-limiting beliefs about ourselves and our situation to create the change we need.
Starting to change your life by putting aside just 10% of your income allows you to realize that you can create money no matter what your current financial status, and no matter how many debts or bills you currently have. Remember: every big change begins with many small steps.
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It makes you honor yourself first, over and above your bills
When your thoughts are constantly with the bills you have to pay, that is you giving priority, attention and energy towards debt, not prosperity. If you give priority to yourself every time money comes in with the 10% rule, your attention will shift to developing more financial freedom, independence, and the feelings of abundance in your life. When you make you and money for you your priority, the debit-focussed reality you once knew can transform into something that is more productive and positive.
If you commit to doing the 10% rule for 6 months, you may find you enjoy the change that having that money in your life brings. It can create a sense of peace, a sense of confidence in your ability to create money. It can also cure you of any doubts you have that you don’t know how to create money – because you are doing it every day, and seeing it steadily grow.
Creating greater financial security, and a future that has wealth in it, means you have to prioritize you. If you are the one on top of your list – not your bills and debt – it creates a subtle, but important shift in mindset and action that will gears you for financial prosperity.
If you are a business owner, you can also apply the 10% rule to every dollar your business receives, as well as doing personally for you. It can change the mindset and relationship you have with money in regards to your business, too.
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It teaches you the value of having money, not just spending or saving it
Having money is different from spending or saving it. When you spend it, it is about money going away from you. When you save it, it’s essentially the same thing, except on time delay. If you save for that ‘rainy day’, you are still expecting it to go away. Having money, and committing to not spending it, creates a sense of peace in your life. No matter what, you know you have money.
There may be times when it can seem easy or tempting to dip into your 10% fund to cover a bill or unexpected cost, but if you are able to look at that fact that you created having money in your life with your 10% rule, it becomes clear to you that you can create money. And if you can create money in your life that way, where and how else can you create money to handle that bill, or increase your income generally, that you haven’t thought of yet? Allowing yourself to have money reminds you that you can generate money.
There is plenty of money available for you, but it is up to you to commit to a new mindset and to create this new financial world for yourself, so you can achieve the financial security that you desire. Using the 10% rule is a simple, yet highly effective method for beginning to change your financial direction in life and commit to your personal financial growth now and into the future.
