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Hello Reader,

As we dive deeper into the holiday season, you’ve undoubtedly heard messages about the importance of gratitude.

Being grateful for what you have is more than just a concept, it’s a way to shift your mindset and enhance your financial well-being.

Let’s explore how a gratitude practice can not only make you happier but also more financially confident plus key tips and ideas to start yours!

1. Let gratitude ground you as you pursue your goals

As we pursue our goals, it's easy to get caught in a cycle of self-criticism. We can feel like a failure when we haven't gained the success we seek.

Yet practicing gratitude can help you flip the script from self-regret to self-appreciation.

Instead of feeling disappointed that you haven’t yet met your goal, be grateful for the progress you’ve made.

For example, if your goal was to pay off debt and you haven’t quite reached it, there’s still so much to appreciate. Shift your mindset and remind yourself to be proud of the progress you’ve made, such as making consistent payments or putting extra money towards your debt.

Progress, no matter how big or small, is always something to be grateful for.

2. Use gratitude to quiet scarcity thinking

Scarcity thinking is the belief that resources are finite, and leads us to constantly think of what we lack. For example, you might stay in a job you dislike because you believe there aren’t enough opportunities out there.

However, when you learn to appreciate what you already have, scarcity thinking begins to lose its power. Consider something you feel you’re lacking; clients, time, or money. Even if you only have a few clients, an hour of free time each week, or just enough money to cover the basics, those are all things worth being grateful for.

Focus on how wonderful your current clients are. Appreciate the quiet hour you have to yourself, even if it’s short. Be thankful that you have the means to meet your needs - many people don’t.

The more you focus on what you do have, the more you recognize its value and the less you worry about what’s missing.

3. Build a wealth mindset through appreciation

Many people believe that wealth is about having a lot of money. In reality, it’s about abundance, in time, freedom, health, and joy. Being grateful helps you cultivate a true wealth mindset.

When you appreciate what’s already in your life, you naturally attract more of what adds value. You begin to seek experiences and connections that bring you joy, meaning, and contentment. That’s the essence of real wealth; using money as a tool to support the life you truly desire.

Use gratitude to celebrate the positive aspects of your life, such as emotional peace, being resilient, and having a solid support system.

4. Practice daily gratitude to ease money anxiety

Anxiety around money can manifest in many ways and is often rooted in fear; fear of running out of money, missing payments, or something unexpected happening.

Gratitude, however, brings you back to the present and eases your mind from those “what ifs.”

A daily gratitude practice reminds you of what you already have and what you’ve accomplished, helping shift your thoughts from fear to appreciation.

By practicing gratitude each day, you cultivate a sense of peace and control over your financial journey.

5. Let gratitude curb impulse spending

Everyone enjoys having new things. The excitement of a new phone or even a new hand lotion can feel refreshing and freeing. Yet this attraction to novelty often leads to impulse spending.

Fortunately, gratitude can serve as a natural barrier to those last-minute purchases.

When you’re truly appreciating what you already have, the desire for something new starts to fade. Sure, you could buy another pair of shoes, but the ones you own are comfortable, reliable, and already molded perfectly to your feet.

By focusing on what you already have, you become less tempted to spend money on things you don’t need and more grounded in intentional, value-driven choices.

6. Try journaling to strengthen your gratitude practice

Journaling is a powerful way to cultivate gratitude and improve your mindset. Here are some prompts to help you get started:

• What financial win am I proud of this year?
• What smart money decisions did I make this year?
• What progress did I make toward my financial goals?
• Which purchases am I most thankful for?
• What can I afford now that I couldn’t before?
• How does money show up to support me in everyday life?

You can also use your journal for a thought dump to write freely about your feelings and emotions. Getting your thoughts on paper can lift an emotional weight and bring a sense of clarity.

7. Stay thankful while striving for more

There’s a common misconception that gratitude means settling for less. Some believe that if you’re thankful for your minimum wage job, you’ll never strive for more.

But practicing gratitude isn’t about giving up on growth, it's about appreciating what you have while working toward what you want. You can be grateful that your job allows you to pay your bills and still focus on improving your skills so you can earn a raise.

Gratitude also applies to less glamorous financial areas, like debt. You don’t have to be happy about having debt to be thankful for the ability to make consistent payments. Acknowledging each payment as progress helps you stay motivated and find new ways to pay your debt off entirely.

Being thankful means appreciating what you have and using it as a stepping stone toward your goals.

8. Don’t forget to thank yourself

Of all the things to be grateful for, the most important one is you. Think about it; your past self made tough decisions and overcame challenges that brought you to where you are today.

Then there’s your present self, putting in the effort now to build a better, brighter future.

You are the key part of your gratitude journey. Don’t forget to appreciate yourself along the way.

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The word gratitude often gets tossed around like it rag doll. We focus on being thankful for a moment or two, then we toss it aside. However, gratitude is a practice that should be embodied by what you do and say.

When appreciation is at the forefront of your mind, you're able to stay focused, live happier, and reach your goals.

If you need more help building up a strong money mindset, you can check out our completely free course on building a solid financial foundation.

Visit the Clever Girl Finance Shop!

📺 On YouTube

Tune in to this YouTube video on Essential mindset shifts for financial abundance you can start today!

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Be sure to Clever Girl Finance YouTube channel for more great videos!

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📖 On the blog

• The 15 worst financial decisions and how to recover from them​
• How to rebuild your life after a financial downturn​
• 7 Steps to create a plan for personal development​

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🎧 On the podcast

• How Steph has used intentional goal setting to achieve her financial goals

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Talk soon ❤️
Team CGF
(Kiersten & Bola)

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