What’s RAS (reticular activating system) got to do with it?

Have you ever stopped to consider how your brain impacts your money mindset and financial decisions? As a money mindset coach, I know that our brains play a crucial role in determining how we manage our money. One of the most fascinating aspects of the brain that plays a huge role in our financial decision-making is our big ol’ RAS (technically known as the reticular activating system).

In this post, I’ll share with you how your RAS influences your money mindset and financial decisions. Understanding how the RAS works will help you make more informed and intentional money moves.

So what exactly is the Reticular Activating System?

The RAS is a network of neurons located in the brainstem that acts as a filter for the sensory information that you receive. Say what? It’s responsible for sorting through the vast amount of information that your brain receives from your senses and determining what’s important and what’s not.

The RAS is like your own personal spam filter, weeding out irrelevant information and helping you focus on what’s important. For example, if you’re walking down a busy street, the RAS will filter out the background noise and focus your attention on the conversation you’re having with your friend. It also plays a role in regulating your sleep-wake cycles and alertness.

How does the RAS impact your money mindset?

The RAS has a powerful impact on your money mindset, which is the set of beliefs and attitudes you have towards money. Your money mindset can either empower you to make positive financial decisions or hold you back from achieving financial success.

The RAS filters out information that doesn’t align with your beliefs and attitudes towards money. For example, if you believe that money is scarce and hard to come by, your RAS will filter out opportunities for earning more money or saving money. That sneaky little… And thus, you’ll be more likely to notice and focus on evidence that supports your belief, such as your low income or crazy high expenses.

On the other hand, if you have a growth mindset towards money and believe that you can improve your financial situation, your RAS will filter out evidence that contradicts this belief. You’ll be more likely to notice opportunities for earning more money or saving money, and your brain will work to find ways to make it happen. Now that sounds super helpful!

Here are some examples of how the RAS works:

• Remember when you purchased a new car, and suddenly started seeing that same make and model everywhere on the road? This is the RAS at work — it filters out the thousands of other cars on the road and focuses your attention on the specific car that you’re now more aware of.
• Another example is when you learn a new word, and suddenly start seeing that word everywhere. The RAS is filtering out the other words and bringing your attention to the specific word you learned.
• Have you ever been at a party and heard someone say your name from across the room? Even though there was lots of other noise, your RAS was filtering out the other sounds and honing in on the sound of your name.

These examples demonstrate how the RAS helps you filter and prioritize the millions of pieces of information that your brain processes every second, and bring your attention to the things that you’re focused on. By understanding how the RAS works, you can use it to your advantage is many aspects of life.

How can you use the RAS to improve your financial situation?

Now that you understand how the RAS impacts your money mindset, let’s explore how you can use this knowledge to make better financial decisions.

1. First, it’s essential to identify any limiting beliefs you may have around money. These beliefs could be holding you back from achieving financial success, and your RAS may be filtering out opportunities that could help you improve your financial situation. Once you’ve identified these limiting beliefs, work on reframing them into more positive and empowering beliefs. For example, instead of believing that money is scarce and hard to come by, reframe this belief to “there are abundant opportunities for me to earn and save money.” Your RAS will begin to filter out evidence that contradicts this belief and focus on opportunities that support it.
2. Second, set clear financial goals for yourself. When you have a clear goal in mind, your RAS will work to filter out distractions and focus on opportunities that will help you achieve that goal. Make your goals specific, measurable, and realistic so that your RAS can identify the opportunities that will help you achieve them.
3. Finally, visualize your financial success. Visualization is a powerful tool that can help you activate your RAS and focus on opportunities that will help you achieve your financial goals. Imagine yourself achieving your financial goals and visualize the steps you’ll take to get there. Your RAS will begin to filter out distractions and focus your attention on opportunities that will help you achieve your vision. How cool is that?

Conclusion

In conclusion, the reticular activating system is a powerful tool that can help you shape our money mindset and improve your financial decision-making — if you use it the right way. By training your RAS to focus on abundance and opportunities, you can attract more wealth and success into your life. Money mindset coaching can be an effective way to work on developing an abundance mindset and creating a financial plan that aligns with your goals and values. Through intentional mindset shifts and strategic action, you can transform your relationship with money and create a life of financial abundance.