How To Get Inspired to Pay Off Your Debt
How To Get Inspired to Pay Off Your Debt
You know you’re in debt. You know you NEED to do something about it. You WANT to pay off your debt. But something is preventing you from starting.
Some people have trouble staying motivated while paying off debt. You wish that were your problem. For some reason, you can’t seem to get inspired to start.
You are not alone. We like what we know – what is comfortable – what is familiar – even if “the familiar” is not the best situation for us. Change is painful, and we stay put because we fear that the pain of changing is greater than the current pain we’re in.
Are you familiar with the tale of the dog on the front porch? It’s been retold many times, and it goes something like this:
There was a young man walking down the street and happened to see an old man sitting on his porch. Next to the old man was his dog, who was whining and whimpering. The young man asked the old man “What’s wrong with your dog” The old man said, “He’s laying on a nail.” The young man asked, “Laying on a nail?, Well why doesn’t he get up?” The old man then replied, “It’s not hurting bad enough.”
This tale is a perfect representation of what we do when we are in a painful situation. We moan and complain but remain in the uncomfortable situation without doing anything about it.
If you are currently in debt, and you want to do something about it but are having trouble starting, I challenge you to ask yourself the following three questions. I also encourage you to write out the answers. There is power in writing things down, and having the answers to these questions accessible will serve as a powerful reminder during your journey (because you WILL start).
3 Questions to Help Inspire You to Pay Off Your Debt
Why Do I Want To Get Out Of Debt?
Defining your ”why” is impactful when it comes to achieving an ambitious goal like paying off your debt. Perhaps in your case, freeing up your debt load will allow you to change your career, or stay home with your children, or travel, or help your family, or simply have the freedom to do more with your money. Whatever it is for you, identifying your “why” puts a clear purpose to paying off your debt.
What Am I Willing to Do to Get Out of Debt?
Get specific here. Keep a running list of all the things you are willing to do. Are you willing to stop eating out? Write that down. Are you willing to delay vacations, work a second job? Each time you think of something, jot it down. Accumulating a laundry list of things serves as a guide. When the call of spending your money seems too great to bear, you can remind yourself of what you said you would give up or take on to pay off your debt.
If I Do Not Get Out of Debt, Then…
Okay, so this is not a question, but I believe it is more powerful than a question. Complete this statement with all the things that will or won’t happen by remaining where you are. Going back to your answers to the first question is a great start. This puts a clear picture to the results of your inaction. Yes, change is hard but not changing is also painful. Reminding yourself of its consequences is important.
Even before deciding how you’re going to approach paying off your debt, it’s important to answer these questions. The answers provide the purpose to the changes, the sacrifices, and the efforts that go into paying off your debt. When you know where you’re going and why you’re going there, what happens along the way becomes more bearable.
Are you having trouble taking that first step towards paying off your debt? I would love to hear your answer to one of these questions. Meet me in the comments below!
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