Life Above Zero: Life and Mindset Coaching

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The 7 books that shifted my mindset around money and changed my life - literally!

I wanted to share with you guys

7 books that have transformed my relationship with money.

because trust me when I say -  I’ve definitely come along way since first starting my business four years ago. I never actually even thought of starting a business! I had gone through school and studied really hard to get a scholarship.

I was the first in my family to go to university and I did my Bachelor of Psychology degree before then completing my honours and writing my thesis. I assumed that I would spend the next 50 years making my way up the corporate ladder working as a health professional.

These are some of the books that personally helped me shift my mindset and essentially pivot and change my life (literally) in case you’re somebody who wants to work on your relationship with money or maybe before this email you weren't even aware you could 'have a relationship’ with money.

But first a disclaimer: I’m not getting paid any commissions or receiving any kickbacks by sharing these books with you.

Hand on my heart…

These books and people have helped me transform and change not only my mindset with money but my life; from working 50-60 hours a week being stuck in four walls, feeling like a hamster trying to keep up in the rat race spending three hours a day bumper-to-bumper on the highway, to now being able to work from any where in the world, whether it's the beach, snuggled up in bed or visiting family AND be in control of my self and net worth rather than leaving it up to someone else to tell me how much I am worth per hour. 

  1. Rich Dad Poor Dad - by Robert Kiyosaki

This really helped me change the way I thought about money. I’ve always thought I would just be trading my time working my way up the corporate ladder (I wasn't too phased because let's face it - I had time on my side as an ambitious twenty-one year old!).

So I knew it might take me ten years or so, but one day I'll make good money outworking and stepping over my fellow employees to compete for pay rises and promotions.

This book made me realise how much of an asset I was to the government and business owners to have me working on creating their dreams and financial futures.

This book was a massive wake up call realising if I spent the next 10 years as a committed and loyal employee as I had intended to (as initially I aspired to be working as a clinical psychologist in the Army) it wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to be in regards to the values that are important to me and the lifestyle I personally wanted to create for myself and my future family.

2. Rich Woman - by Kim Kiyosaki.

This book is my all time favourite because it goes into the research and statistics as to why it’s important for women to not only feel comfortable to talk about money but also to understand wealth creation and have financial literacy.

It highlighted the sad and unfortunately common implications of women who do not know how to invest money let alone manage the money they already have.

This is a biggie for me and a massive mission behind our business and brand "Babes in Business" empowering women with financial literacy and helping them create smart income streams of their own.

3. The Barefoot Investor - by Scott Pape.

This is extra good if you're from Australia as it's more of a practical book teaching you how to manage your money and how to get ahead financially.

He teaches you how to set up all your different bank accounts so you've got enough money to live and have fun but also to invest and have long-term security and savings.

This personally really helped me have a better relationship with money so I could put my cash flow on autopilot and not be reactive or emotional about it. That’s how we saved the house deposit for first home, paid for our wedding in cash and travel the world debt free.

4. The Four Year Career - by Richard Bliss Brooke.

I can actually get this book cheaper for you as my bestie + bizz partner Chani stars in the latest edition after sharing her story of what she was able to create with Babes in Business and her financial future in a short three years.

This book was powerful because it introduced me to the Network Marketing Profession and really showed me how I could have more leverage with my time.

I knew I was going to work the next 50 years as a great employee and be a great asset to anyone’s business because I took pride in my work and I realised that this profession and this business model was a smarter way for me to get more in return for my investment of time, energy, love, discipline, sacrifice and my work ethic.

This was pivotal for me because it helped educate me a little bit more about the network marketing profession as I had never been exposed to before, it casted a vision of what it could possibly be for me and my family.

5. Beach Money - by Jordan Adlar

This was a book I stumbled across a few years ago which introduced me to the concept of 'residual income'. The idea of getting continuously paid for something / work that you had done once and essentially creating 'beach money' and get paid while you sleep or sun bake at the beach with a cocktail in your hand! Sign me up baby!

This book opened my eyes to different ways of working and different ways of creating income rather than just trading my time for money which was something I had been conditioned to believe was the honourable and aspired way to create a life and money.

The traditional schooling system grooms you to follow the system of being a good student then a good employee, where you study hard, you do what you're told, ask no questions and don't disrupt the system.

I thought the only other way to get ahead financially was to inherit money, to have an invention, invest a lump sum into property or stocks - none of which were options for me.

So this book was a really cool way to educate me on the different vehicles and ways of creating income while I travel the world, or have kids, volunteer to projects that call to me or if I wanted to work from home or not work at all because something tragic had happened (because lets be honest - tragedies do happen and most people’s jobs don't cater for that).

6. 4 - Hour Work Week - by Timothy Ferriss.

This book was awesome as it inspired me to think outside the box and made me question why work fifty hours a week when you could work four?

It got me asking myself what were some ways I could better leverage my time, what were some things that I could outsource and were the things that I was currently spending my time on bringing me joy or getting me paid?

All the ideas and strategies that were shared in this book got me curious and creating systems of my own that allowed me to work less and ironically be able to make more. My underlying dominate belief around money was that it was tied to 'working hard' and 'exchanging time' to deserve it!

This book helped me break up with that belief for good - acknowledging as a business owner you need to upscale and outsource because businesses that turn over billions of dollars are not dependent on one persons 'time sheet' - hence money does not need to be dependent on the man hours you put in.

7. You are a bad ass at making money - by Jen Sincero.

This book helps you rewire your self talk and mindset around money and helps you become aware of your unconscious attitude towards money.

Your relationship with money can be something that is so ingrained in your DNA due to generations of shitty money stories, your intergenerational wealth or socioeconomic status.

Most of us inherit our parents relationship with money and if you don't actively read and seek wider education the cycle continues and history repeats.

This is an awesome book to help you dive in and explore your unconscious relationship with money as well as providing some really cool activities to help you to rewire and rewrite it!

Happy reading and wealth creating beautiful!