Where do you want to be?

Hi guys! One of the biggest lessons that I learned from 2020 is the importance of good financial planning. So many people found themselves in situations that they never thought they would. Losing their jobs not only meant losing their income. It meant losing their insurance, their homes, their vehicles, their freedom and more. I’ve heard it said a thousand and one times throughout the past year: one source of income is not enough. But what do you do if one source of income is all you have?

I absolutely love being at the beach. The clear blue water, warm sand, sound of the waves crashing. It’s such a relaxing sound to me. My ideal vacation is a tropical one. I’d LOVE to travel to different beaches all over the world. That’s part of what I see myself doing if I had the freedom to do anything. I certainly have others, but this is one of my reasons to be as responsible as I can with my finances.

Where do you want to be? I had to sit back and ask myself this question to really figure it out. What did I really want? Not what someone else wanted for me or suggested I should do or have. What did I want? There’s a reason why I picked the beach as my background as one of my answers to this question. The dream of a tropical vacation is a motivator for me. It’s something I want to be able to do multiple times every year. Among other goals and dreams, it’s part of what drives me to stay on track with my budget. So, let me ask you. Where do you want to be? If you had the freedom to do anything, what would you want to do? Close your eyes and dream. Really dream. Picture yourself being where you want to be, and write it down. Hang it in a place where you’ll see it all the time. This is going to be YOUR motivator to stay on track. It will be what drives you to ‘fund your future’.

In my opinion, this is the first step to financial freedom – getting that vision. You absolutely must have a vision of your where in order to keep you focused on your why. It’s all too easy to get sidetracked or tired or to give up and quit. But if you know where you want to be, you’ll be able to remind yourself of why you are being disciplined in your finances right now. It will help fuel you to stay on track and reach that goal, whatever that goal is. There is no vision too grand.

Situations that we never imagined can happen at any time, and recovery can seem almost insurmountable if you’re not financially ready. There is so much stress that can be associated with not having enough, but there is such peace that comes with knowing that no matter what happens, you and your family will still have a home, will still have food, and will still be OK. I want to be financially really. Do you?

On one income, I’ve been able to fully fund a 6-month emergency fund, prepay my son’s college tuition, and I’m on track to pay off my 30-year mortgage about 16 years early. Do I want more than one source of income? Of course! But there is absolutely a way to use one income to start setting yourself up for financial success TODAY. I’m not where I want to be yet, but I’m so much closer today than I was several years ago. Yep…. I said years. This is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. It takes consistency and discipline, but that’s why vision is so important. Figure out your ‘why’. Find your focus. That will keep you motivated to do what you have to do today in order to get what to where you want to be tomorrow.

I want to dive into this more here on the blog. Financial planning has become one of my passions. I’ve learned so much over the years, and I want to share it with all of you. Debt freedom IS possible for the everyday person. Find your ‘why’, then meet me back here for more.