One of the big contributors to being able to “get started” with anything is to have control of finances and be in a place where we are not bound by our things or our bills and can freely make choices to improve our lives.

I remember the heartache of being thousands of dollars in credit card debt, student loans, car payments, etc. Restless nights were the norm. Not knowing how I was going to make next month’s rent was oftentimes challenging.

The first step, like with most big changes, is to accept the error of your ways and acknowledge that something you did put you in this position in the first place. How did you get here? What are you going to do to get out of it?

The journey isn’t quick. For me, it took almost 8 years from when I made the decision to make the change and become debt-free. It’s a slow climb up a steep hill but making that first choice can create momentum in the right direction.

And then you have two options. Similar to a business, you either increase your profits (income) or decrease your expenses (bills).

The easiest is to look at all of the areas you are spending money on and put a stronghold on those to tighten up a bit. Depending on your financial situation, you may need to make a lot tougher choices than others but the reality is it has to happen or you’ll have no chance to chip away at the avalanche of debt as well as current expenses that keep coming each month.

The second area, increasing income, can potentially be a long road but it doesn’t always have to be.

Questions you could ask yourself to start thinking this way could be…
Should I ask for a raise?
Am I in the right company and should I look elsewhere that would make me happier and increase my salary?
Is there work I can do on the side to make some extra money?
Are there items I could sell on eBay I am not using?

The questions aren’t as hard as the habit change will be. It’s do you really want to lift the financial burden off of you?

Are you willing to live in discomfort for a short time in order to reap the benefits of financial freedom?

There is a lot deeper you can go on this but these are the first steps to get on the right path.

Make a decision for your future and start the journey to get there today. You’ll sleep much better at night and you won’t be stuck making decisions that make you unhappy because you are in a bad financial situation.