Five Ways to Motivate Yourself to Get Debt Free

Paying off your debt balances is one of those things that you may know needs to be done, but you may struggle to find the motivation to get started and to stick with your effort. Finding a way to get motivated to finally take action can help you to achieve the goals that you have established for yourself. The fact is that the motivation you are looking for may actually be easier to find than you might think. Many people feel overwhelmed and even consumed by their debt—if you are one of these individuals, know that simple motivation can help you slowly but surely get debt free. Take a look at a few of the following suggestions to help you find the motivation you need to remove the burden of financial debt in your life.

Add Up Your Total Monthly Debt Payments

If you have not added up your total monthly debt payments, such as credit cards, car loans and student loans, you may be astounded by the large sum of money you are paying to creditors and lenders each month. Once you’ve had the chance to add up your total debts, simply pause and think how different your life would be if you never had to make those payments again. You may be able to enjoy a truly drastic improvement to your lifestyle and meet significant financial goals that you have.

List Your Financial Goals

You may have a list of goals in your head that you want to accomplish, but it is important that you write them down. Consider things like saving for a down payment for a house, putting the kids through college and more. Place this list on a visible area, such as the corner of your desk or on the fridge. Think about how much easier it will be to attain those goals when you do not have to make your debt payments each month.

Create a Plan

There are different strategies that you can follow to pay off debt, but you will likely never get started with any strategy if you do not create a debt payment plan. Consider which of your debts you want to focus on repaying first, second, third and so forth. Think about how you will find extra money in your budget to pay down balances more quickly. Then, get started putting your plan into action.

Give Yourself a Treat When You Reach Milestones

You may consider giving yourself a treat when you reach milestones in your plan. For example, when you pay off your first account, you may splurge with a small shopping trip. When you pay off all of your debts, you may treat yourself to a nice vacation as a reward. However, the professionals of Exelby & Partners Ltd. who specialize in bankruptcy in Edmonton warn that you should never spend too much on “rewards” since this method can be counter-intuitive if you are splurging more often than you should.

Track Your Progress

Depending on your financial situation and the amount of debt owed, it could reasonably take you several years or longer to pay off all of your debt. This is a journey rather than a one-day event, and it will be easy to fall off track and lose focus. A great way to retain focus is to track your progress. Keep a spreadsheet that shows starting balances, current balances and projected pay off debts. Each time you pay your bills, update the current balance figure. Seeing the difference between the starting balance and the current balance grow each month can help you to remain focused on your goals. It will feel good as you slowly but surely watch the debt amount shrinking as you make your payments and achieve your goals.

If you are interested in paying off your debts, you can follow these tips today. Being debt-free is a truly life-changing experience, and this can be your life if you find the motivation to get started creating and implementing a debt payment plan.