I reached a big financial goal this month and I want to celebrate success. I now have under $50,000 left in student loan debt. Now some of you may be thinking “oh my gosh, why would she possibly be celebrating having just under $50k left in debt?”. Well here’s why. I have been working my butt off trying to kick this debt to the curb for six years now and I am going to keep working towards it until it is gone. I think it’s important to celebrate your success no matter how small. Acknowledging your progress will let you see how far you’ve truly come and it will help you stay motivated to keep working to achieve your goal. Read more about big picture budget goals.
When your goals are so big you need stepping stones to reach them, you should celebrate success each time you reach that next stepping stone. Any progress towards your goal is still progress and you should be proud. Everyday you face choices about what to do with your money and, let’s face it, sometimes it isn’t easy to move towards your goal. Be proud for the times that you made the difficult choice and be forgiving when you didn’t.
Surround yourself with other people who are trying to reach their goals. Whether their goals are the same as yours or totally different, just being together (in person or online) and supporting each other’s efforts to reach the goal can be a huge help. Help each other. Believe in each other and your ability to reach your goals. And next thing you know, you’ll begin believing in yourself even more.
So what’s my secret to cutting my student loan debt in half? Sadly there’s no secret, just hard work and having a plan. I created my budget (and you can create yours using this free download), looked for ways to cut expenses, and looked at ways to increase income. Then once you have your plan, keep going even if sometimes you have challenges. Just stick with it and know that you can reach your goal no matter what it is.
How do you stay motivated when things get tough? Comment to share your success tips with others.