What Is Your Why?

Most of my posts have focused on practical advice to improve your personal finances. But today I want to take a step back and talk about the why. Why should you try to improve your financial situation? What is your motivation? Why should you bother to change the way you’ve always done things?

Change is hard. We like the familiar. Change is facing things that are not familiar. Sometimes the familiar isn’t so great, but at least we’re comfortable, right?

Change takes intentionality. We have to choose to do things differently. We have to choose to be uncomfortable, at least for a little while.

So why would anyone ever choose to change? There has to be a big enough “why” – a big enough reason to push us to face the unfamiliar, to push us to do things that are uncomfortable.

Here are a few “why’s” from people I’ve met through coaching and coordinating Financial Peace University:

• I’m tired of working so hard with nothing to show for it.

• I’m tired of fighting with my wife over every little purchase.

• I don’t want to be like my parents trying to make it on social security in my retirement years.

• I don’t want my kids to make the same money mistakes I’ve made.

• I want to start a business, but can’t afford to quit my job.

• I want to be a stay-at-home mom.

• We want to be full-time missionaries.

• I’m constantly worried about how we’ll pay for the next emergency.

• I’m tired of feeling guilty when I come home from vacation.

• I’m tired of feeling the shame of borrowing from family members.

• When I see someone in need, I want to be able to help them.

• I don’t want to be the one who needs help.

• I’m tired of feeling out of control.

Do any of these sound familiar? Do you have any to add to the list?

Is your “why” (or “why’s”) big enough to make changes.  Is it big enough to do what it takes to get control of your finances, pay off debt, save for an emergency fund, save for retirement?

If you don’t think your “why” is big enough, do you have any reason to believe it’s going to magically get better on its own without changes? Let me let you in on a little secret – it’s not.   It will only get worse without action.

If you’re ready to stop stressing about money and ready to live the life you want to live instead of the one you’re stuck with, contact me. Let’s start making changes. The principles I teach work. They work for any income level, any debt level, any age. They’re working for my family and for thousands of others. They will work for you too.  Is your “why” big enough to give it a try?