Episode 112 – 9 Mindset Micro-Shifts That Made Me $1M

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Note: This blog post serves as an accompaniment to the corresponding podcast episode of A Changed Mind, where we’ll distill down the core ideas of this week’s theme, along with additional distinctions and insights. If you haven’t listened to the episode yet, you can go here to do so.  Enjoy.

Most people have no idea how money works, which is why they struggle to get ahead. They spend hours worrying about whether they’ll have enough, comparing their financial situation to others, and feeling like something is wrong with them. But here’s the truth—anyone can turn their financial situation around and create real abundance in their life. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been stuck. All it takes is a shift in your money mindset.

The problem is, many people think financial success is reserved for a select few—those born into wealth, those with high-paying jobs, or those who have some secret strategy that others don’t. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Money is a reflection of your internal beliefs, habits, and mindset. If you’re constantly struggling, it’s not because you’re not working hard enough. It’s because you haven’t yet learned how to align your thoughts, emotions, and actions with financial abundance.

What changed everything for me wasn’t a new business strategy, a sudden windfall, or luck. It was learning to think differently about money—replacing scarcity with abundance, fear with confidence, and uncertainty with trust. And when I did that, everything shifted. I went from being stuck in financial stress to generating wealth in ways that felt natural and effortless.

I want to share with you seven simple mindset shifts that completely transformed my finances and helped me go from financial insecurity to making over a million dollars. These steps aren’t complicated, but they require a shift in thinking. If you’re ready to break free from financial struggle, let’s dive in.

1. Identify What It Costs to Be You (Then Add 50%)

The first step is to get brutally honest about your financial reality. Write down what it currently costs to be you each month—your rent or mortgage, utilities, food, transportation, entertainment, and any other expenses. Now, increase that number by 50%.

Why? Because an extra 50% would be a complete game changer. It gives you the ability to pay down debt, take trips, invest in your business, and save for the future. This number becomes your new target income goal.

For example, if your monthly expenses are $6,000, set your income target at $9,000. If it’s $10,000, your goal is $15,000. This simple shift changes your focus from just surviving to thriving.

Now, take this a step further. Imagine what an extra 50% could do for you beyond just covering your expenses. Would it give you the breathing room to invest in your personal development? Would it allow you to hire a coach, buy books, or attend networking events that could accelerate your career? Would it allow you to donate to causes that matter to you? The more personal and emotionally charged your “why” is, the more motivated you’ll be to reach this new target.

Additionally, having clarity on this number allows you to measure progress and stay motivated. It prevents vague financial goals like “I just want more money” and replaces them with a clear, actionable target. The clearer your goal, the more likely you are to achieve it.

To truly embrace this principle, go beyond just setting the number—make it feel real. Visualize what it would feel like to have that extra income flowing into your life. Imagine waking up stress-free, knowing you have more than enough. Picture yourself making purchases or investments with confidence instead of hesitation. When you emotionally connect with your new financial target, you send a powerful signal to your subconscious that this is your new reality.

Once you have your number, take action. Start brainstorming ways to increase your income—whether through career advancement, starting a side hustle, raising your prices, or finding smarter ways to invest. The act of writing down your target and committing to it shifts your mindset from passive wishing to active creation.

2. Get Crystal Clear on What You’ll Do With More Money

Once you have your new income goal, you need to create a compelling vision of what your life will look like when you achieve it. Most people want more money simply to escape financial stress, but that’s not enough. You need to give your money a purpose. Why? Because money is energy, and energy needs direction to flow effectively.

Start by making a detailed list of how your financial reality will shift once you hit your new income goal. Think beyond just the numbers—what will your life look like? What kind of home will you live in? What experiences will you have? Will you travel more, upgrade your lifestyle, or invest in opportunities that excite you? Be as specific as possible.

For example, instead of saying, “I want to be financially secure,” write down, “I want to earn $15,000 per month so I can take my family on three international vacations a year, renovate my home, and invest in personal growth.” The clearer your vision, the stronger the signal you send to your subconscious mind, which will begin seeking out ways to make it happen.

Your brain is a powerful tool that thrives on specificity. The act of visualization rewires your neural pathways to recognize opportunities and ideas that align with your goal. When you mentally and emotionally connect to your future self—the one who already has financial abundance—you begin making decisions that support that reality.

To take this a step further, engage all your senses in your visualization practice. Imagine the feeling of walking into your dream home, the excitement of booking first-class flights, or the peace of knowing your savings account is overflowing. When you make it real in your mind, your brain starts believing it’s already possible for you.

Another powerful practice is scripting. Write a journal entry as if you’ve already achieved your financial goal. Describe your daily life, your routine, and how it feels to have money working for you instead of stressing about it. This exercise builds emotional momentum and keeps you connected to the vision, reinforcing your belief that it’s only a matter of time before it becomes your reality.

When you’re clear about where your money is going, you’ll be more motivated to take action. Instead of operating from a place of lack, you’ll shift into a state of excitement and confidence, which is the true foundation of wealth creation. The universe responds to clarity and intention—so get specific, immerse yourself in the vision, and watch how quickly your reality starts shifting.

3. Decide That It’s Happening—No Matter What

This is the step that most people overlook, but it is the single most important one. If you don’t make a firm, unwavering decision that your financial breakthrough is inevitable, you will continue to waver between hope and doubt. Making a true decision means eliminating all other possibilities. It means committing fully, even when you don’t know exactly how it’s going to happen.

The reason most people stay stuck is that they wait until they see proof before they believe it can happen. But real transformation works the other way around—you must believe it first, and then the proof will follow. When I decided that I was going to make six figures, I had no idea how it was going to happen. I didn’t have a clear path or strategy in place, but I made the decision with certainty, and shortly after, opportunities started showing up that aligned with my goal.

Making a decision doesn’t mean just saying it once and forgetting about it. It means embodying that decision every day. It means acting as if it is already true. Ask yourself: How would you think, feel, and act if you already had the financial success you desire? How would you carry yourself? What kind of choices would you make? The more you align your present self with your future reality, the faster it will manifest.

One powerful way to reinforce your decision is to write it down and declare it daily. You can say something like, “I don’t know exactly how, but I know without a doubt that I will be earning [$X] per month very soon.” The key is to state it with absolute certainty, not with wishful thinking.

Another critical element of this step is eliminating indecision. Indecision is the enemy of success. If you’re constantly questioning whether your goal is possible, you create internal conflict, and that conflict blocks momentum. When you decide, you must commit fully, with no backtracking. If you keep one foot in your old reality and one foot in your desired reality, you will stay stuck in place.

Making a firm decision also helps to activate what’s known as the Reticular Activating System (RAS) in your brain. The RAS acts as a filter that highlights information and opportunities that align with your focus. If you’ve ever decided to buy a specific type of car and then suddenly started seeing that car everywhere, that’s your RAS at work. When you decide with absolute certainty that financial success is happening for you, your brain will start noticing and attracting the right opportunities, connections, and ideas that will lead you there.

This is where faith comes in. You don’t need to know the “how” in order to decide. You don’t need all the details mapped out in advance. What you do need is to trust that when you commit fully, the path will reveal itself. If you think back to any big achievement in your life, chances are, it started with a firm decision—one that you didn’t waver on. The same principle applies to money.

So, if you’ve been on the fence, if you’ve been hesitating, or if you’ve been waiting for the right moment, let this be the moment. Decide today that your financial transformation is already happening. Not “maybe,” not “hopefully”—but with complete certainty. Because when you do, everything starts moving in your favor.

4. Stop Obsessing Over It

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they set a financial goal is constantly checking and worrying about it. They stress over how it’s going to happen, when it’s going to happen, and whether they’re making progress fast enough. This obsessive focus on the lack of money creates resistance and actually pushes financial success further away.

When you plant a seed, you don’t keep digging it up every day to see if it’s growing. You trust that with the right conditions—water, sunlight, and time—it will sprout. The same is true with financial success. Once you’ve made the decision and set your intention, you must let go of the constant need to control the outcome.

Obsessing over money creates anxiety, and anxiety repels abundance. Money flows where there is ease. When you are constantly worrying about whether you are on the right track, you are sending a signal of lack and desperation. Instead of operating from a place of trust, you operate from fear, which keeps you stuck in financial struggle.

The key is to shift your focus from “Where is my money?” to “How can I enjoy my life right now while trusting that money is on its way?” Your goal should be to create an environment of relaxation, confidence, and enjoyment because that is the energy that attracts wealth effortlessly.

A powerful way to do this is to focus on what you already have. Practice gratitude daily for the financial blessings in your life, no matter how small they may seem. Gratitude shifts your focus from lack to abundance, which makes you more receptive to financial opportunities.

Another effective approach is to engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. The more you immerse yourself in high-vibration emotions like joy, creativity, and excitement, the more aligned you become with abundance. When you are fully present in the moment, you create space for new opportunities to flow into your life.

Think back to a time when an opportunity appeared out of nowhere—maybe a job offer, a new client, or an unexpected financial windfall. Chances are, it came when you weren’t looking for it, when you were busy living your life and not obsessing over how it would happen. That’s the magic of letting go.

Letting go doesn’t mean being passive or doing nothing. It means taking inspired action, following your intuition, and trusting that everything is unfolding exactly as it should. You don’t need to force it. You don’t need to micromanage the universe. Just do your part, stay in a state of expectancy, and allow the process to unfold naturally.

If you ever catch yourself slipping into worry, remind yourself: “I don’t need to know how. I just need to trust that it’s happening.” Then, shift your attention back to something enjoyable. The less you worry about money, the more easily it flows into your life.  When you truly understand this principle, you stop chasing money, and money starts chasing you.

5. Override Your Old Financial Fears

Even after making a firm decision about your financial future, old fears and doubts will inevitably creep back in. The human brain is wired for survival, which means it will always try to pull you back into familiar patterns—even if those patterns are based on scarcity and limitation. Your job is to override those old financial fears and rewire your thinking for abundance.

The first step in doing this is awareness. You need to start paying attention to the thoughts that run through your mind when you think about money. Do you immediately feel anxiety? Do you tell yourself that making money is hard? Do you compare yourself to others and feel like you’re behind? The more you recognize these limiting beliefs, the easier it will be to shift them.

One of the most powerful ways to override financial fear is by reading and reaffirming your financial decision every single day. Write down your financial goal in a clear and specific way and review it daily. Say it out loud, visualize it, and feel the certainty of having already achieved it. The goal is to create new mental pathways that replace old, fear-based programming.

Science supports this approach. When you consciously shift your thoughts from fear to empowerment, you weaken the neural connections that reinforce scarcity and strengthen the pathways that support abundance. This process is called neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself based on repeated thoughts and experiences. The more you affirm your financial success, the more natural and automatic it becomes.

Another key technique is using pattern interruption. When fear-based thoughts start to creep in, immediately break the cycle. You can do this by standing up and moving, changing your environment, listening to uplifting music, or saying a powerful affirmation. The goal is to stop the old thought pattern before it gains momentum.

Gratitude is another effective way to shift out of financial fear. Instead of focusing on what you lack, focus on what you already have. Take a moment each day to appreciate the money you do have, the opportunities around you, and the progress you’ve made. When you cultivate gratitude, you shift your energy from scarcity to abundance, and abundance attracts more abundance.

It’s also important to change your emotional response to financial challenges. When an unexpected bill arrives or a financial setback occurs, don’t react with panic or frustration. Instead, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is simply part of the process. Money is fluid—it flows in and out. Trust that you are always supported and that more is always on its way.

Finally, surround yourself with people and resources that reinforce an abundant mindset. Listen to podcasts, read books, and engage with mentors who have achieved financial success. The more you immerse yourself in positive financial influences, the more naturally you will adopt the mindset of abundance.

Fear around money is not something that disappears overnight, but with consistent effort, you can train your mind to override those old fears and replace them with confidence, certainty, and trust. And when you do that, financial success becomes inevitable.

6. Be Patient and Trust the Process

One of the most challenging aspects of financial transformation is patience. When you set a financial goal, it’s natural to want results immediately. However, real success doesn’t happen overnight—it happens when you trust the process, remain consistent, and allow opportunities to unfold in their own time.

Most people struggle with patience because they equate speed with success. If they don’t see immediate results, they assume they’re on the wrong path and start second-guessing their decisions. This constant wavering creates resistance and actually slows down progress. The truth is, financial growth is like planting seeds—you need to nurture them, give them time, and trust that they will bloom when the conditions are right.

Trusting the process means maintaining faith even when external circumstances don’t yet reflect your goal. This is where most people give up—they expect instant validation, and when it doesn’t come, they abandon their vision. But the people who achieve true financial success are the ones who continue moving forward despite temporary setbacks. They understand that delays and challenges are not signs of failure but stepping stones to greater opportunities.

One of the best ways to stay patient is to focus on enjoying the present moment while knowing that your financial breakthrough is on its way. Instead of obsessing over the “when,” shift your energy toward gratitude and appreciation. Celebrate small wins along the way—whether it’s an increase in income, a new opportunity, or simply the feeling of being in alignment with your financial goals.

Another key aspect of patience is resilience. Financial growth is rarely a straight line; there will be ups and downs, unexpected expenses, and moments of doubt. But instead of panicking when things don’t go as planned, remind yourself that this is part of the journey. Every setback contains valuable lessons, and every challenge is an opportunity for growth.

A practical exercise to build trust in the process is to keep a financial progress journal. Write down your goals, track your actions, and note any signs of progress, no matter how small. Over time, you’ll see that even when things seemed stagnant, you were actually moving forward. This habit reinforces your belief in the process and keeps you motivated.

Finally, surround yourself with success stories. Read books, listen to podcasts, and follow people who have achieved financial freedom. Their journeys will remind you that patience and persistence always pay off. When you trust that success is inevitable and stay committed to your path, you will find that financial opportunities begin to unfold naturally and effortlessly.

The key takeaway is this: trust, patience, and persistence are just as important as strategy and action. Keep showing up, stay committed, and allow the universe to work its magic. Your financial success is on its way—it’s just a matter of time.

7. Follow the Hunches and Take Inspired Action

Many people believe that financial success comes from following a rigid, step-by-step plan. While strategy and structure are essential, some of the biggest financial breakthroughs happen when you listen to your intuition and take inspired action.

Opportunities often don’t come in obvious ways. They may appear as a random idea, a chance encounter, or a gut feeling urging you to explore something new. The key is to recognize these moments and act on them without overthinking or second-guessing yourself.

Throughout my journey, some of my biggest financial leaps happened because I followed a hunch. I had a sudden urge to reach out to an old acquaintance, and that conversation led to a lucrative business opportunity. Another time, I felt drawn to attend an event I wasn’t originally planning to go to, and that decision introduced me to a mentor who helped me scale my business to six figures. None of these things were planned or part of a strict strategy, but they were the catalyst for major financial gains.

The challenge is that most people ignore these hunches because they don’t seem logical or immediately profitable. They dismiss their gut feelings because they don’t fit neatly into a business plan. However, intuition is one of the most powerful tools for success—when you trust it, you open yourself up to unexpected possibilities that can accelerate your financial growth.

To develop the habit of following inspired action, start paying attention to the subtle nudges you receive throughout the day. If you suddenly feel compelled to read a particular book, reach out to someone, or explore a new idea, take action on it. Even if it doesn’t lead to immediate results, trust that it’s guiding you in the right direction.

A great way to reinforce this practice is to keep a success journal where you document moments when following a hunch led to a positive outcome. Over time, you’ll see a pattern—your instincts are often right, and they are nudging you toward opportunities you wouldn’t have found through logic alone.

It’s important to remember that inspired action is different from impulsive action. Inspired action comes from a place of alignment and intuition—it feels right, even if it doesn’t make complete sense at the moment. Impulsive action, on the other hand, is often driven by fear, desperation, or the need for quick results. Learning to distinguish between the two will help you make smarter decisions.

Finally, don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Some of the best opportunities come when you take a chance on something unfamiliar. The more you trust yourself and follow your inner guidance, the more aligned your actions will be with your financial goals.

By following the hunches and taking inspired action, you’ll find yourself effortlessly moving toward financial success. The universe is always guiding you—your job is to listen and act when the opportunity presents itself.

Step Into Your Financial Power

Transforming your financial reality is not about finding the perfect strategy or waiting for the right circumstances—it’s about shifting your mindset and taking consistent action. Each of these seven principles is designed to help you break free from scarcity thinking and step into an abundant mindset where money flows more easily into your life.

It’s important to remember that financial success is not reserved for the lucky few. It is available to anyone who is willing to change their thinking, trust the process, and take inspired action. The most successful people in the world weren’t necessarily the smartest or the most talented; they were the ones who believed in their ability to create wealth, took bold steps forward, and refused to let fear hold them back.

As you integrate these principles into your daily life, be patient with yourself. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but every small shift in your mindset compounds over time. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and trust that you are on the right path.

Also, don’t be afraid to dream bigger. Your financial reality expands in proportion to your vision and your willingness to act on it. If you’ve been thinking too small, give yourself permission to set higher goals. The universe responds to bold intentions and decisive action.

Most importantly, enjoy the journey. Money is a tool for creating the life you want, not a source of stress and anxiety. The more you relax into the process and embrace these mindset shifts, the more effortlessly opportunities will present themselves.

Your wealthier, more abundant future is already waiting for you—it’s simply a matter of stepping into it. Trust yourself, follow your intuition, and know that financial freedom is within reach. The journey starts now.