I would do a drum roll here, but I already told you guys that I won my DietBet! I know, I’m awesome. I lost 8.2 pounds and made $13.03 on my $30 investment! So I lost weight and gained money. Woot.
Was it difficult? No. Not even a little bit actually. It was kinda embarrassing how easily the weight fell off. Here’s my secret:
- Eat less
- Move more
- Drink water
Crazy, right? Who knew it was so easy to take off weight? Everyone who’s ever made a conscious effort I assume.
Because I’m a nerd, I started thinking about financial freedom in this way — stupidly simple, but difficult to achieve. We know how to lose weight — eat less, move more — but many of us struggle with it.
Why? Lack of self-control, fear of failure, and fear of the unknown. Not to mention, the difficulty of maintenance after you reach your goal is terrifying.
The abilities required to get a handle on your finances are the same basic skills required to get a handle on your weight. Quick fixes are often temporary and will not last in either case. You cannot get rich quick and maintain it and you cannot lose weight quick and maintain it.
I don’t think I play the victim in my debt situation. In fact, I wrote this post over on Money After Graduation about my debt being entirely my fault. While I have taken full responsibility for my debt, I feel as though I haven’t stepped up and dealt with it as I should. I’ve lacked self control, and lost sight of why eradicating my debt is important to me. There are many things in this world that I want, both material goods and experiences, and my debt load is holding me back from them.
Because of this, I’m committing today to re-prioritize. To make spending decisions aligned with my larger goals. And to also enjoy my life in the meantime in a frugal way (gross, why does the word frugal suck so badly?). I’m currently working on a few lists — including what I want out of life (aka why I give a shit about getting out of debt) and what I want to accomplish over the next couple of years in my financial journey.
I’m asking you all to help keep me accountable when I slip up (which I will). And I’ll gladly do the same for you, but only if you ask. I’m not going to berate your financial decisions without permission, nor do I want to. I have no reason to judge, I’m not god. Well, perhaps to some people I am. I’m not widely accepted as god.
I will be sharing my goals for 2014 as well as a few financial confessions (including my debt load) in December. Hopefully I’ll get my general life goals up before then. I’m scared shitless, but I trust that y’all will be supportive and cheer me on.
Thanks for being my cheerleader, you look so great in that pleated skirt.
[Image from BuzzFeed]
