OK, so you know you have too much debt and you’re determined to clear that debt off your plate. What’s your greatest motivator? The idea of living without debt. That you are pushing away from the financial edge. That your life has financial margin. You need to hang on to that strong will and determination for the long run. Many people have a great motivation to eliminate debt from their lives, but then quickly lose focus as life happens. Anything can get you off track if you let it – from life’s little emergencies to even the lure of taking a vacation you can’t really afford.
You may find it helpful to clear debt from your life by keeping a constant reminder of what being debt free is really like. Chances are you don’t want to have a spreadsheet of your debt elimination plan or your total debts hanging on your fridge for all to see (or maybe you’re trying out the humiliation debt plan). But you can put your spreadsheet close to your home computer where you pay bills – which hopefully is done on a regular basis. Or you can use that nice space on the fridge to put a picture up. Think of a reward you will give yourself when you pay off all of your debt, such as a fun vacation. Post a picture of your goal or reward on your fridge, and then nobody has to know why that picture is on your fridge unless you tell them.
The task to clear debt from your life can seem insurmountable. Often it takes years to amass the kind of debt you have and, so, can take years to clear. And you aren’t alone – most Americans have a considerable amount of debt looming over their heads. Thinking about this debt load can be mind blowing, and can cause you a great deal of frustration and anxiety. Maybe you have some sleepless nights as you think about the months and years it will take you to dig out from under the debt mountain.
There is may be some comfort in knowing that your mountain of debt may be just as big as your neighbors’ and your best friend’s, but that doesn’t mean it’s OK. Your life can be so drastically different than it is now if you can find a way to clear your debt. And while it may take some time and determination to stick with your debt elimination plan, you will find that the end result of sticking to your plan on a daily basis and choosing to have coffee at home over hitting Starbucks every morning can end up having some big results to your life. Results for the better.
The bottom line is that you do have the ability to achieve a debt free lifestyle. You simply need to find the will on a day to day basis to make it happen. This is why reminders like having your budget spreadsheet or a photo of your reward for paying off your debts is a good thing.