Q: I have made some bad decisions in the past, and I’m feeling stuck and embarrassed and have no idea where to begin. Do you have any advice?
A: If it’s any consolation, you are not alone. We live in a society with a strong message that you’re not enough unless you spend money to appear a certain way. Sometimes the message is just flat out, Spend Your Money! Coupled with the message is a financial system with a vested interest in you living beyond your means (aka credit cards, bank loans, mortgages we can’t afford, finance charges, etc), because that’s how the system makes money. The result can be debt, chronic overspending, and/or shame. What to do?
I’m all about BREAKING OVERWHELMING TASKS INTO STEPS. If you’re growing and evolving, you have challenges in your life that seem insurmountable. We often spend a LOT OF ENERGY DREADING instead of DOING. I’m all about taking baby steps and start doing, so you can free up your energy that’s being wasted on WORRYING. What is your first step? Write down your pesky issue or issues on a blank sheet of paper and come up with a step you can take in the next week to address it. If you’re worried about your debt, can you take inventory by listing it all out by balance, interest rate, and payment? If you’re worried about spending too much and not saving enough, can you start by creating a budget?
Sometimes a great first or second step is contacting a professional resource like me for a free consultation. You have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking this step. You’ll be amazed at how helpful it is just verbalizing your issues and hopes with a professional! And there’s no judgement here, in fact I very much respect anyone who seeks help for any sort of problem they’re facing. We all have problems!
Thanks for watching and please be in touch if you want help with achieving YOUR money goals! Send your questions to: dearaddie@moneyfull.com.