4 Ways to Get Motivated With Your Money
Most financial journeys are not linear—they have ups and downs. As such, your motivation will ebb and flow too, and that’s ok! When you are ready to get back on track, try these tips to boost your motivation:
Don’t focus too much on the numbers
Tracking your financial progress can help you spot overall trends and recognize whether your finances are generally headed in the right direction, but expecting to always be on an upward trajectory can hold you back. For example, if you are working on building your emergency fund but you need to use it for an unexpected expense, you might feel discouraged seeing your balance drop. Or you might decide to put the expense on your credit card to avoid pulling from your emergency fund, even though overall, that’s worse for your finances. Keep in mind that the end goal is not a number—it’s financial health.
Celebrate your wins
The negativity bias is real: we are much more likely to focus on what went wrong than what went right. To counter that, you have to work extra hard to notice and celebrate your wins. As to the first tip, those wins might not be reflected in your bank account balances increasing or your debt decreasing. Your win might be draining your travel fund to take the dream trip you saved for. It could also be having enough money in your emergency fund to cover a car repair or even just starting to be more mindful of your spending. Take notice of what you’re doing differently—that’s progress! And don’t limit yourself to wins that required a lot of effort on your part; an unexpected windfall that helps you achieve a goal is still a win.
Work on small steps
Many financial goals feel big and elusive: save, pay off debt, be prepared for retirement, buy a house. While the ultimate goal is powerful, you need smaller milestones or tasks to focus on to keep moving forward. By breaking down a major goal, you gain more clarity about how to achieve it. That clarity can help you avoid getting stuck because your goal feels out of reach.
Seek out community
Community is a powerful motivator. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people shows you that you’re not alone in your efforts. They can relate to your struggles, celebrate your successes with you, and offer advice based on their personal experiences. While you want to be careful not to get stuck in the comparison game, other people’s journeys can also serve as a source of inspiration: they can allow you to see what’s possible. As you progress in your financial journey, you can also offer support to others, which can help you recognize how far you’ve come.
Ready to take your finances to the next level?
To get started, schedule a free 20-minute consultation call to speak to a member of our team. We will ask you a few basic questions to get to know you more, walk you through our financial training program steps, and answer any questions you may have. No pressure to join! Need advice quickly? Talk to one of our Trainers on Demand.