When it comes to your finances, what do you visualize? If your finances are in shambles, are you only able to visualize what you see before you? Or are you able to envision how things should be? According to the U.S. Census, American families have approximately $7,600 in revolving credit, $11,245 in student loans, $8,160 in vehicle loans and $70,300 in mortgage loans. It is impossible not to acknowledge the fact that this debt is there. The best thing to do to keep your emotions in perspective is to look at the debt and acknowledge that it’s there and envision what your life could be like without it; put a strategy together and start working on shifting the debt downward and outward. You will notice that when your finances are managed well, there will be a chain reaction; your emotions will shift into a positive place.
When you are faced with a mountain of debt, your mood reflects the state of your finances. What do I mean by that? Whether married or single, a huge amount of debt with more month than money could negatively affect your day. Looking at a stack of bills steals your power. It steals your power to be positive, your power to be emotionally able to have sensible discussions and remain at peace with those around you. It steals most of your day….your thought process, no matter how hard you attempt to focus on work, family or fun; the ball and chain increases its weight. Debt is enslaving to the mind; therefore it is imperative that you drop the ball and chain and SHIFT! Tips that can help you shift your mindset:
- Be thankful for what you have – added worry and concerns about what you do not have because of your current financial situation will eventually create a space for stress to grow.
- Face the debt – acknowledge it! You will find that it is not as bad as it seems. The unseen or unknown can create unorganized chaos in your mind. Therefore, it is important to shift your thought process from hiding the debt in a drawer or pretending that it doesn’t exist to listing the debt and creating a strategy to evict it.
- Avoid creating new debt – new debt in a financially chaotic situation, adds more stress.
- Investigate where your money is going and pinpoint the root cause of bad spending habits.
- Skip the hype of Black Friday! Ask yourself, how will creating new debt alleviate or annihilate the debt grip? Is it worth getting up at 3 a.m. to add more debt to the stack of debt that is currently waiting on your paycheck to be deposited so that it can absorb the balance?
You have the power to shift to a thankful mindset. Be thankful for the things that you have and the people that are important in your life. For example, this Thanksgiving (and every day) be thankful for your family, friends, good health, your job, spouse, healthy relationships and life itself just to name a few things. You fill in the blank! Create the legacy for your family that you can be proud of and start living a lifestyle that you can enjoy without going deeper into debt to do it. Remember, give thanks no matter what the situation and take ACTION!
Please leave a comment or e-mail me at christineroebuck@livemylifedebtfree.com.