Yesterday I came across a C.S. Lewis quote that struck a chord with me. "Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man." While this quote is from his book Mere Christianity and is referencing a more spiritual note, I found it also to apply to the world of personal finance. I could not stop thinking about it and had to expand my thoughts on the subject.
Do you ever feel like you're stuck spinning your wheels in the mud when it comes to your finances? I know I have many a time. Especially lately as my husband and I have been trying to rebuild our emergency savings from the substantial hit it took earlier this year. While I know we are on the 'right road' because we have been making progress towards our goal, it has ended up being a lot slower than originally anticipated. And that has caused frustration. I'm constantly reminding myself that there are no perfect months for a budget and that adjusting your expectations can be really hard sometimes.
There is a delicate balance between being flexible with your budget and completely blowing it. In the world we live in there are so many ways we can get pulled off the road that leads to our financial goals. Family, friends, children, neighbors, advertisers all have a tremendous pull on our budgets trying to lure us away from putting extra money into debt payments or savings. Those other roads are sometimes bigger and have bright neon flashing signs promising fun and happiness for all. At the end of the day when the money is spent, you're left with nothing but the figurative hangover wondering why you did that. We then can become discouraged and give up on our goal altogether. Instead of doing that I want you to stop and think about where you're at right now. Go back to the basics and start again. Even if it's not the beginning of the month. Be realistic and honest with yourself. Recognize your triggers for choosing that path. It's easy to tell yourself Yes rather than NO. But if you tell yourself 'no' or 'not right now' long enough it becomes easier. Getting and staying on the path that leads to your goals is a struggle. Changing direction is really hard to do but worth it when you actually see the progress you are making.
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