Can you believe that it is almost halfway through 2019? Time is flying, but how are you doing with your goals?

Did you say that 2019 was the year that you were going to get your ‘ish together?

This is the year you were going to pay down debt and start saving once and for all?

Did you promise that this was the year that you were going to get a handle on your money?

If you made these declarations, but have found it difficult to make some traction, then this post is exclusively for you.  It is not too late to change your money story.  Even though 5 months have passed, there are still more months ahead in the year that you can make a difference.

Even if you are behind your goals, just imagine where you could be if you start now? The past is over, the future is tomorrow, but the present is now and that’s all you have to work with.  Learn from the mistakes in the past and press towards achieving your financial goals for the rest of 2019.

In this article, I will give 4 simple ways to help you change your money story this year so that you can achieve your money goals once and for all.

Are you ready? YES or YES?

Let’s Go then!

Commit to a Goal & Make it Visible

“You can’t hit a target you never set.”

You typically try to manage a thousand tasks in your head at once because you feel like you can handle it and you have always done it that way.  But is that effective? How do you know if you are moving in the right direction or just checking things off your to-do list?

Yes, you are booked and busy, but are you moving forward or wandering around with no apparent destination? That’s what it is when you say things like,

“I don’t need to write it down because I’ve got it all in my head.”

“I know I need to get to it, but I’ll get to it someday.”

Honestly, what exactly does that mean? It could mean anything and if it means anything, how do you know when you have achieved it?

To achieve your money goals, you must be specific about what that looks like.  Does that mean paying down $10,000 or getting your debt utilization below 30%? Does that mean saving $2000 because that is your first month’s expenses or maxing out your 401K?

This mentality of “I’ve got it in my head” is not effective.  By keeping random thoughts swirling in your mind reduces your ability to focus on what you need to do.  Be a part of the 3% of the population that writes down their specific goals and checks them often.  You need to do this if you want to change your money story.

Set a specific goal, write down, and make it visible.

Find an Accountability Partner

The importance of having an accountability partner cannot be overstated.  Your partner can help affirm you when you are doing great and encourage you to stay on track when you want to revert to your old habits.  They check in with you to make sure you are making progress and hold you to your word.

Everyone wants to do the right thing and do what they say they were going to do.  However, most times we create excuses and give ourselves a pass because no one will never know.  But an accountability partner will only listen to so many excuses.  More importantly, you will want to stop making excuses and look forward to providing positive reports.  Knowing someone will check in with you, gives you another incentive to make progress.

Similar to when you were in grade school and your teacher told you to read the next chapter of a book, but you don’t because they weren’t going to check.  However, if your teacher required a summary on the chapter, then you were more likely to read because you will be accountable for your assignment.

If you cannot find an accountability partner in your immediate circle, search for online groups and in-person meetup groups with like-minded people who you can connect with.

As you progress and develop a positive habit, you may be able to hold yourself accountable.  This is called having self-integrity.   But until that time, seek external support to keep you honest and consistent with your money goals.

Track Your Progress

“What gets tracked, gets done”

Now that you have set your specific goal and identified an accountability partner, the next step is to track your progress.  Build up the habit of tracking your progress daily to hold yourself accountable.  Consistently reviewing your progress is also a good way to reflect on events that may have caused you to venture off course.  Like tracking calories or meals when you are on a diet, you can track your spending to ensure that you stay within your budget.  You can also track your savings and investments as well.  If you have a goal to save $100 every payday, you can track every time you add to your savings account and leave it there.

Tracking your goals keeps your goals visible and at the forefront of your mind.  This active monitoring will keep you motivated to keep going.

You can track your goals manually in a journal or electronically through a habit tracking app such as ‘Stride’. Whatever you choose, make it a point to track your progress if not daily, at least once a week.

Reinforce the Financial Principles

To change old habits, you need frequent positive reinforcement.  It’s critical to constantly remind yourself of the concepts and principles that will help you achieve your goal.  When you consistently reinforce information, it becomes a part of your thought process which in turn creates your habits.  There are many ways that you can reinforce positive money habits such as through abundance affirmations such as:

“Money flows to me easily and abundantly in perfect order”

“My money is working for me to create the life I desire and deserve”

“I am a first-generation millionaire”

Although these phrases may not be your current reality, it is important to impress on the mind what you WANT and not what you don’t want.

Another way to reinforce the habits required to change your money story is to read finance blogs such as this one or other great blogs such as the ones on this list.  By reading finance blogs, you learn new ideas on how to manage your resources effectively and gain inspiration from others who have overcome the same challenges you are dealing with today.  Their success stories can become virtual mentors, guides, and coaches along your journey.

The motto, if they can do it, so can I, is true.

In addition to blogs, there are tons of books available for you to learn from as well.  Here is a great starter list.  Study wealth if you want to be wealthy.

Positive reinforcement is critical because it develops new thoughts into your consciousness that if repeated enough you will start to act on it automatically.  You will automatically send money to your savings account and pay down debt instead of purchasing more stuff.  You will start to question every purchase and take stuff out of your cart because you realized that you don’t need that right now.

Constant reinforcement changes habits.

Final Thoughts

If you have fallen back into your old money habits and have not made the progress you would like, there is still time to make a difference.  In fact, it is never too late to change your money story.  Your story can be filled with abundance, control, and intention.  It takes you to make a decision, commit to that decision, track your progress and provide positive reinforcement.

If you need an additional push to get on track, sign up for the 5-day STAY WOKE Money challenge which will help you gain clarity, confidence, and control over your money.

That’s getting your FINANCES ON POINT.