“For women, money is an emotional currency, tied to our sense of self-worth and confidence, which can lead us to financial pitfalls that ultimately limit what we pursue in life,” says Meriflor Toneatto, a certified business and life coach and author of Money, Manifestation & Miracles: 8 Principles for Transforming Women’s Relationship with Money. “A woman’s emotional relationship with money directly impacts her overall level of satisfaction in life—or lack of it.” Greater awareness of how you feel about your life can yield helpful insights regarding your relationship with money, which can immediately change for the better.”

Developing greater awareness about yourself will help you have a healthy relationship with your money, says Toneatto, who suggests eight steps to take:

1. Give yourself permission. Women tend to seek support or permission before they make any big life decision. Instead, just give yourself permission. Be grateful for who you are right now and for arriving at this moment in your life.

2. Be honest with yourself. Get to the root of your feelings, beliefs and attitudes about money. Don’t feel a need to keep your feelings about money secret from others, either.

3. Put yourself first. Love yourself! Think of it as “self-fullness” rather than “selfishness” when you set aside time to read, meditate, work out or just be alone.

4. Start a money journal. Track how you feel about your spending and your income. What you focus on will grow, so focus on being grateful about money and you’ll start to see positive changes in your life.

5. Practice forgiveness. Let go of your emotional obstacles regarding money. By forgiving yourself, you’ll remove anything standing in your way to accumulating money.

6. Feel prosperous. Prosperity and wealth is a state of mind, so don’t feel poor! Enjoy what you have now.

7. Monitor synchronicity. As you work on transforming your relationship with money, pay attention to what comes back to you as a result of your intention. Be aware of coincidences, good timing and opportunities that come your way.

8. Celebrate and have fun! View your journey of lifelong self-improvement as an adventure of self-discovery, love, courage and possibility, and celebrate both your big leaps and little steps along the way.

“Just like other crucial life factors, such as health and spiritual well-being, a healthy financial relationship is a lifelong commitment,” Toneatto concludes.