So how do we overcome the challenges?
This post originally appeared onThe Simple Dollar.
The concepts are easy.
Actually making it happen?
Why is it hard, though?
The problem with that is thatthe positive feeling rarely lasts.
You drink the latte and move on with your day.
The new clothes wind up in the closet, mixed in with the rest of your wardrobe.
Of course, we rarely think of that in the moment.
A day later, the purchase is forgotten, but the money spent leaves a hole in our pocket.
The money is gone and we gained exactly nothing that lasts.
Here are three strategies for moving beyond this trap.
This is a mental conversation I have with myself quite frequently.
Having a circle of friends is a powerful thing, butit should not come with a price tag.
The idea here is thatsocial interaction shouldnt require you to drain your wallet.
Good friends dont cost very much.
That time is probably measured in years or even in decades.
A long time, indeed.
Humans arent exactly the most patient of creatures, either.
It can simply feel like youre never going to get there, so why bother?
Here are three methods of getting past this obstacle on your path to financial success.
As long as the end result contributes to your overall goal, they can be quite useful.
After all, this is all about where you want togo, right?
Youre moving in a positive direction.
Why would you want to look backward?
Well, the big benefit of looking backward is to see exactly how far youve come.
Where were you at a year ago?
Even a month ago?
How have your account balances improved?
How much has your debt dropped over that relatively short period of time?
What about since the start of your goal?
Lets say, for example, that you eat out a lot.
Our lives are full of routines like this that can be tweaked for our personal benefit.
Here are three tools for doing just that.
What kind of big, active project causes you to spend less?
Theyre all big projects, of course, but thats kind of the point here.
Thats a great thing.
If you increase your earnings, youre also going to find yourself accelerating toward your big financial goal.
you’ve got the option to work toward earning a degree or earning more certifications.
All of those things work.
All of those things can put more money right in your pocket.
The challenge is devoting the time it takes to make those things happen.
For those who do, there are many, many routes to earning more money out there.
One great place to look for such groups ismeetup.com; another is your local library.
Then jump into those groups.
The real advantage, however, is the social surroundings.
Many people respond to that by giving up.
By not even trying.
And, because of that, they miss out on many great things in life.
Does that seem overwhelmingly large?
Each subsequent milestone should have a similar gap behind it.
So focus on that milestone.
you gotta save $10,000 this year to make your big retirement goal.
So, how can you contribute $10,000 to your retirement savingsthis year?
Its still a challenging goal, but its not a seven-figure goal.
What things are genuinely important to you?
What things do you spend time and money and energy on that are less important to you?
Are you happy with where youre living?
Are you happy with your job?
If thats the case, dont be afraid to tone down the goal a little bit.
Consider postponing the goal for a few years, giving you more years to work toward it.
Consider ways to reduce the target youre shooting for.
Consider staying in your current careeror in the workforce in generalfor a bit longer.
Whatever you want to call it.
No matter how wonderful your plans are, sometimes life just intervenes.
You lose your job.
Your car needs replaced.
Your hot water heater fails and floods your basement.
And, with that, your plans start to go awry.
The path you were on is suddenly diverted and the big goal seems farther away than ever.
It begins to feel impossible.
It doesnt have to be this way.
it’s possible for you to take action now to protect your progress toward your big goal.
Here are three things you might do.
Build an emergency fund.Cash is king.
You dont have to abandon goals or cut back on your progress toward goals, either.
Just transfer a little bit$10 or $20 or $50 or whatever works for your budget.
When an emergency happens, you dont have to panic.
You dont have to go into debt.
Instead, just calmly transfer money back from that emergency fund into your checking account and deal with it.
Is it your health?
Maybe your car is on its last legs.
Perhaps you have friends that convince you to make mistakes of all kinds.
Whatever it is,minimize that risk in your life.
Alter your social circle.
Be proactive about your car problems.
Get some exercise and eat better.
Work on getting a more stable job.
Know your public transportation options.
The fewer obvious risks you have in your life, the better.
you’re free to make yourself much less likely to be knocked off the path.
Plan for upcoming challenges.Many of lifes challenges can be seen well in advance.
You know that property taxes are going to be due quite regularly.
You often know when a car is going to need to be replaced.
You know in advance when insurance bills are going to arrive.
Plan for those things!
Start setting aside money right now for those kinds of planned events.
This way, those known expenses wont knock you off of the path to success that youre on.
Dont let these challenges to your financial progress stand in your way.
Walk right past these obstacles into the life of your dreams.
Image byGraphicworld(Shutterstock).
