Shame holds people back from making progress with their finances, and in life more generally.
They let their failure to start saving sooner get in the way of starting to save today.
They let their fear of having wasted time lead them to waste more.
They let their past mistakes lead to future mistakes, their past regrets lead to future regrets.
They get caught in a vicious cycle of blame and shame and beating themselves up. It’s a tailspin that can be super hard to get out of.
But it’s possible. I’ve done it myself, and I’ve seen and helped others do the same.
Dealing with the shame of having not made moves sooner or better decisions earlier is almost always one of the big topics I tackle with clients in our first meeting.
I talk about how the system sets you up to fail. How almost every institution or company you interact with wants you to spend more, not save more. Or to take on more debt rather than pursue financial independence.
I talk about how personal finance isn’t taught in schools and often, despite trying their best, our parents don’t do much better. Money tips from friends and family tend to be unreliable at best. And that’s if it gets talked about at all.
The past is the past. And it’s rarely your fault. Not really.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t take responsibility for the future.
When you’re able to let go of the shame, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to move forward. To start taking steps. To start building momentum. To break the cycle.
Don’t let the shame of past mistakes condemn you to a lifetime of less. You’re more capable than you think. You can set goals, make a plan and take the steps necessary to make it happen.
Don’t let shame get in the way. You have nothing to be ashamed of.