New maps: why money habits start in your head

Most money advice starts with numbers: how much to save, what to cut, where to invest. Dr. Manzoor R. Massey starts somewhere else. He starts with the thoughts a person carries around before any number gets written down. That is the idea behind Mind Realignment, the program he has designed at Massey Life & Health Insurance Services under the name "Mind Realignment for Financial Freedom."

This article explains that thinking in plain language. The ideas are Dr. Massey's, and the words in quotation marks come from his own material.

We have maps in our heads

Dr. Massey puts the central idea this way: "We travel on the wings of our thoughts. We have maps in our heads. Wherever we stand, we're there by following certain maps. For better and more rewarding destinations, we must acquire new maps."

Think about what that means in everyday life. Each of us learned some rules about money early, often without noticing. Maybe money was tight and always argued about. Maybe it was never discussed. Maybe you learned that spending is a reward, or that saving is for other people. Those lessons became a map, and we have been following it ever since.

A map is not good or bad in itself. It is only useful if it leads where you want to go. If you keep ending up in the same financial spot, the first question may not be about discipline. It may be about whether you are still using a map that was drawn for a different place.

From mind to life

The program describes a chain with five links. In the office's own words, the invitation is to help you change your "Mind, Thoughts, Habit, Actions, Life." The order is the point. Life is the last link, not the first. Most of us try to change our life directly, with a New Year's resolution or a sudden burst of willpower, and then wonder why it fades.

• Mind: what you believe about money, and about what you deserve.
• Thoughts: the running commentary you repeat when you make a purchase or open a bill.
• Habit: the small things you do without deciding, week after week.
• Actions: the choices you make on purpose, such as saving first or paying down a balance.
• Life: the result, which is simply what the first four add up to.

If you want a different result in the last link, the program suggests working on the earlier ones. That is slower than a quick fix, and it tends to hold.

About the person behind the program

According to his own biography on the site, Dr. Massey is the President and founder of the Mind Realignment Leadership Training Institute and the President of Massey Life & Health Insurance Services. He describes himself as the author of seven books, a host of television and radio talk shows, and a speaker who has conducted over 10,000 leadership seminars. He says his specialty is "Mind Mapping for Excellence."

He also says he serves as a volunteer for noble causes and was formerly Governor for Rotary International District 5330 in California. One line from him sums up his outlook: "By receiving we make a living but by giving back we build lives." The office's stated mission fits that spirit: not to pedal products to make a living, but to build lives and help clients enjoy peace of mind.

On the site, he describes his books as each containing 300 life changing ideas to improve our way of thinking, believing and relating to people, places and circumstance, and he calls them practical GPS for productive living. They are available on Amazon or by calling the office.

Trying it yourself this week

You do not need a seminar to start noticing your own maps. A few small exercises can show you where yours came from.

• Finish this sentence three times: "People like us and money..." and see what comes out.
• Write down the first money rule you remember hearing as a child.
• Next time you feel the urge to buy something, name the thought behind it before you decide.
• Choose one habit to change, and write the new action next to the old one.

These are simple, and they can feel odd at first. The goal is not to judge yourself. It is to see the map clearly enough to decide whether to keep following it.

Why this belongs with insurance

It might seem strange for an insurance office to talk about thoughts and habits. The tagline on the site explains it: "We are not just an insurance company." Protection is partly about policies and partly about the behavior that keeps a family steady. A person who plans, saves and thinks ahead is far better placed to use any policy well.

Dr. Massey's offer is direct. As he puts it, "Give us ONE hour." The aim is to help people change their mind, thoughts, habits, actions and life, and he says that in that hour he wants to help you become smarter than 95% of people in managing your life and your money. That is his claim and his goal, and the best way to judge it is to take him up on it.

Take the hour

If you would like to talk it through, Massey Life & Health Insurance Services offers a free one-hour consultation. Call (661) 304-1080, and bring your questions. The office is at 2627 South Waterman Ave., Ste. B, in San Bernardino.