Warning: This Book Could Be Bad For Your Health!
There is a well-known book about overcoming under-earning by Barbara Stanney. It could be well-meaning. Maybe it’s just out of step.
But many of the exercises are actually supporting a lack of agency around money.
There are many more books out there combining spiritual approaches to money and abundance.
As long as you’re not a compulsive under-earner, they could be helpful to you. But if you are stuck in a loop of under-earning, these approaches could well be damaging you.
Here are ten ways in which, I believe, this book perpetuates underearning.
These may highlight where you’ve been giving your power away.
‘Secrets of Six-Figure Women’
There isn’t a secret.
It takes a LOT of money to make that amount. A lot of time, a lot of willingness to grow. And you have to sacrifice stuff. 🙁
2. Affirmations: “I am earning money because I am worth it”.
This one is a real bugbear for me…
YOU CANNOT PUT A MONETARY VALUE ON YOURSELF.
This is a big reason many of us fail to charge accurately in the first place. We need to earn money for the growth of our business. When we place a value on our services, it needs to be based on what we can do. Not how we view our personal worth as a human being.
3. This year I will make:___$.
Woah…no pressure then!
I think it’s a better plan to find out how much it costs to live comfortably - and then start to work towards that.
What about making a profit rather than living in deficit? Could that be a more meaningful goal?
We need small, strong steps in the direction of profitability.
Not giant leaps we will never reach.
4. Track your spending 📈
If you have ADHD, and are demand avoidant (they commonly go together if you’re an underearner)…
Cataloguing your spending could just set you up for failure.
I’m a pretty dedicated individual and I have tried three times for a month at a time. I did actually manage to do it, but it meant absolutely nothing to me at the end!!
I believe it’s far better to stop unprofitable tasks, spending and behaviours and commit to actions that help your business - and yourself - grow.
My free Business Boost Masterclass will show you exactly how to do that. JOIN HERE.
For the record, I can’t budget. And I don’t want to. There is more than one way to skin a banana, as they say 🍌
5. Moon exercises to ‘manifest abundance’ 🌝
Please don’t misunderstand me.
I’m not having a go at you.
Having a spiritual foundation is really important to ADHD/HSP meaning-makers. 💜 But are you fulfilling your potential, and are you profitable?
What I’m saying is that tools for manifesting money have absolutely no place in a book entitled ‘Overcoming Underearning’.
It is our unwillingness to take action, to get our hands dirty, as it were, that has led to this place. This is spiritual bypassing!
6. Creating a financial dream map
If you use the word ‘dream’ you are admitting that it is outside your agency.
Have a target and a map.
It can be adjusted as you go.
If you’re JUST using a personal vision to motivate you, then you may have to admit that you’ll never overcome underearning. It is much more effective to fall in love with being powerful and autonomous.
Dreams of riches are something we will unconsciously avoid. They are usually someone else’s dreams and can draw us in - whilst making us feel icky at the same time. 🤢
7. Money Mindset Cards
We don’t need to learn to love ❤️ money more
Money isn’t the problem. Our unwillingness to put ourselves first - and our willingness to outsource our power and agency - is the issue.
Making money something to befriend, or call down, just outsources our power to money. Money is a byproduct of certain activities, nothing more.
8. Money Meditation: I think we’ve probably covered this.
Money is a bit like poo
Now, stay with me here. I mean that it’s neither good nor bad. It’s produced after you act (for example, when you eat).
Would you meditate on that? 🧘🏾
By the way, if you have been meditating on money, I’m not getting at you. I’ve done significantly more money meditations than your average Joanna! I’m just becoming more aware of the subtle abuse that occurs around sensitive ND people.
Abuse I’ve perpetuated in my time, for full disclosure.
9. I’ve run out of the will…
I just can’t write anymore 🥱✍🏼
In fairness, she has some good points in there, too. Like getting present with what is, and not hiding it from yourself.
But I’m not sure it’s worth reading through the rest of the book to get to it.
10. Maybe read a different book to help you overcome underearning?
Although he gets you to budget (which I just can’t get to work for me)
How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt and Live Prosperously 💛
by Jerrold Mundis, is one you can trust.
He is inspired by a 12 step approach.
In just two chapters, I changed more deep beliefs - and gained more power back - than I did in the whole of Barb’s book.
- Jessica Summers, April 2024 -
Join my FREE Business Boost Masterclass on 22nd May!
adhd coaching programmes & Classes
I’m Jessica Summers
I specialise in helping complex, highly intuitive coaches (with or without ADHD)
⭐ Communicate clearly what they do.
⭐ Value what they do - and boost their profits.
⭐ Relax more and enjoy life!
Apply for a FREE Business Boost Mini Session:
JOIN ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-summers-hypnogenics/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hypnogenics
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessica_summers_hypnogenics/
Thank you for being you!
Jessica
Return to HOME PAGE