If you’ve ever tried to change your money habits but found yourself slipping back into old behaviors, you’re not alone.
As Jamie Trull, CPA and profit strategist, explains, the process of altering financial behaviors isn’t just about willpower or the right tools—it’s about a combination of mindset, motivation, and methods.
In this post, we explore her insightful approach to making lasting changes in your money habits and how self-awareness can unlock financial success
Understanding Why Money Habits Are Hard to Change
It’s common to feel stuck when trying to shift your financial behavior.
Whether it’s sticking to a budget, keeping up with bookkeeping, or managing business finances, the process can feel overwhelming.
Jamie points out that it’s not just about having the right tools—if that were the case, everyone would have perfect finances by now. Instead, you need to align three critical components:
- Mindset (What you believe about money)
- Motivation (Why you want to make the change)
- Methods (The practical steps and tools to manage finances)
The Three M’s: How to Achieve Lasting Change
1. Mindset: The “What” You Believe About Money
Many of us carry subconscious beliefs about money that affect our financial decisions. Thoughts like “I’m bad with money” or “I’ll never make enough” can hinder progress.
These limiting beliefs often prevent people from even starting their journey toward better money management. Jamie suggests focusing on where you’ve made good financial decisions in the past and actively seeking evidence that challenges your negative beliefs.
“If you believe you can, or you believe you can’t—you’re right.”
This quote Jamie uses highlights the power of belief in achieving financial success. Pro tip: Want to uncover more about your financial mindset?
Take Jamie’s Money Personality Quiz to discover your money archetype and gain insight into your financial strengths and challenges.
2. Motivation: The “Why” Behind Your Financial Goals
Without clear motivation, it’s easy to give up on financial goals, especially when obstacles arise.
Jamie emphasizes the importance of connecting with deep, meaningful reasons for wanting financial change—whether that’s freedom, stability, or a specific goal like saving for a dream vacation.
Many people only seek financial help when they are in crisis, which makes change more difficult.
Don’t wait until pain forces you to change. Instead, create a vision of your desired future and use that to stay motivated, even when challenges arise.
3. Methods: The Practical “How” to Manage Your Finances
Tools and strategies—like budgeting software, accounting systems, or templates—are essential, but they won’t help if the first two M’s (mindset and motivation) aren’t in place.
Jamie highlights that having the best tools means nothing if you never open or use them. Many people buy financial tools but feel overwhelmed or discouraged before even starting.
That’s where mindset and motivation come into play.
When aligned, these factors will ensure that the methods you use—whether it’s tracking expenses or creating a profit plan—lead to sustainable results.
How to Get Started on the Right Track
Jamie offers a free Money Personality Quiz that gives you insights into your financial archetype and helps you identify where your strengths and challenges lie.
This self-awareness can be the key to unlocking new habits and sustaining positive change.
Take the Money Personality Quiz
If you’re watching this in February 2025, Jamie is also hosting a 5-day Financial Breakthrough Challenge designed to help business owners uncover hidden money and shift limiting money beliefs.
It’s an exciting way to kickstart your financial transformation with a community of like-minded individuals.
Final Thoughts
Creating lasting financial change requires more than just good intentions—it takes the right combination of mindset, motivation, and methods.
By developing a positive mindset, finding meaningful motivation, and implementing practical financial tools, you can break free from old habits and build the financial future you desire.
Take the first step today by discovering your unique financial strengths with the Money Personality Quiz. Remember, sustainable change is possible when you align your beliefs, goals, and actions.
Ready to change your financial habits for good? Let us know in the comments what your top money personality archetype is and how you plan to use it to achieve your financial goals!
This is a direct transcript of Jamie Trull’s video, with minimal editing for clarity. It retains the original structure, tone, and conversational style please excuse any errors.
Hello, hello, everyone! Jamie Trull here, your favorite CPA and profit strategist. Today, we’re going to talk about why you can’t change your money habits. Now, I fully believe you can—it’s just really, really hard. We’ll dive into why your previous efforts to change your money habits may not have stuck, even when you had the best intentions.
Maybe you started doing your bookkeeping or keeping up with your business finances, but it eventually fizzled out. You’re not alone in that. And here’s the good news: It’s not you. It’s not even necessarily the tools you use—it’s bigger than that. In today’s video, I’ll explore the reasons why change is hard and how you can make it stick.
The Three M’s: Mindset, Motivation, and Methods
I’ve been reading a book called Limitless by Jim Kwik, and I love the way it frames habit formation using what’s called the Limitless Model. I’ll share it with you here. This model teaches us that if we want to make real, sustainable changes in our habits, we need three things:
- Mindset
- Motivation
- Methods
Often, people come to YouTube looking for methods—the “how.” But the how is only one piece of the puzzle. If you don’t have the right mindset or motivation, all the tools in the world won’t lead to lasting change.
Mindset: The “What”
We hear “mindset” thrown around a lot, and I’ll admit, it can sound like a buzzword. But it’s essential. As a business owner, I’ve had to uplevel my mindset drastically. If you run your own business, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You need to believe in possibilities to make things happen.
One of my favorite sayings is: “If you believe you can or you believe you can’t, you’re right.” This applies to money habits, too. If your mindset says, “I’m not good with money,” or “I always make bad financial decisions,” those beliefs will keep you stuck. Instead, challenge yourself to find evidence of the opposite. Where have you made good financial decisions? When have you been resourceful in generating income?
It’s important to unlock those limiting beliefs—and I’ve got just the tool to help you! Take my Money Personality Quiz. (Find it here). This quiz is based on the Sacred Money Archetypes, and it will reveal your strengths and challenges when it comes to money.
Motivation: The “Why”
The second part of the Limitless Model is motivation. Motivation is the engine driving change. That’s why we always hear the phrase, “Find your why.” It’s cliché, but it’s true—without a reason behind what you’re doing, it won’t stick.
When it comes to money, people often wait until they’re in financial pain before they take action. That’s what happened during COVID-19—many people suddenly realized they needed financial help, and my audience grew rapidly because I could offer that support.
The truth is, we need to find internal motivation before we hit a crisis point. Think about what you really want out of life—freedom, maybe? What does that freedom look like? Get specific and make it feel real. When motivation runs low, you want those habits to be second nature so that you stick to them even when you don’t feel like it.
Methods: The “How”
Finally, let’s talk about methods—the practical tools you’ll use to change your habits. But remember, methods alone aren’t enough if you don’t have the right mindset and motivation.
In my business, I create tools to help business owners manage their finances. You’d be surprised how often people buy those tools and never even log in! They had the intention and bought the tool, but the motivation fizzled, or they didn’t believe they could stick with it. That’s where shame can creep in. And shame, as we know, doesn’t lead to positive outcomes.
We need to combine mindset, motivation, and methods to create lasting change. And that’s exactly what I aim to do in my business:
- Help you build the mindset that change is possible.
- Tap into your motivation to make those changes.
- Provide you with the methods to make it happen.
Special Announcement: 5 Days to Financial Breakthrough Challenge
If you’re watching this in February, we’ve got an exciting free challenge coming up: 5 Days to Financial Breakthrough. It’s designed to uncover hidden money in your business and reveal limiting money beliefs that might be holding you back.
We’ll cover mindset, motivation, and methods, and you’ll walk away with practical wins, like finding extra cash in your business. It’s happening from February 13th, so make sure to join us!
Even if the challenge is over, you can still take the Money Personality Quiz (linked here) to gain insights into your money habits.
Final Thoughts
Thank you so much for joining me today. I’m incredibly excited about the new resources we’re offering to help you improve your financial habits. Remember, lasting change is about mindset, motivation, and methods—you need all three to succeed.
Take the quiz, join the challenge, and let’s make 2024 the year you finally master your money habits.
See you next time!
