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Episode 15: Your financial thermostat—is it keeping you stuck?

Mar 19, 2025

Hi, I'm zelda.
I'm a serial entrepreneur and photographer of 14 years with equal parts analytical and creative mind. I'm here to share the exact systems, strategies and tools that have helped me grow my own profit margin from 21% to 91%.
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Have you ever noticed that no matter how much money you bring in, your bank balance always seems to hover around the same amount? You land a big project or have a record-breaking sales month, only to find yourself back at square one shortly after.

This is your financial thermostat at work. Your subconscious mind has a set financial comfort zone, and unless you intentionally adjust it, you’ll keep operating at the same level, no matter how much you earn.

Let’s explore what a financial thermostat is, how it might be keeping you stuck, and—most importantly—how to reset it to align with the wealth and success you truly desire.

What Is a Financial Thermostat?

Think of your income and financial state like a room’s temperature controlled by a thermostat. Your subconscious mind has a comfort level, a set point for money, influenced by your past experiences, beliefs, and self-worth. If you earn more than this set point, you may unconsciously find ways to spend or lose the extra money. And conversely, if you dip below it, you’ll scramble to recover.

This is why 70% of lottery winners go bankrupt within a few years—they never raised their financial thermostat to handle that sudden level of wealth.

Signs Your Financial Thermostat Is Too Low

If you’re stuck in a cycle of financial ups and downs, your financial thermostat may need a reset. Here’s how it could be showing up in your business:

  • Undercharging & Pricing Struggles – Feeling resistance when raising your prices or frequently discounting your services.
  • Self-Sabotage – Spending extra income on things you don’t truly need to bring yourself back to your comfortable financial set point.
  • Fear of Scaling – Avoiding opportunities for growth, like hiring help or raising your rates, because more success feels intimidating.
  • Feast-or-Famine Cycles – Only working hard when money is tight and relaxing when it’s good, keeping you in an endless loop of feast or famine.

How to Raise Your Financial Thermostat

The good news? Your financial thermostat isn’t set in stone—you can reset it. Here’s how:

1. Identify Your Current Set Point

Look at your last 3-5 years of income. What’s the average? This number reflects your financial comfort zone.

2. Uncover Your Money Beliefs

Your financial thermostat is shaped by deep-seated beliefs about money. Ask yourself:

  • What messages about money did I hear growing up?
  • Do I associate wealth with stress, greed, or responsibility?
  • Am I afraid of losing money if I make more of it?

Identifying these beliefs is the first step in changing them.

3. Rewire Your Mindset

Once you’ve identified limiting beliefs, replace them with empowering ones. Start using affirmations such as:

  • I am capable of earning and keeping more money.
  • My work is valuable, and I deserve to be well paid.

Surround yourself with people who have a healthy relationship with money. Observe how they talk about wealth and success. Notice also what they don’t say about money, for example they wouldn’t be having conversations that revolve around scarcity and lack.

4. Act Like Your Thermostat Is Already Higher

Make business decisions as if you’re already operating at the income level you desire. This doesn’t mean reckless spending—it means managing your finances strategically, investing in growth, and pricing confidently and profitably.

Next time you set a price or consider an investment, ask yourself: Am I acting from my old financial thermostat or my new one?

Final Thoughts

Your financial thermostat greatly influences your income and financial stability. The key to raising it is awareness of where you’re at, intentional action in the direction you want to go, and a commitment to shifting your money mindset through these four steps.

Ready to start today? Download my free guide 100 Powerful Affirmations for Abundance and begin rewiring your financial comfort zone now.

Want more money and business tips? Subscribe to my podcast, The Good with Money Podcast, for new episodes dropping every Thursday!

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