ONE Powerful Action You Must Take To Achieve Financial Goals

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed and stressed about your finances? Do you find yourself constantly overthinking and worrying about how to achieve financial goals?

Let’s talk about the ONE action you can take today that will help kickstart your journey to financial success more quickly and with far less stress!

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The Trap of Financial Normalcy

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, a few years later, maybe with children, deep in debt, 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.

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

The Mindset Shift: SIMPLIFY YOUR NEEDS

Yep, ‘simplify your NEEDS’ is it. Do that and you will never feel broke again… and you just might end up rich.

This starts out 100% as a mindset shift, but this one simple action of changing your thinking can have a significant impact on your financial well-being. Because although this starts in your brain, it means you will quickly begin making REAL changes in your life and with your expenses.

Not only will you have more money to put towards your goals, but you will also feel less stressed and overwhelmed.

However, as with most things that are ‘simple,’ it does NOT mean this is ‘easy.’

Just like we discussed in the previous section, we THINK a lot of things are true or ‘required’ when it comes to financial normalcy.

But let’s be serious here… many of our ‘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 year, 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 when you do, so many things become clearer. We humans (and, sadly, especially we Americans) tend to believe we deserve the latest and greatest in everything.

We don’t, so let’s start working on making the most of what we have.

Sometimes it’s VERY difficult for overthinkers to do this when we find ourselves in the middle of an overwhelming situation, but it’s absolutely necessary. This is called developing a victory mindset, and it’s ALWAYS the first action starter for goals.

What Are Your Financial 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.

When you’re ready, a no-spend month is a great challenge to try — but it’s probably not for beginners unless you’re immediately excited to go all-in with your new ‘simplify your needs’ mindset.

You might also want to use some of my ‘little money’ ideas to save up $1000 in a year without even touching your regular budget.

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.

What Are Your 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 fancy cell phone, not the cable, not the weekly (perhaps nightly) meals out at the ‘nice’ restaurant, not the granite countertops and stainless appliances, not anything more than being safe, warm, and fed.

Stop Making Excuses About Money

This entire post might feel like some tough love. But sometimes we need that because our thoughts have been stuck in one pattern for too long.

I’ve got a little more of that tough love with examples of money excuses that almost all of us make far too often. Keep reading… I know you can handle it!

• ‘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 partner is not on board.’

Ouch. I totally get that one!

You will probably need to compromise on some things 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 to find a motivational financial person you both like with a money message you can both agree with. My husband and I happen to like the VERY simple financial Baby Steps presented by Dave Ramsey. As an overthinker myself, I find it refreshing to keep everything clear and tightly focused.

• ‘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’m not advocating selling everything you own and moving to a tiny house set up on a friend’s property. 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.

More Resources For Your Goals

Tips for Setting Powerful Goals {for the Overwhelmed Overthinker}

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness – Dave Ramsey

3 Steps to Build Your Best Life EVERY DAY

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

• Identify your needs vs. wants. Be honest with yourself about what you truly need to live a happy and fulfilling life.
• Cut back on unnecessary expenses. Look for ways to reduce your spending without sacrificing your needs.
• Prioritize your financial goals. Focus on what is most important to you and allocate your resources accordingly.
• Stay disciplined. Avoid impulse purchases and stick to your budget.

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 take this ONE action of changing your mindset to simplify your needs, 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.

You’ve got this!

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