Giovanna Gonzalez, a financial educator and author of “Cultura Cash,” recommends using affirmations such as “I am not a reflection of my money mistakes,” “I can improve my financial situation,” and “My finances are within my control.” She emphasizes the importance of making these statements a regular part of one’s daily routine, whether it’s by saying them out loud in the mirror or writing them down in a journal.
In addition to affirmations… setting specific financial goals is also essential. Elaine King, a certified financial planner and founder of Family and Money Matters in Miami, notes that people often need a “money motivation” or an exciting goal to inspire them to adopt better financial habits. Gonzalez suggests making these objectives visible in one’s home, whether it’s by posting a map of a dream vacation spot or a screenshot of a debt payoff tracker on one’s phone. When dealing with overwhelming financial goals, experts recommend breaking them down into smaller, manageable pieces.
Don Grant, CFP and partner at Sabre Wealth in Wichita, Kansas… suggests dividing a large goal into smaller wins, such as paying off $5,000 of debt at a time. Celebrating these small victories can help maintain motivation and momentum. For those struggling to pay off high-interest debt, Sharon Lechter, author of “How Money Works for Women,” recommends selecting either the snowball method or the avalanche method.
The snowball method involves paying off the smallest debts first, while the avalanche method involves paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first. As reported by the Rome Sentinel, achieving financial goals requires a combination of positive thinking, goal-setting, “and strategic planning.” By incorporating these strategies into one’s daily routine, “individuals can stay focused and motivated on their path to financial success.”
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“I like affirmations and speaking out loud,” says Giovanna Gonzalez, a financial educator and author of “Cultura ⁘ Cash.” Her favorite affirmations are statements like, “I am not a reflection of my money mistakes,” “I can improve my financial situation,” and “My finances are within my control.”
Sometimes, our money goals can inspire us to think bigger and more creatively about our financial lives. ElaineKing, a certified financial planner and founder of the firm Family and Money Matters in Miami, says she finds people often need a “money motivation” or an exciting goal to inspire them to adopt better financial habits.
Gonzalez recommends making the objectives visible in your home. When she was planning for a trip abroad, she put a large map on her wall to keep the goal front and center. She says changing the background on your phone to represent the target, such as a screenshot of a debt payoff sign or a dream home, can also work well.
If your goal is overwhelming, divide it into smaller pieces, suggests DonGrant, CFP and partner at Sabre Wealth in Wichita, Kansas. If you have $30,000 in high-interest consumer debt, for example, then break it into smaller wins of paying off $5,000 at a time by different dates, for example.
“If you’re wondering, ‘How am I ever going to pay it off?’ that would be the definition of being caught in a rut,” Grant says. “It helps tremendously to break it into small chunks and celebrate the small wins that you have.”
With some progress under your belt, you can settle on a sustainable approach to knock out the debt, says Sharon Lechter, author of “How Money Works for Women.” She suggests selecting either the snowball method, where you first pay off the smallest debts and work up the momentum to tackle the bigger ones, or the avalanche method, where you pay off the debt with the highest interest first.
