There are four words in the English language, that when structured in the correct order, could be one of the biggest limiting beliefs for an entrepreneur. When I hear someone say these words, I sometimes cringe because I can tell opportunities just blow this person by. These four words form the saying, “I can’t afford it.”
I must preface by saying, it is not your fault if you were taught to use these atrocious words. They stem from your financial blueprint. We are financial hard-wired at an early age with the talks about money at the dinner table or times at the grocery store when mom declares having to buy the canned vegetables over the fresh because it is too expensive to eat healthy. If you are looking for advice, your parents may not be your best choice as financial planners.
Hitting Rock Bottom
I used to say this quite often until I had an extremely valuable wake up call. I was at the bottom of the bottom in my business. My resources were almost completely burnt out. Having $25 in my bank account, I placed a call to my then business partner out of desperation and asked him to borrow $1,000, which he didn’t even have.
I was to the point where I could not think of a way around me having to get a job. Let me remind you at this point, I have been an entrepreneur for a year and a half. I had some pretty successful months in the past twelve and everyone knew it. Fortunately, I made some not so wise decisions with my money. And I say fortunately because I learned some extremely valuable lessons.
Can I Have My $2,000 Back?
I realized I had prepaid $2,000 for one month’s worth of coaching with a successful business coach. As the humiliation continued, I thought my only option would be to ask him for my money back since I had never used or even scheduled the coaching. So I gave him a ring thinking surely he would understand. After getting straight to the point with him and telling him I need my money back, he said “Bradley, do you know how many people in the history of my business have asked for their money back?” I replied, “not to many.” He quickly snaps back with a “ZERO!”
Boy was I feeling like an idiot at this point. And I am sure he was stretching the truth a bit, but with bills already late and money owed, I really didn’t care. I needed this money. So he insisted that I use this coaching and I insisted I couldn’t afford it and I need my money back. And at this very moment, what he said to me changed my life forever.
“You can’t afford it? Bradley, you can’t afford NOT to use this coaching. Your backwards thinking got you to where you are in life right now. Do you think something is just automatically going to change in the way you think and you will become successful? You need to borrow someone’s thinking to help you reprogram the way you think or you will be stuck this way the rest of your life. Is that what you want?” he asked me.
A Big Blow To The Ego
I was completely floored. Mixed emotions were racing through my head. No one has ever talked to me in that fashion ever before. It was like a gun was put to the head of this limiting belief I had about money. I couldn’t believe I have been saying “I can’t afford it” my entire life which may have led me to pass on many opportunities.
At this point, I am thinking I really had nothing to lose. My dignity was more important than the $2,000. And what is the worst that can happen. Are they going to repossess my Mercedes if I don’t pay the bill? Big deal. It’s not like I even had money to pay for the premium gas. So, I took a leap of faith.
I had 4×45 minute phone coaching sessions with my new coach. He admitted he does not know how much we can accomplish in this time period, as he usually does not work with people for under a three-month period. I was determined to have a breakthrough. We dove into it and right away came up with a plan. The only problem that I was that at the time, I was selling entrepreneurial education and my company I was contracted for just released a new product. After being in business for over a year I realized I had no clue on what it meant to be an entrepreneur and that I was the one who needed it most. How could I sell something I did not own?
How Can I Afford It?
Again I couldn’t help my self with an “I can’t afford it.” This is where I was taught to restructure my wording on this limiting belief. He said to restructure my words and instead ask myself “how can I afford it?” What resources could I tap into at this point? I had to come up with $3,500 for this training, which seemed like climbing Everest.
The only place I knew I could turn was my Dad. Although he didn’t have the money to lend me, he leveraged his credit card, which I am forever thankful for and kept me in the game. With my coaches plan, I knew exactly how much I needed to make and had a blueprint on what I would have to do on a daily basis. What was interesting is that I was going to cut my working time in half and make more money doing so by being more productive with my time.
The Happy Ending
Well long story short, the following month I made $2,100 in profit. The month after that I made $3,800 and just over three months after those four coaching sessions, I cashed in a $20,225 month. And I hope you are absolutely not impressed by those numbers. But, it goes to show how a little shift in thinking can have a profound effect on your life. What I am most proud of, was the fact that at this very moment is when I decided to get out the game and follow my true passion to empower other young entrepreneurs to realize their inner greatness.
But, I couldn’t afford it right? If you truly want something in life, cost will never hold you back. Because your costs of regret from not doing something will outweigh the price you have to pay. If you ever catch yourself saying “I can’t afford it”, ask yourself “how can I afford it” and watch your whole perspective change.
photo cred: Sërch
