Ever spend time around people who constantly complain that they don’t have enough money? Conversely, have you ever spent time around people who actually have a plan to get more money? Notice the difference in energy? Notice the outcomes?

Even if the people in the second group fail, they sit down and strategise to create another plan.

So failure isn’t the end of the world; it’s just the end of that particular plan. So the question is, who are you hanging out with on a regular basis to help your money feel better? Are you repelling money?

According to Jessica Gill, life coach, most of us are doing five things to repel money from our lives.

So, take a look at your life. If one or more of the following apply to you, you may subconsciously be repelling money despite what you say you want.

1. You constantly worry about not having enough money. You feel anxious about it almost on a daily basis. You worry that you might not be able to pay your bills, save for retirement, or pay for your kids’ education, etc. Now you may think that “everybody” behaves this way, so it’s OK to think like this. The fact is, however, that you are repelling money because you are in a perpetual state of anxiety. You are not focused on new ideas, but on the prospect of hardship. We are all guilty of this at some point, and it helps to be conscious of it so that we can stop stressing and look for the blessing.

2. You put yourself down. Your lack of belief in yourself leads you to undervalue yourself. Here are some of the ways you disparage yourself: “I’m just not smart enough. Why would someone want to work with me? I don’t know what I’m doing. I can be so dumb sometimes. What if they don’t like me? I don’t have much to offer.” These statements send out vibrations that you really don’t want money, even though you say you do.

3. You ignore money completely. You may have unopened bills. You are unaware of how much real debt you have. You don’t know your current credit card balance, chequing account balance, or your total monthly expenses. You put off dealing with money as much as you can.

4. You lie to yourself about your financial situation. You don’t own up to the real situation of being in debt. Instead, you “treat yourself” by spending even more money on things you don’t need.

5. You get rid of money as soon as you get it. Big bills show up. You have sudden urges to go shopping. There is a lot of clutter accumulated in your house, car, or closet from unwise shopping sprees.

It all adds up. The people you hang out with, the thoughts you harbour about yourself, the actions you take towards money. You are either bringing financial well-being closer to you or you are chasing it away.

Now, if you see yourself in any of the above, you are actually ahead of the game, because most of us go through many years of self-sabotage without being aware. So congratulations! Now what to do next?

1. Be grateful. OK, you don’t have as much money as you would like, but you do have something. Look around for anything – the first thing you see – and give thanks.

2. Pay attention to your thoughts about money. As you begin to pay attention to money, observe your thoughts and feelings. What does the chatter in your head say? How does your stomach feel as you pay your bills? Write down your thoughts. Are they based in reality, or do they lead nowhere?

3. Get help. Talk to a licensed financial advisor or a financial coach and get the help required to make better financial decisions. You don’t have to go it alone.

Dennise Williams, MBA (Banking & Finance) is a journalist, TV producer, certified practitioner NLP coach, and has 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry. You can see more of her work at www.youtube.com/financiallyfocused. Contact her at financiallyfocusedtv@gmail.com. You can also attend the upcoming Fabulous Life Conference in Mandeville in October 2017.