The Next Step
When we are in the process of getting out of debt, we sometimes get to a certain debt that may take longer to pay down and pay off. When this happens, we find ourselves in this lull of sorts where we are continually attacking this debt balance that we owe, but it feels like it is taking an incredibly long time to complete the goal of paying it off.
This delay in gratification has the potential to take the wind out of our sails as far as being able to get the dopamine boosts that we’ve become used to from the previous quick wins. However, one of the ways to get around this is to not only keep your eye on the present but also give yourself permission to focus a little on the future.
Whether you decide to look towards the future as the next step in the process or even further ahead to the completion of your overall goal to become debt free, the result will be the same. You will become aware that the next step will lead to a new lifestyle for you that you probably haven’t been able to imagine in several years.
Using our imagination provides us with the ability to also get a sample taste of what’s to come, and those feelings of excitement will produce the same boosts that we will experience once we’ve accomplished a particular goal. It’s a way for us to keep ourselves motivated and in the game until we’ve fully completed the task at hand.
What’s more, when you allow yourself to look a little bit into the future, you will remember the reasons that you started this journey to begin with. For some, it may be a matter of simply being in a better spot financially. For others, it may be a matter of a happier home life. For others, it could be the freedom from the chains of debt that have kept us awake at night with worry for so long.
Whatever the reasons might be for you, remember that this is proof positive that you had a plan from the outset, and now it’s up to you to see that plan to its full completion. Visualizing your future is an important part of keeping yourself from getting too bogged down by the details that come along with various tasks but instead, allowing yourself to feel the positive changes that are taking place, even if those positive changes haven’t manifested quite yet.
It's a healthy way for us to stay motivated and keep going, even if there are bumps in the road. None of us are perfect, and many of us cannot execute a plan without some issues here and there. The important part is to allow those issues to be addressed in order to forge ahead with the plans at hand.
This journey can be tricky, but the payoff will be phenomenal. God bless.