To Change the Chatter, Change the Channel

The internal chatter that runs inside our head is about 20 times faster than our verbal speech. Researchers estimate that self-talk reaches a pace of up to 4,000 words per minute. If you need to change something, changing your inner talk is a good place to start. Of course, the external messages and information that you take in each day also dramatically influences your chatter and behavior. Changing the channel (or turning it off), goes a long way to altering your internal chatter.

Do You Resist Change?

Planning for a successful financial future is a challenging undertaking and usually requires changes both in how you think AND how you behave. As humans, we are wired to resist change and that’s the rub. You can easily become stuck. Ultimately it comes down to taking steps to where you want to be or staying where you are now.

Trying to move away from all the sources of dis-information isn’t easy. The diagram below depicts The Dis-information Pyramid consisting of sensationalist financial media, Wall Street, and market evidence deniers. This unholy alliance is precisely why 80% or more of the investing public continues down the same broken path without ever making the progress required for sustainable financial success.

The Catalyst for Change

The focus on change can’t be emphasized enough. Most of us have a fairly limited ability to really change. Therefore, the key to nudging ourselves to change starts with being open to change. This openness is a meaningful ingredient in developing a successful financial future. One of our most important roles is to be a catalyst for change for our clients.

You also need motivation to begin making changes that will positively impact your future. A mainstay of this motivation emanates from having confidence that the path you are following will take you to the place you want to go. Another big motivator is anticipating the sense of well-being that will come from being on track financially. Much of our internal chatter focuses on worries about finances. If we can clip a lot of that, space can be freed up to start taking action steps and making changes. The more that we worry about something, the more our self-talk restrains us from taking action and making changes.

Changing your internal chatter can transform your attitude about money for the better. Start there.

Related: What's Different About the Market Drop This Time