Why Financial Freedom Starts with Your Mindset

“Once I earn more, I'll start saving”

“When I hit $2,000 a month, I'll be financially stable.”

Meet the young adults these days—who operate in what we call a survival mindset. They work to pay the bills. A reward with a little splurge after a stressful week. Here comes the worst part—They don't track their spending because “It's not that bad.” These people rely on their credit, or BNPL, when their salaries are late.

These habits are going to cost them before the end of month arrives, they'll be complaining about how small their incomes are when the world's living costs are rising. The reality is, more income doesn't equal more control.

In fact, most people raise their expenses as soon as their paycheck increases. Once they get their hands on their extra income—their whole lifestyle upgrades too! New clothes, better phone and more nights out

“Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't need, to impress people they don't like.”

Observe the quote above, again, and again. Until you realize what the writer, Will Rogers, had in his mind. Because, after you've finally absorbed it, then you can finally move below.

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Freedom requires a willingness to prioritize long-term goals over short-term desires, which means getting delayed gratification, and proper mindset is the best friend of long-term dedication.

What is a mindset, really?

Think of it as the operating system of your life—the invisible code that runs your choices. Or better yet, picture it as a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds, your beliefs are the roots, and your actions? They're the fruits. So imagine if your thoughts are filled with “I'm not good with money.” or “It's impossible for me to be successful.” Then, they will grow to be your unhealthy roots that result with rotten fruits. You can choose to get the highest income, pay for a lot of budgeting apps—but nothing will change if you don't fix your roots.

You don't have to deprive yourself. You just need to be intentional.

Here's how to start shifting your mindset. Fix your thoughts first.

I've mentioned previously about the mindset of “I'm not good with money.” No one is born perfect. We all take our own time and way to learn from how to crawl around to running a field track.

Take Bola Sokunbi as an example. Before she built her six-figure net worth, she was just like many of us—working at a stable job. But her days are filled with dread and anxiety as she was finding ways on how to stretch her paycheck ‘till the end of month. She was living paycheck to paycheck.

In one of her interviews, she explained that the lack of financial knowledge diminished her self-confidence in managing her money. She thought ‘Oh I'm like this because I don't have the education. People don't expect me to have good finances because I don't have what it takes to be one.’ Fortunately, she nurtured her mindset—fed with patience, discipline and the belief that change is possible. And that's when she started the action of managing her finances.

Education has nothing to do with it! It's the passion to learn and the efforts to be better, that matter the most. Learn to have faith—it’s a powerful thing to be possessed—in yourself, in the process, and in which you can't yet see.

Faith is choosing to plant seeds today without seeing the harvest tomorrow. It's like saving $20 per week even when your bank balance still looks empty. It's believing that small steps can still lead to big changes.

So ask yourself, what kind of garden are you growing in your mind? Are you planting seeds that help you build, or are you watering doubts that keep you stuck? Remember, success naturally flows to those who train their minds to expect it, but failure traps those who passively accept it as their reality.

How to fix your mindset?

First, start seeing saving as self-care. Instead of viewing saving as something boring or restrictive, see it as an act of self-love. Future you will thank you.

Second, always ask ‘why’ before you splurge on shopping. I know those check-out buttons are tempting as they are, and the discounted percentage always seems an unbelievably good bargain. But do you really need those, or are you just trying to feel better?

Thirdly, define your own version of success. Don't be ashamed to dream big, start fantasising about the future you. Are you free of debts? Or travelling without guilt? Your ‘why’ is personal—own it.

The journey of financial freedom is never easy but it's doable if you start from within. So water the garden of your mind, pull out the weeds of doubt, and begin planting the beliefs and knowledge that you need. And one day, you will look back and realize—it wasn't the paycheck that set you free, it was you!