Do you want to know the big secret to getting out of debt? It’s actually very simple. This one little tip could make all the difference to you getting debt free or you facing a lifetime of poverty and living paycheck to paycheck.
Persistence.
That’s right–persistence. In this post I am going to explain why persistence is so important, what you can do to be more persistent, and then I’ll give you a few examples of what being persistent has done for me.
Persistents Builds Consistent
One of the biggest struggles you will face when you are trying to get out of debt is focusing on one thing long enough to see it all the way through. In other words, can you stay focused long enough?
Follow One Course Until Successful
The question is when you’re trying to get out of debt and things aren’t working your way, are you going to buckle under pressure or are you going to give it all that you got. If you’ve been able to do that I commend you. You have done what many have not been able to.
However if you haven’t been able to stay persistent here are a couple of likely scenarios you may have fallen victim to. In a moment I will talk about how you can correct these issues very simply.
- Not giving things enough time. When you are getting started on your debt plan, you need to realize that this will take time. The problem is we live in a society where everything is done right away. Getting out of debt may take you anywhere from several months to several years.
- The ‘grass looks greener on the other side of the fence’ syndrome. Have you heard all of those commercials on the radio and T.V. claiming they’ll have you out of debt in no time at all? This is what I am talking about. The greener grass syndrome is basically a way of showing that what someone else is doing is a lot easier than what you are doing. In our case, it is trying to get out of debt. However, don’t follow it because usually these kinds of gimmicks are just a marriage leading you nowhere.
How To Stay Persistent Trying To Get Out Of Debt
Now that we know what may be stopping you from being persistent let us look at how you can stay persistent.
- Just Do One Thing. By focusing on just one thing your chances of success are much greater. However if you focus on ten different things you won’t be able to put as much attention towards your goal.
- Never stay satisfied. If you’re satisfied, the want or the need to push yourself further will not be there. Instead don’t be satisfied with ordinary results. Stay unsatisfied and you will be much more likely to stick to your debt plan and see it through.
- When things don’t work ADJUST. If the debt plan you are currently on isn’t working don’t quit, adjust it. Instead take some time sit down and find one small area in your plan you could improve. Then persistently work at that. If that don’t work adjust it again until your results improve.
The truth is that even a bad plan can work, however, it may take you a little longer to achieve your end result. The point here is that you have a plan and that you stick to it, nuff said.
How I Flew Across The Country On Less Than $150
Persistence has been one of my biggest allies when it comes to trying to get out of debt or saving up some money. For example, how I used my blog to help me get out of debt or how I was able to stay persistent and fund my emergency fund in a matter of days, but persistent works in almost any area of life.
A few years back I was going to go to a meeting in Atlanta when I was still in financial services. It was going to be something I defiantly didn’t want to miss. I was going to have the opportunity to talk to some of the biggest leaders in the financial services industry.
Then, it happened. I found out that my family vacation was the same weekend. Even worse was that the vacation was in Michigan. Now at this point I almost called it quits but then my manager at our office told me you can still go but you have to be persistent.
So I brainstormed different ideas. I thought about flying from Dayton, OH to Atlanta, GA. After finding out it would cost almost $300 I started looking for other ways. After a few days I finally figured it out.
First I went to Dayton International Airport, got a rental car and drove to Atlanta. Then I went to Atlanta’s airport and exchanged rental cars for a lower rate. I was able to stay at the meeting for two days before catching a flight from Atlanta to Ann Arbor, Michigan. This allowed me to take a later flight and in fact my family was going right past the airport anyway.
Just by being persistent I was able to do both trips. In fact I had the trip planned out so well that I only waited at the airport for a half hour. By doing the trip this way I was able to stay under my budget of $150 as well.
The Lesson Learned
Any time I get discouraged now I just think back to this story about how I was able to make things work, and I know that if I stay persistent I can achieve my goals no matter how big they are.
Chris
Being Persistent
