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John sits at his dining room table every other Sunday. A pile of bills on his left and his laptop on his right. Each bill in the stack, neatly arranged by due date. By the end of the afternoon, John feels like he's wrestled a hungry alligator
Money comes in and goes out just as fast. Hopefully, there's something left over at the end of the paycheck. . Sound familiar?
If you experience this endless cycle of barely breaking even, it feels like there’s no way out and it's exhausting and mind-numbing. But I’m here to show you there ARE ways to break free from the pattern and create a more meaningful money life. Ready?
There’s no doubt managing your cash flow can be tedious, but it must be done, especially if you want the electricity to stay on. You can inject some excitement into this mundane act by weaving some important goals into the process.
1. Start with your BIG goals. Starting a business, buying a home, finishing school. Think about why achieving those goals are so darned important—in fact, it has to be SO important that there's absolutely no room in your thinking for it not to happen. Your willingness and ability to visualize achieving those big goals is integral to your success. See yourself crossing that finish line.
2. Attach a dollar amount to your goals. How much will you need to make it happen? If paying off credit card debt is on your list, then you know the amount. The question is how much can you put towards bringing that balance down to zero?
3. What are you willing to do or change to make it happen? This is the essential question when it comes to shifting a thought to an action. What are the steps necessary and am I willing to walk the talk? The gap between wanting and doing can be wide. By breaking your overall goal into smaller pieces (time and dollars) you can create a momentum shift to move closer and closer to where you want and need to be. There's a good reason why babies crawl before they run.
4. Who can help support you in your success? Don't go it alone. Ask a partner or someone close to be your "teammate" in your endeavor. It's like a gym-buddy, but for financial success. If talking about money is tough for you (you’re not alone), hire a planner to help you get there.
5. Monitor your progress. Keep a chart, make a banner—anything that can show you tangibly how your shifts are moving you closer to attaining your desire.
6. Celebrate your progress and your success. No, I don't mean you should go out and blow the money you’ve just saved. Just spend some time appreciating yourself and how well you are doing. If your goal is to get in shape, eating a Snickers bar is no way to celebrate taking off 5 pounds. Instead, see your progress as great strides in your ultimate objective.
Quick fix solutions to long-term problems rarely work. The solution to getting out of debt is not opening a new credit card account and the best way to provide for a comfortable retirement is not the lottery or the casino.
Managing your spending doesn't need to be boring and mundane. Instead, it can be a dynamic shift towards living your life to your highest values and dreams. By imagining a life that highlights and features what you care most about, you can direct your spending away from that which is less important to the areas that hold the most power. It's a choice that you can make and a heck of a lot better than being stuck in a rut.
