Here at Our Debt Free Family, our motto is “Commit. Plan. Take action.”
The first step before committing is to decide that a change is necessary.
Maybe you know that you could be smarter with your money. Or perhaps you recognize that if you lose weight, you’ll be able to lead a healthier, more energetic life. Maybe you realize that there should be more to life than counting down to the weekend every day at work. It could be there is a relationship with a loved one that needs some extra TLC.
My husband and I knew that we needed a change in our financial life when we realized that our savings balance was slowly depleting. It had only been a couple of months after I stopped working to stay home with our young son, and we had recently found out that we were pregnant again.
My last day of work was May 1, 2013, and we began noticing the decline in our checking account by the end of June. Because we didn’t have my income anymore, my husband and I tried to be conscious about the money we were spending. We didn’t buy anything frivolous or what we thought was unnecessary.
We knew we had to be more intentional with our spending and that we could no longer live on a single income without a budget. We realized that without a plan, our savings balance would continue to dip. And we knew if we didn’t take action, our feelings of uncertainty regarding our finances would continue to grow.
Because I’m an avid reader, and I love learning, I took on the responsibility of learning more about personal finance. I began reading books by Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey, the two biggest names in personal finance that I knew at the time. I listened to Dave’s radio show and was inspired by the young families who shared their stories of getting out of debt, often on a single income.
By the end of July, my husband and I had decided that not only would we be more intentional with our spending, but we committed to becoming completely debt free, including our mortgage, by the time we turned forty.
It’s Your Turn to Decide
If you’re still reading, then something has sparked inside you, and you know that it is time for a change. You know that there is a better way of living – a smarter, happier, healthier way.
Now is the time to make that change. Don’t let another day go by without doing something to make your life better.
No matter the change that you seek, think about what will happen if you don’t make a change. Picture what life will be like a year from now or five years from now if things stay the same.
Envision yourself on your deathbed reflecting on your life. Think about the legacy that you would leave if you died tomorrow. Would you wish that you had taken action sooner? Would you wish that your life had ended differently – that you would have accomplished more, that you would have been a better example for your children, or that you would have resolved that issue with your loved one?
The time is now. As the old proverb states, “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago, but the second best time is today.”
Take charge of your life. No matter what you have done or not done in your life, you can change the direction of where your life is headed. All you have to do now is decide.
Plant the seed.
What About You?
Participate in the conversation. What is one area of your life where a change is needed? What is stopping you from making that change? Share in the comments below.
Photo Credit: Deborah Louie
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Wow! That is a really big question, what is one area in my life that I need to change? hummmm…I would have to say, in a broad sense, living a healthier life style. What’s stopping me from making that change? Time! It always feels like I never have enough time on my hands. I always find myself eating out (which is expensive), not working (because of school), and trying to catch-up on sleep on Sunday (because I’m exhausted from the workweek). However, I feel like the changes I need doesn’t go along with my question about your blog and financial stability. Your motto is “commit…deciding that change is necessary.” At what point should someone recognize that their personal finance is important, and that change needs to occur?
Hi, Thomas! Thanks for your comment!
I think it comes down to priorities and values. If you’re not living by your priorities and values, then something needs to change. There will be times in life where responsibilities will require that some priorities be put on the back-burner temporarily, but if this goes on too long, there’s a problem.
I am reminded of one of Steve Jobs’ famous quotes: “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”