I’m sure at one time or another in our lives, each of us has felt the accomplishment of paying off a credit card, car loan, or maybe something you bought for your house, like a major appliance.
Doesn’t it feel good to make that final payment?
It frees up those funds to be used for something else.
When it comes to paying off a debt, it takes discipline. Those with good credit reap the rewards of better rates on various things, from insurance to better credit options for the future.
In our everyday lives, discipline is an important part of a successful life. A life that will take you from a poor credit score to one in the high 700s to 800s! You CAN do it! Self-discipline is something that can be learned.
So how do you build this muscle of self-discipline?
Just like with any muscle, you have to flex it.
Here are some simple tips to start building self-discipline in your life.
Give Yourself Some Credit
First, look at some areas in your life where you already have a good habit. If you’re reading this and thinking, “I can’t think of anything,” I bet you brush your teeth each morning! That is a habit that most people do automatically. Every one of us has at least one good habit that we can build on.
However, at one time in your life, this was an area of self-discipline we learned as children.
Choose An Area
If you want to be more disciplined, choose one area. Most financial experts will encourage you to use the snowball method to pay down your credit cards. Choosing just one debt to aggressively eliminate at a time. In forming self-discipline, pick ONE area to master. Whether it’s walking more, reading a self-improvement book, eating more meals at home, etc., whatever it is, pick one. Once you master one area, then choose another, and so on. Here you will build a solid foundation of one success upon another over time and not overwhelm yourself in the process.
Stay consistent
Using an example from above, if you want to read more, don’t set a lofty goal of reading a whole book! Break it down into increments. For example, five minutes a day. Before long, you will have read a whole book, and by the time a year rolls around, you will have read multiple books. You would have become a disciplined reader.
As the old saying goes, “Yard by yard is hard, but inch by inch is a cinch!”
I hope these three simple steps will help you this week to free up some of your most valuable ‘funds’ and your time and use that time to build self-discipline, which will lead you to live the life of your dreams.
My best,
Yvette
Commentaires