If you’re a business owner, or someone who’s climbing the career ladder, you’re likely already aware of the power your mindset has on your ability to manifest the things you want (including money!) into reality.

You probably already know that you have subconscious beliefs about money pertaining to your childhood and what you were taught by your caregivers, as well as a money story, or stories, that you tell yourself over and over again, and look to prove to yourself through evidence of your experiences. 

No matter where you are on your money-making journey, I’ll bet that you know you still have work to do (because we all do!)…

But did you know that you can begin to transform your attitude towards money in a matter of MINUTES using NLP?

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is an approach to communication and psychotherapy created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in California in the 1970s.

Proponents of the theory claim that there are connections between neurological processes (neuro-), language (linguistic), and behavioral patterns learned through experience (programming)—and more importantly, that these connections can be altered in order to achieve specific outcomes. 

NLP works on the basis that anyone can ‘model’ the skills of exceptional people, and as a consequence, they can achieve the same results as they do.

Traditionally, it has been used to treat problems such as depression, learning disorders, or phobias, but more recently it’s been used in a training capacity within corporations or by personal development gurus to help people improve their thinking and behaviors in line with their deepest desires.

NLP is a potent and powerful tool that can help you to rewire your brain for success, and it’s incredibly useful when it comes to transforming your money mindset.

In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to use NLP to shift your mindset around money, with an exercise that will help you manifest the kind of money you desire in your life, starting RIGHT NOW.

But before we jump in…

I want to ask you to consider some points that will help set you up for success.

1. Choose where to direct your focus.

First, you need to make sure you have a clear desired destination. What is your money goal? This needs to be super specific. You may have heard me say before that ‘energy flows where attention goes’ (thanks, Tony Robbins!)—and that’s because it’s true. But if you’re just focusing on making ‘more money’, how does your subconscious mind know how much that is? 

For NLP practices to work, you need to be decisive and define what ‘more’ means to you. Do you want to make $100 a week more? Or $100k a year more? 

Say, for example, that you want to hit consistent $10k months, then that needs to be your focus, and that’s where your effort and energy should be directed… on ‘hitting consistent $10k months’ not on ‘making more money’.

Pssst… once you have chosen a specific goal, a great idea is to put that number in places you’re going to see it every single day. Perhaps stick a post-it in your office, or change your passwords to include the number so that you have to type it out every time you log on!

2. Shift your emotions around money

Next, you need to make sure your focus is on the positive, not the negative. If you find yourself obsessing over ‘not having enough’ money, your brain is going to work to show you examples of why that statement is true. On the contrary, if you focus on the fact that you are thankful for what you have but would welcome more, your brain will focus on spotting and creating opportunities to make that happen. 

A simple but effective way to do this is by practicing gratitude daily. Spend a few minutes a day to pause and be grateful for the money you have coming in right now, by thanking it for all of the things it affords you. Then, affirm that you’re ready and willing to accept more abundance into your life. 

Another little suggestion I’d make, is to grab a piece of paper and write ‘money =’ on it, before listing all of the words that money means for you. If you find yourself writing things like ‘frustration’, ‘worry’, ‘problems’, ‘scarcity’, then on the other side of the paper, shift your thinking by writing all of the positive things money can mean ‘opportunity’, ‘comfort’, ‘possibilities’, ‘freedom’. When money = POSITIVE things rather than negative things, you’re going to make more effort to find ways to earn it and attract it, correct?

3. And your beliefs, too

Additionally, I invite you to consider what your beliefs are around your ability to make money. Do you believe that it’s difficult for you to make money? That you don’t deserve it? That it leaves as fast as it comes in? Or do you believe that it’s more than possible for you? That you can generate cash with ease? That there is always more and more money to be made? For every negative thought you have, try flipping the switch to make it positive. Like, literally write out or say out loud, over and over again, the opposite of what you believe right now until it becomes real and true for you. 

Some people I’ve worked with like to write their new, powerful beliefs about money out on post-it notes they stick to their bathroom mirror, and others like to set themselves reminders to make time and space to write/say these affirmations.

But perhaps one of the MOST powerful ways to shift your beliefs about money and your ability to make it is the NLP exercise I’m sharing today,

Ok—now let’s get into today’s exercise…

We’re going to explore an NLP tool popular with Tony Robbins, athletes, and entrepreneurs called imagery training or mental rehearsal…

Tony Robbins famously said that ‘[t]he key [to success] is to create absolute certainty — to fill yourself with the belief that you will accomplish what you set out to, no matter what is happening in the external world’… and I 100% agree.

I’m not sure if you’ve heard this story before (you may well have if you are as into personal development and spiritual growth as I am), but once upon a time, scientists thought it was impossible to run a mile in 4 minutes. Seasoned experts did the research and confirmed that there was no way.

A guy called Roger Bannister, however, DID MANAGE to run a 4-minute mile. And then within a couple of years, 37 OTHER people did, too.

Nobody in history had accomplished this before, but Roger Bannister discovered imagery training, and visualized his results over and over again as if they had already happened. Before long, using this technique, he was able to overcome the limitations that his beliefs had on him. How incredible is that?

He focused on what the result would look like, and how he would bring it about. And, what’s more, he allowed himself to bask in the emotions that came with the experience so he was impacted full-body, mentally, emotionally, and physically. He visualized until he was ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN he could achieve what he set out to… and, what do you know, he did!

Of course, Roger Bannister went out and practiced physically, but all the while he was training his brain so he could make psychological shifts as well. 

He knew that unless he changed his mental state, it didn’t matter HOW much of his time he spent sprinting. He would self-sabotage if he didn’t condition himself cognitively, cerebrally, to be absolutely certain he’d achieve his feat.

Ok, let’s begin.

I want you to close your eyes (well, after you finish reading this, of course). And when you do, imagine having the amount of money you want to have in your life.

Remember—this must be specific. It doesn’t matter whether you’re aiming for an annual salary or a monthly sales target, only that you have a certain number in mind.

First, imagine yourself seeing that amount of money. Whether it’s on your financial tracking spreadsheet, your online banking app, a paycheck, or in piles of cash… it doesn’t matter as long as you are visualizing it.

Next, step into the feelings that this amount of money would bring you. Do you feel calm? Safe? Lavish? Ecstatic? Whatever emotions are coming up, allow yourself to really bask in them, and feel them wash over your whole body. Notice whereabouts in your body they feel most prominent.

Then, start to play out what your life would be like if you had the money. What lifestyle would it afford you?

What are you spending the money on? What are you investing it in?

What are you seeing? What are you hearing?

What’s your internal dialogue? And what are other people saying to you?

What impact is it having on the people around you? Your family? Your friends? Your community? How is it allowing you to show up in the world?

Really immerse yourself into this experience where you already have what you want, and do this for a few minutes at least—but as long as you like.

When you’ve done that, rewind the tape back and imagine what 3 small moves you can make in the direction of this dream this week. Now imagine yourself completing those tasks.

Open your eyes.

How do you feel? Pretty good, I imagine…

That’s because you have now given yourself permission to feel the feelings that you want to feel. You have shown your brain that it is possible for you to achieve your financial goals, and demonstrated to it exactly how to bring your success about as well as what will happen when you do.

Using visualization to manifest dreams come true in this way has worked wonders for me (alongside inspired action, of course!), and I trust that it can do the same for you, if used repeatedly.

Why not set yourself the intention of doing a visualization first thing every morning, or last thing at night before bed for a whole month, and see what shifts for you?

And if you’re interested in transforming your relationship with money further, I’d like to direct you towards my course, I Heart Money.

It’s a step-by-step course where you’ll learn how to remove money blocks, make more money and uplevel your life in every way imaginable. It will aid you in learning how to become your most successful self, attract abundance, and create a life better than your dreams. 

I know there can be a lot of questions and confusion if you’re starting to create a new relationship with money or looking to make more money. If you don’t have a plan to follow, it can be easy to make some hard to come back from mistakes, get off track, and continue with your feast or famine mindset. 

Without guidance and support, it can be difficult to get closer to the life we both know you’re meant for—which is exactly why I created a course to help you make more money in your life and achieve more than you ever dreamed was possible.

If you’re ready to makeover your money mindset and increase your income, click here for I Heart Money. And use the code IHML to save 15% today!