Take ONE Action To Achieve Your Financial Goals (FAST)

{The shift in thinking you NEED to make if you want to achieve your financial goals.}

 

It happened almost before you knew it. You graduated high school, ready to conquer the world. If you attended college, you may have taken out some student loans. Somewhere along the line you got a credit card. Your new job was in a nice city, but the good apartments were either insanely expensive or 30 minutes out from work. You chose to live further out. But then you needed a vehicle, something safe that wouldn’t break down, so you purchased a new car.

Eventually, you met someone. You wanted to start a new life together and needed a new place to live. Having heard that owning your home was a smart financial move, you bought one–a new home with a warranty so you didn’t have to worry about anything breaking down. Now here you are, years later, maybe with children, wondering why your checkbook balance is always near the red and why the money goes out faster than it comes in. How will you ever retire?

Wherever you are on this timeline, you can make ONE change that will help you achieve your financial goals. Stop worrying about money–or hating it, or thinking you never have enough–and take action to make the change necessary to build your financial and personal Best Life.

 

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So, what’s the secret? What EXACTLY do you need to do?

 

SIMPLIFY YOUR NEEDS

Yep, that’s it. Do that and you will never feel “broke” again… and you just might end up rich.

Because let’s be serious here… many of your “needs” are really just “wants.” Once you understand that you don’t NEED the fancy brand new vehicle and the 5-bedroom home in the gated community and an extra bedroom full of the newest fashions and semi-annual resort vacations and the latest iPhone every 6 months, your financial life gets a lot simpler.

There’s nothing at all wrong with having those things when you can truly afford them, but even then, they are not NEEDS.

Some people will never “get it,” but if you do, so many things become clearer. We humans (and, sadly, especially we Americans) tend to believe we deserve the latest & greatest in everything. We don’t, so let’s start working on making the most of what we have.

We believe we deserve the latest & greatest in everything. We don’t. Click To Tweet

 

What are Your Goals?

No matter what your financial goals are, simplifying your needs will help you achieve those goals.

Do you want to reduce bill-paying stress by living within your actual income? You can do it.

Do you want to pay off debt? Reducing your needs to the basics will help you get a good start. 

Do you want to save more money? Spending less will obviously help you with that.

Do you want to have a fantastic income and be able to afford the pretty things without guilt? Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. Simplifying your needs now will allow you the mental space to work smarter or possibly even develop a new, more personally fulfilling career with increased earning potential. 

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Related Post: 3 Steps to Build Your Best Life EVERY DAY

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True Needs

You NEED a place to live. A safe, clean place – if you have that, you’re better off than most of the world.

You NEED food, preferably nutritious food. Learn to cook and shop wisely.

You NEED transportation. If you live near work, this may be your own two feet. Think about that when deciding where you will live and work.

You NEED an income sufficient to cover your BASIC expenses.

You NEED other people in your life. Be they family and/or friends, other people keep us connected to the real world. However, if your idea of being social is meeting your friends at a bar or restaurant for dinner every night, you might want to rethink the situation. Are your friends helping you on your journey, or are they holding you back?

You know what? That’s really all you NEED. Not the cell phone, not the cable, not the weekly meals out at the “nice” restaurant, not the granite countertops and stainless appliances, not anything more than being safe, warm, and fed.

 

“Life is just expensive.” No. Life is what you choose to make it. #personalfinance Click To Tweet

Stop Making Excuses

“I was never taught any of this money stuff.” That’s okay. You can learn–and learn to do it VERY WELL. Keep it simple, and educate yourself.

“Life is just expensive.” No. Life is what you choose to make it. Allowing yourself to be swept up in the current financial “normal” means you will always be struggling either financially or mentally.

“My friends will leave.” If your focus on true NEEDS sends your “friends” running away, it’s time for new friends.

“But I live in a high COL (cost of living) area.” Why? Why do you live there? And what can you do to reduce the COL for you and/or your family?

“My spouse is not on board.” Ouch. I totally get that one! You will probably need to compromise to keep your relationship on an even keel while trying to make a big financial shift. It will take extra work, and a plan you both can agree on, which is not always easy. One bit of advice I can give you is a name–Dave Ramsey. His motivational attitude and the “man-to-man” aspect just WORKS. My husband hates to read, but he read The Total Money Makeover after I started leaving it in some obvious places. And then he started listening to Dave on the radio. And THEN he really got on board. More than 10 years later, we certainly don’t do everything perfectly, but a quick “What would Dave Ramsey say?” helps us refocus from day to day.

“It’s not my fault.” (Can I just say how much I despise hearing this sentence?!) Sure, life happens. Medical issues, business failure, national economic problems. Still… YOU CHOOSE how to react to those issues. You can either sit back, call it quits, and stay at the bottom of the financial pit–or you can pick yourself up and do whatever it takes to climb out and succeed.

 

A Little Bit of Minimalism Never Hurts

Not everyone aspires to become a minimalist, and that’s just fine.

I am not advocating selling everything you own and moving to a tiny house set up on a friend’s property. (But if you actually do that, I really want to hear about it!) However, I DO think you should start decluttering, in a major way. The more you declutter, the more you appreciate what you have. It also helps you distinguish NEEDS from WANTS.

 

Simplify your needs and you will never feel “broke” again. #money #personalfinance #simplify Click To Tweet

 

Change is difficult. Sometimes it seems overwhelming, especially when it comes to money. You may not be able to change everything at once. But believe me, the sooner you do, the sooner your financial situation will improve. You CAN reach your goals, and simplifying your needs will help you realize that you may already be closer than you thought.

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