Why do money challenges feel bigger during life transitions?

Life is a constantly shifting experience. A rollercoaster ride that brings highs and lows, exhilarations and plenty of 'hold on tight' moments.

Whilst we are frequently adapting to every day changes, there are also significant life transitions that demand a lot more from you. Attention, energy, time, or stress...your resources can be called upon in more testing ways.

Examples of big life transitions

Starting or scaling a business.

Moving house or location.

Having a child.

Moving jobs.

Starting or ending being a care giver.

Retiring.

Redundancy.

Peri-menopause, menopause, and other hormonal changes.

Significant birthdays.

Getting married.

Being promoted or progressing in your career.

Receiving an inheritance following the death of a loved one.

Experiencing your child or children leaving home.

Going through separation or divorce.

Take a moment to contemplate: what big life transitions have you experienced?

In my talks and trainings, I share that my own money wake up call happened when I resigned from my safe and steady job as a healthcare strategist and founded Moon & Mountain. Without a regular salary, something unexpected surfaced...

Money stories rushed up at me causing all sorts of tumultuous feelings - self doubt, excruciating conversations about my finances or fees, overthinking every decision, the overwhelming responsibility of making money and paying the bills. The wildest bit of the ride was a huge fear of not having enough, which sat at odds with my professional abilities.

That experience sent me deep into understanding my own relationship with money and self confidence, and quickly realising I wasn't the only one experiencing these emotions. It was so transformational that I trained as a money mindset coach and built The Money Quest to take others on that same journey.

So WHY DOES MONEY FEEL MORE CHALLENGING HERE?

➡️ When life is stable, you have routines, roles, and relationships that act as a kind of scaffolding. You don't have to consciously feel safe, secure, or self confident because the scaffolding is doing that work for you.

➡️ Life changes (in career, family dynamics, health, hormones, business, finances) can disrupt or remove that scaffolding. You can feel quite untethered.

➡️ For high-achieving folks, the gap between between how capable you look externally and how uncertain you feel inside, can be genuinely frightening.

➡️ Your money stories - the foundational beliefs you've gathered through your upbringing and life experiences - have a perfect playground to come to the surface in unhelpful ways.

➡️ Fears and fear-driven habits that might usually be dormant or less noticeable, all of a sudden seem to be running amok.

➡️ These fears, habits, patterns, and emotions aren't new. Without the scaffolding of routine, stability, or certainty, they go into overdrive and become impossible to ignore.

Having the right support

As you move from one state to another - from what was to what will be - many support systems focus on the practical elements. For example...

Moving to a leadership role at work? Find some training.

Separating from your partner? Navigate the legal formalities.

Turning 50? Consider a retirement plan.

But these are all external factors. And as much as I love all that stuff (I'm still a strategist after all!) I deeply understand that the external work - the planning, the organising, the reading, the doing - it only takes you so far. Underneath all of it there is an inner layer.

Your relationship with money. And this affects every single decision you take.

This is exactly why Moon & Mountain lives in both places...The outer world of strategy, direction, and leadership. And the inner world of worth, money mindset, and cultivating the confidence to get where you want to go.

WHAT REALLY HELPS

We've already explored that these significant shifts in circumstance can feel destabilising. As if your scaffolding has been disrupted. So it's important to sure things up a bit. What I really mean is: get back to feeling more in control!

1) Acknowledge that you are in a relationship with money

Have you ever thought of it like this? Many haven't. Yet recognising that you are in a lifelong relationship with money can help you understand and own your role in making that relationship feel productive. And like any relationship, it requires attention, effort, and understanding for it to serve you well.

2) Understanding your money story

Times of change often reveal fears, habits, and patterns that were already lurking beneath the surface. Understanding where they came from and what you want instead is crucial to changing them to something more constructive that will support you at this time. The stories no longer run the show - you do!

3) Work with your strengths

Life shifts can be exciting for some, uncomfortable for others, and completely imploding for many. Everyone encounters change differently. And everyone has different strengths, gifts, and challenges too. Honestly appraise yours. Or get a pal to help. Or reveal yours quickly with my free Money Archetypes Quiz. Because working in alignment with your strengths, and with awareness of what you find difficult means you can make more conscious choices that actually feel good. Conversely if you're operating from a place of misalignment, things will feel even harder at a time when clarity, confidence, and stability matter most.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Working on your money mindset isn't something to come back to once the transition is complete - it's what will see you through and ensure the process and the outcome align with what you want.

If you, or members of your team, are going through a life or career transition, I'm here to guide you towards a healthier relationship with money that helps you navigate the change with clarity and confidence.

Holly

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