New Year, New Money Story: How to Create a New Financial Chapter for 2025

As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the narratives that shape our financial lives. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, each of us carries a money story—a deeply ingrained set of beliefs and experiences that guide how we earn, spend, save, and invest. This story, often rooted in childhood and shaped by personal experiences, can either propel us toward success or hold us back from reaching our full potential.

So, what’s your money story?

Understanding Your Money Story

Your money story isn’t just a collection of memories about how you’ve handled finances. It’s the internal dialogue you have about money—what it means, how it works, and your role in relation to it.

Common examples include:

• "Money is hard to come by."
• "I’ll never have enough to feel secure."
• "I need to work harder and sacrifice more to earn more."
• "Spending on myself is selfish."
• "Wealth is only for the lucky or privileged."

These narratives don’t just sit idly in the background; they shape your financial behaviors. If your money story tells you that you’re bad with money, you might avoid budgeting or neglect to plan for the future. If you believe that wealth requires constant sacrifice, you may overwork yourself or deprive yourself of joy.