If you could guess at where your money ceiling currently stands, what number springs to mind?

Before you can answer that perhaps I need to clarify what I mean by money (or income) ceiling? 🤔

Have you ever noticed - especially as a freelancer or solopreneur - how your money kind of mysteriously stays at a similar level?

How if one month you earn a bit more, or somehow come into extra money, well, then, over the next month or so, it'll kind of even itself out.

An unexpected expense will show up, or there will be a lean month, or you'll splurge on something. And hey presto, your money is back to that same old level.

Now note I didn't say 'comfortable' level. Quite frankly, often it's incredibly uncomfortable! But familiar. Oh yes, absolutely.

That's what I mean by 'money ceiling'. Some people refer to it as your money thermostat, or your money comfort zone.

So hazard a guess right now where you would put yours? Is it 30,000 a year (€,$ or  £)? 50,000? 75,000? 100,000? 250,000? or even more?

And how can you be sure of your number?

An obvious answer is 'Look at what you've actually been earning' and, as unwelcome as that might be, there's a lot of truth in that. Even if that is much lower than you want and need, that number may well reflect your current beliefs (especially the hidden ones!) around how much money you can actually earn and have.

And there can be more going on than just your beliefs (both about yourself and money and the outside world you inhabit). Your emotions, and what happens in your nervous system when you think about earning and receiving more, can play a part too.

Discover your earnings ceiling

There's a very interesting exercise in a book I read recently by Barbara Stanny. The book is 'Overcoming Underearning' and there is a fascinating exercise there called 'Discover your earnings ceiling.' She attributes it to Karen McCall, founder of the Financial Recovery Institute, so this is third-hand, but no less powerful for that!

She starts with a question: How much do you want to earn in a year?
And encourages you to think in terms of what your services are worth, not how much the market would pay.

Then, after taking a moment to relax and feel calm and serene (maybe you should start tapping!) she continues with the next enquiry:

Imagine you are earning 5,000 a year. How do you feel? What are your thoughts?

Well, if you are anything like me you'll be thinking something like, 'OMG, that's nowhere near enough, that's not even survival level, doesn't cover my basic needs and it's just horrible. Quite ridiculous, aagh!'
For me, it triggered fear of being destitute, despair and hopelessness.

Onwards. Next question:

Imagine you are earning 10,000 a year. How do you feel? What are your thoughts?

Really feel into it. It might be very similar, or it might bring up different emotions, like anger or shame.
For me it was 'This is pathetic. Doesn't even reflect my value as a coach and a musician at all. I hate these two low-paying professions!'

Keep going. 25,000. 50,000. 75,000. 100,000. 250,000. 500,000. 1,000,000.

I really encourage you to note down your thoughts and feelings at each level.

Where does your nervous system start to rebel?

You'll probably find something very interesting. There's a definite comfort zone connected to you and your money. There are three steps:

1. There will be a number that feels 'This is OK, even if not quite enough', and which can trigger some self-judgement and blame, 'I should be earning more than this.'

2. And then there will be a moment of 'OK, NOW we're talking', with accompanying relief, but still a feeling of settling for just a bit less than you would like or feel you deserve.

3. And then, quite suddenly it'll tip into something like, 'This is what I've always wanted... but it doesn't feel possible. I can't quite relate to it. Just not worth the effort and time and hassle, it's just not me.'

All of this takes just a few minutes, but it can be incredibly revealing.

Basically you're going to find your comfort zone → your stretch zone → your nervous system rebellion zone.

Want to start expanding that comfort zone?

I have several tapping videos on YouTube around expanding your money comfort zone and increasing your capacity to receive more without your nervous system going into meltdown.

One is Tapping for 10K a Month, which I originally made for musicians and creatives, as well as solopreneurs, healers and coaches.

And perhaps 10K feels completely out of sight right now. That’s absolutely OK. The point isn’t that €10K should be your number. It’s finding the number that feels exciting and stretchy for you.

So what monthly income would feel exciting-but-stretchy for you right now?

3K? 5K? 10K? Something else?

Let me know in the comments. I’d love to know where your stretch zone begins.