A flat investment return. A surprise bill. An unexpected tax slip. These aren’t unusual financial moments; they’re part of the journey. But how we respond to them is deeply influenced by our mental filters, especially the subtle “thinking traps” we fall into without even noticing.

We often see clients spiral into unhelpful thought loops after minor setbacks. Saying things like, “I’ll never retire,” or “I’m just bad with money.”

But that’s not the truth; that’s distorted thinking. And we believe that it’s fixable!

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offers some helpful tools here.

One of the simplest?

Catch the thought (“I’m failing at this”), check it for accuracy (“Actually, I’ve made progress this year”), and change it to a more helpful perspective (“I hit a speed bump, not a dead end!”).

Even noticing your pattern is a win because awareness gives you space to choose a better response next time.

At Succession Financial Planning, we understand that your financial confidence doesn’t come from getting everything right. It comes from learning to manage your reactions when things go wrong.