Financial gurus are anxious to tell you all the secrets to living the life of your dreams. It’s just a five-step process to success, right? Or, for just $29.99, they will send you the secret sauce for getting ahead.
Guess what: There is no mysterious secret to winning with your finances. Sure, a financial coach can help you understand, organize and learn to manage your money. And a coach can help you develop stronger habits and establish a road map for success. We do that every day. A financial advisor can help you invest, and a CPA can help you stay legal and save you money.
Still, you can’t be successful unless you implement the time-proven strategies, learn to say no and rein in spending. In other words, this mantra is still true: Managing money is 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior. One doesn’t work without the other, but we run into many people every week who can’t conquer the behavior hurdles.
Dave Ramsey, Larry Burkett, Ron Blue have provided the head knowledge, and it all stems from biblical principles, but it’s up to you to develop good habits and learn to say “no” when you want to say yes.
Here are a few suggestions to start to develop better habits.
CREATE A PLAN. Your plan doesn’t have to be elaborate, but you won’t go anywhere without it. After all, as Yogi Berra says, “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” What do you want to accomplish? Be specific and put a time limit on it.
WRITE IT DOWN. If your goals aren’t in writing, they aren’t real. Think about this: “Only three percent of adults have written goals, and everyone else works for them.” ~Brian Tracy.
FIND AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER. Whether it’s a coach, spouse or family member, team up with someone who will hold you accountable and won’t let you off the hook. Still, you can – and should — include others: co-workers, friends, small group. It was Thomas Paine who said: “A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.”
BABY STEPS AND SMALL WINS. It takes small steps to reach big dreams. Complex situations are nothing more than several simple situations you can untangle one knot at a time. “Little by little does the trick.” Aesop.
FOCUS. FOCUS. FOCUS. You don’t have to do it all at once. Pick one area to improve and laser focus on it with gazelle intensity. It’s like the old Chinese proverb: “If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither.” Choose one, master one, then move on.
If winning with finances — or anything else in life — is 80% behavior, it’s always a process and never an overnight event. Suit up for the long haul, pack up for the unexpected detours and hold out for the very best — God’s best — for your life.
If you’d like to chat more about it, we’ve set aside a free Chip Chat for you. Schedule your session with us today.