Limiting Beliefs Around Money

Limiting Beliefs May Be Holding You Back

Are you continually disappointed about how much (or little) money you’re making in your business each month? If you’re stuck at a certain income level and can’t break through no matter how many Reels you record or social media posts you share or well-crafted sales emails you send, your limiting money beliefs around money could be the culprit.

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, limiting beliefs are exactly what they sound like: beliefs that subconsciously drive your decisions and behavior and limit your potential.

And they can show up lots of sneaky (and not-so-sneaky) ways when it comes to money, like in your pricing strategy (read: undercharging), your confidence level and your overall bank account balance.

The good news? You don’t have to let limiting beliefs put a damper on your lofty income dreams. Instead, you can identify your limiting money beliefs and take action to change them. And once you do? You’ll notice you can finally start earning what you desire with more ease and less stress (and maybe even a few less Reels).

Not sure where to start? Don’t worry. Below, I’m digging into the most common limiting money beliefs entrepreneurs grapple with–and what you about them so you can start earning exponentially more, stat.

“Nobody Will Pay for My Product/Service”

If you’re not earning what you desire, this common limiting belief could definitely be to blame. Sometimes it stems from a lack of confidence in your skills, while other times it comes from feeling ‘weird’ about getting paid well for a skill that comes wildly easy to you. Either way, it can seriously hinder your earning power.

So, what’s the antidote? At the end of the day, you just have to believe in the value of what you’re selling wholeheartedly. And here’s the good news: If you’ve done your research, know your audience’s pain points and desires and created a product or service that solves those problems, your offer has undeniable value.

It’s easier said than done, but anytime you doubt whether people will pay for your product or service, try your best to put your focus back on the value it provides.

How does your offer improve their lives? That’s why it’s worth paying for–and don’t you forget it!

“I Can’t Charge What I Want to Because I’m New in Business”

Whether you’re brand new to business or pivoting into a new niche, the idea that you ‘can’t charge’ what you desire often rears its ugly head.

If you find yourself thinking something similar, take a pause and step back. What’s really going on here? If you truly believe that you can’t charge what you desire, ask yourself why. Is it because you don’t think you have the skills or resources and can’t deliver results?

Or is it more so because you’re afraid of failure, or afraid of what others will think of your prices?

Once you identify the reason for your belief, you can start to challenge it. For example, if “lack of skills” is your excuse for not charging what you desire, what evidence do you have for that? And if you do find evidence, that’s fine, too. What could you do to acquire the skills or resources you need so that you do have the expertise you need to feel comfortable charging what you want?

Remember, your beliefs around money are just that – beliefs. They’re not facts. The truth is you deserve to be paid well. And when you truly believe that? Your income will start to reflect it, no questions asked.

“There’s Just Not Enough Money to Go Around”

Most people–entrepreneurs included–learned from a young age that money is scarce. (We’ve all heard the phrase, “money doesn’t grow on trees,” right?) The fact is that you having lots and lots of money, perhaps more than you ever imagined you’d have in your lifetime, does not preclude anyone else from having lots of money as well.

This limiting belief can stem from our upbringing, previous job or business experiences & subtle (or not-so-subtle) societal messages.

For example, if you grew up in a household where money was tight and mom had to decide between buying groceries and paying the electric bill every month, you may have internalized the message that money is scarce–for you, and for others.

As a result, you might shy away from charging higher prices because you don’t believe there’s anyone out there who has that much money or is willing to ‘part’ with it. On the flip side, you might not invest in your business at the level that you should–even if you have more than enough to stock your fridge with organic veggies, keep the lights on and hire a killer copywriter. Either way, this belief can hinder your ability to earn.

What can you do to overcome this belief, especially when it’s usually so deeply ingrained? Ask yourself: Is it something you’ve been told by your family or friends, or is it based on your own experiences? Once you identify the source of the belief, you can more easily challenge it and try to find evidence to the contrary.

This specific belief can be very powerful and difficult to break through. But it’s important to remember that beliefs are just thoughts we’ve repeated over time – they are not reality.

“Making Money Is Difficult and Complicated”

Another common limiting belief entrepreneurs have around money is that it’s hard to make.

This limiting belief can show up lots of ways: creating complicated funnels that literally make it hard for your clients to pay you or writing crazy-long and complex sales pages that nobody actually reads (or buys from), for example.

Regardless of how it shows up in your business, though, the outcome is always the same: overwhelm, anxiety and sometimes even inaction (because who wants to write a 5000-word sales page anyway?).

The truth, though, is that making money actually can be easy. And while you can’t control everything (you can’t literally force people to buy from you), you can control how complicated you make receiving money on your end.

So, what can you do to make receiving money super easy and maybe even fun?

Maybe you need to start by simplifying your sales process by skipping the fancy schmancy sales pages and plopping your offer details into an easy-to-access Google Doc instead.

Maybe you need to quit launching and sell your offers around the clock, evergreen-style. (Or get rid of your bevy of offers and focus on one signature offer instead!)

Or maybe you simply need to carve out time to connect with potential clients every week via your Instagram DMs, rather than force them to book a discovery call with you on a complicated calendar system that has limited availability.

Think about which part of making money seems most difficult for you, and take one tiny action to make it easier on your end–or on your potential clients’–today.

“The Only Way to Make More is to Work More”

Fun fact: Making more money does not actually have to mean working more. Shocking, I know.

Your ability to earn money is not actually tied to how ‘hard’ the work you do is or how much time you physically spend working on your business. Trust me when I say the money sitting in your bank account doesn’t care how many hours you spend at your desk or how much blood, sweat and tears you pour into a project or offer–and honestly, neither do your clients & customers (as long as they get results!).

Don’t get me wrong: Hard work is important and inevitable–you obviously can’t just visualize or journal your way to multiple six figures in sales! That said, financial success is also influenced by your money mindset and overall strategy.

If you truly want to earn what you deserve, you’ll need to let go of the belief that you have to ‘grind’ your way to more money and instead focus on developing a strategic plan for your business. Ask yourself: How can I make money in an easier, faster or less stressful way?

It can also be helpful to write or reflect on any “proof” you’ve seen that making money doesn’t require crazy-long hours and/or back-breaking, tear-inducing work. Who in your life or social sphere seems to rake in the dough without running themselves ragged? I guarantee there’s someone–or lots of someones. So why not you?

“Money is the Root of All Evil / Rich People are Greedy or Bad”

Another one of the common limiting beliefs around money is that money is bad, and that if you have it, you’re also bad (or worse, greedy!).

These beliefs can hold you back big time. Just think about it: Why would you ever want to take action that might turn you into a ‘bad’ or ‘greedy’ person? I know I wouldn’t!

The good news is there’s nothing inherently bad about money–or making it. Money is simply a tool. It gives you the means to live your life how you want to live it.

That said, next time you start to worry about money being bad or feeling ‘greedy’ for wanting a little cash cushion, take a second to think, write or reflect on all the ways that money has actually made your life better, and how you’ve been able to help others with it, too. This can flip the switch on limiting beliefs around money very quickly.

This can help your shift your perspective so you see money in a more neutral light, and as a result, you’ll feel less attached to the idea that having it is somehow bad. (You’ll also be much more unbothered by what others think.)

And if all else fails, remember this: You are in control of how you make and spend your money–no matter how much you have. Make a promise to yourself that you’ll always be the kind of person you want to be, no matter how many zeros are in your bank account.

You can even make a pledge to yourself (or publicly) to tithe or donate a certain percentage of your income once you hit a certain goal, so you can always feel good about making more.

And remember that money tends to magnify what you already are, not turn you into something (or someone) else.

“Making Lots of Money is for Other People, Not Me”

Ever scroll through a successful coaches Instagram feed and feel like maybe wealth just isn’t for “people like you”? Maybe it makes you feel less-than when you see them posing with their cute little nuclear family in matching pajamas in an impeccably clean home, while you don’t speak to any blood-relations and your sink is (always) full of dirty dishes?

If so, you’re not alone. Many of us grow up with the belief that making lots of money is for ‘’other’ people–aka people who look, think or act a certain way. And social media–where all we see is the highlight reel–only reinforces those views. Over time, we can start to think that only people from a certain socio-economic background ever earn good money, or that if you don’t have a specific look you have zero chance at ‘making it big.’

But what if you flipped the script? One of the easiest and best ways to combat these limiting beliefs around money is to notice and record. Next time you see someone who doesn’t fit “the mold” and yet is still rocking it (and selling well in their business), note it down on paper.

Follow them, show them some love in their comments section and/or ‘save’ their post for a rainy day. When you look for evidence that it is possible, you’ll start to see it. And over time, your limiting belief will feel less and less real–and limiting.

We all have limiting beliefs around money to some extent, so if you saw yourself in more than one of the above examples, you’re not alone. The good news is that you absolutely do have the power to change your limiting beliefs and the first step is acknowledging them (like you just did through this blog post).

If you’re struggling to change a particular belief, though, please remember to give yourself grace. Some of your beliefs have been years in the making, so releasing them won’t happen with the snap of your fingers. That said, simply by reading this list and taking the tiny actions suggested, you’ve already started the process of shaping a healthier money mindset, so you can eventually start earning what you desire and deserve.

I’m bestselling USA Today and Wall Street Journal author, marketer, and online entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green. If you’re interested in learning more about limiting beliefs around money and changing your money mindset, let’s connect and make some changes for your life experience.