When you grow up in a noble, hillbilly household like I did, stories and sayings become part of who you are. Partly because you hear them over and over again. And partly because they carry so much truth. I remember many times when I was a little kid, my dad would say, “Ninety percent of solving a problem is realizing there is one.” That’s true whether the problem is with the transmission in your car or the problem is with you.

When I went broke many years ago, I made the mistake most financial people make. I thought the way to fix my personal finance problems was to come up with a different mathematical strategy. All I needed was some brilliant breakthrough with the numbers. Then, the huge hole of debt I’d dug for myself and my family would magically disappear.

But the math was not the problem. The real breakthrough was discovering that the guy in my mirror was the problem. Oh, and by the way—he was also the solution. I couldn’t change the numbers. I was millions of dollars in debt no matter which way I looked at it. I couldn’t change that, but I could change me. I could stop doing stupid stuff with money. I could learn about God’s ways of handling money—and do that instead.

Today, thirty years after that moment of self-discovery, my team and I have now taught millions and millions of people that personal finance is not about the math. Handling your money—winning with money—is all about behavior. We have a saying for that too: personal finance is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent head knowledge. Knowing what to do with your money is the easy part. Actually doing it is the hard part.

Changing your behavior is tough work. You have to first understand your own personal strengths and weaknesses. Why do you make the choices you do with money? That’s not an easy—or comfortable—question to answer sometimes. But by discovering what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can learn how to offset those weaknesses and accentuate your strengths. And that? That’s fuel on the fire of behavior change. It will lead to huge breakthroughs with your money, your relationships, and your life.

My daughter Rachel Cruze grew up living the money principles I started teaching when she was a baby. The poor kid had no idea how weird her family was! If I’m the expert on how to use those principles to clean up a money mess and build wealth, then Rachel is the expert on how to live them out from the very beginning. Every day, she talks with people who are struggling with money—from stage, through The Rachel Cruze Show, and in her bestselling books. Her message is clear: you can live a life you love.

But she’s been listening too. As people shared their stories, Rachel dug into the why behind the choices they made—so she could help them make better ones. And that’s what this book is all about.

Through a series of different lenses, Rachel will walk you through your own path of self-discovery. You’ll learn how the way you grew up influences your money decisions. You’ll start to understand your real money fears and how to face them. You’ll get to the bottom of what motivates you to spend and save money. And most importantly, Rachel will help you use all you’ve learned to transform your money and your life. By the time you finish turning these pages, you’ll be equipped to change your behaviors and finally make real progress in one of life’s most stressful subjects: money. Your relationships will be touched. Your future will be changed. And certainly, your bank account will be affected.

You won’t be able to stop reading, so set aside plenty of time for this one, folks. Get ready to learn about yourself—and then get ready to get to work!