Before I started my first, well, what I would call ‘financially viable’ business, I would often dream of this mythical figure in my head, thinking...
“If I hit $XK a month, then all my problems will be solved”.
I always thought of $10K months being a magical number that would somehow magically prove my worthiness and legitimacy as a successful business woman.
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I thought when I would reach this number, I would be invited to some special club, where all the women that were a part of it would clearly have their shiz together — shiny hair, manicured nails and infamous wisdom — all the things I clearly perceived I was lacking.
When I did the maths, if I hit said unicorn in my head, I would have a magical overflowing fountain of abundance and all of my dreams would come true.
Of course — plot twist —this totally didn’t happen when I did reach that *magical* number, it was all based on flawed thinking.
As I grew my third business from zero to at one point — multiple $5K weeks — my fear also grew and a new level of worthlessness, self esteem issues, and other spiritual tests reared their heads.
With the growth of this business came a ‘leaky bucket’. I was growing my revenue but couldn’t understand why at the end of the month I was left with only a tenth of what I was making.
Plenty was coming in, but there were leaky holes in the infrastructure and foundations that was my business and lifestyle, and I was completely oblivious to the leaks that were present.
I quite literally sketched out a bucket in my journal, then went about addressing the ‘leaks’.
Plenty was coming in, but there were leaky holes in the infrastructure and foundations that was my business and lifestyle, and I was completely oblivious to the leaks that were present.
I quite literally sketched out a bucket in my journal, then went about addressing the ‘leaks’.
The Leaky Bucket
The connection between conscious awareness and your relationship with money is inextricably linked.
WHAT I LEARNED...
1| Energetic leaks are REAL
When my energy was low, or I found myself in a space of feeling energetically depleted or depressed, I would spend more and my account would mysteriously deteriorate.
Go figure.
I would justify spending money on food, alcohol, clothes, self-help guides, books, events — just anything that would make me feel good in the moment and would fix my perceived deficits.
When I felt calm, content, confident and grounded in my life, my spending would align itself with a decreased desire for external pleasures.
Being conscious of this transformed my bank account. Instead of spending, I’d go for a walk, meditate or journal.
Go figure.
I would justify spending money on food, alcohol, clothes, self-help guides, books, events — just anything that would make me feel good in the moment and would fix my perceived deficits.
When I felt calm, content, confident and grounded in my life, my spending would align itself with a decreased desire for external pleasures.
Being conscious of this transformed my bank account. Instead of spending, I’d go for a walk, meditate or journal.
2 | Get a good accountant
The next thing that I knew a good chunk of my spending was going towards was tax and other dues and obligations.
Spending money on a good accountant saved me thousands in the long run.
Outsourcing this to a professional meant the difference between a lousy return (using my layman’s standard of claiming business expenses and keeping my shoebox of receipts), and saving a bunch of cash by knowing I could offset my former business loss against revenue generated — something I never would have known to do.
Spending money on a good accountant saved me thousands in the long run.
Outsourcing this to a professional meant the difference between a lousy return (using my layman’s standard of claiming business expenses and keeping my shoebox of receipts), and saving a bunch of cash by knowing I could offset my former business loss against revenue generated — something I never would have known to do.
If you’re a natural creative, sensitive, empathic, soulful connector, chances are that you’re a bit like me and numbers just aren’t your jam.
Find your soulmate accountant instead of trying to do it yourself.
3 | Audit set and forget subscriptions
Subscription based business models are now a standard offering for most services and products.
This may appear to be convenient, but is also designed to have you ‘set it and forget it’.
Forgetting meant losing track of my spending.
When I went through and did a serious audit of the subscriptions that were coming out monthly, I realised many I had signed up for on a whim, I didn’t really need or weren’t getting any value out of, so was able to cut my subscription spend by over 50%.
This may appear to be convenient, but is also designed to have you ‘set it and forget it’.
Forgetting meant losing track of my spending.
When I went through and did a serious audit of the subscriptions that were coming out monthly, I realised many I had signed up for on a whim, I didn’t really need or weren’t getting any value out of, so was able to cut my subscription spend by over 50%.
4 | The unconscious lifestyle adjustments add up
A mentor once told me that when you start earning more, be wary of spending more — something that seems simple in concept, but can be deeply disruptive.
In my case, this was 100% accurate — the only thing is — I didn’t even realise I was doing it.
The way I was spending was entirely unconscious. It was all in the subtlety of small actions. The smallness of it meant it was happening in every daily transaction and it was adding up quickly.
Doing the grocery shopping? I’d end up spending more by adding things into my basket or not being conscious of the prices of things, when normally I’d buy a more affordable brand.
I’ve never really been one to spend a lot on make up — drugstore makeup would always suffice. All of a sudden I was happy to spend ‘just that little bit more’ on high end products, because I felt I could.
In my case, this was 100% accurate — the only thing is — I didn’t even realise I was doing it.
The way I was spending was entirely unconscious. It was all in the subtlety of small actions. The smallness of it meant it was happening in every daily transaction and it was adding up quickly.
Doing the grocery shopping? I’d end up spending more by adding things into my basket or not being conscious of the prices of things, when normally I’d buy a more affordable brand.
I’ve never really been one to spend a lot on make up — drugstore makeup would always suffice. All of a sudden I was happy to spend ‘just that little bit more’ on high end products, because I felt I could.
The just-a-little-bit-more attitude and adjustments were so subtle in nature yet frequent in behaviour, and ultimately created a gushing leak in my bucket.
Want to learn more?
The Leaky Bucket Blueprint is an effective method to audit your business revenue and assess your spending and leaks in your business on a physical, energetic and emotional level.
The Blueprint is available as part of our Creative Lab Membership (which you can access for FREE on our 7 day trial).
COMING SOON
The Blueprint is available as part of our Creative Lab Membership (which you can access for FREE on our 7 day trial).
COMING SOON
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not intended as a substitute for professional financial advice and is for informational and entertainment purposes. Please make wise decisions and consult a financial professional for any further advice.