“As you slide down the bannister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.” Irish Blessing
When everything is going right, we often feel that something is about to go horribly wrong. Sometimes, it’s helpful to smile at our human traits and do all we can to avoid derailing our plans!
It’s so easy to fall into a self-sabotaging state, especially when things don’t turn out the way we’d hoped. But just because things don’t go the way we want them to doesn’t mean we need to derail everything. We can get back on track and stay on track.
First: Recall your intention
Getting intentional with a financial goal means creating a clear connection between what we’d like to accomplish and why we want to accomplish it. This connection is important to investing our time and energy into our success.
When you get off track, take a moment to step back and revisit why you set this financial goal in the first place. When we recall the inspiration behind our goal and why it’s important, we are encouraged to get back to working on it.
Second: Set realistic expectations
There’s nothing wrong with “hoping for the best” from your investments, but you could be heading for trouble if your financial goals have unrealistic assumptions. Working with investment professionals and financial advisors are key to setting realistic expectations.
Third: Anticipate tough times
Whether you want to get out of debt or you’re hoping to lose weight, change isn’t easy. You’ll encounter some days that are harder than others, and it’s important to accept that there will be a rough road ahead (or some splinters on that bannister).
Consider potential pitfalls and develop a plan for dealing with those times when you might want to give up. When you have a plan, you’ll feel more confident in your ability to keep going.
Fourth: Don’t do it alone
It requires a level of vulnerability, which is why many of us avoid this, but asking for help in either getting started on a goal, or to just be held accountable, can be exactly what you need to see it through.
Whether it’s your partner, friend, family member, coach or advisor, an accountability partner can help kickstart and sustain your progress. Don’t do it alone; appoint people you trust to be there to cheer you along when you’re feeling down or give you the push you need when you’re feeling stagnant.
Five: Mistakes are part of the process
Progress never comes in a straight line. Sometimes we may think that one step back means that we’ve gone back to square one.
Remember, you’re going to mess up sometimes. But rather than declare yourself a dismal failure, use your energy to create a plan to get back on track.
Don’t derail your finances when things go wrong or seem overwhelmingly impossible. Reach out to your support structures, be kind to yourself and take breaks when you need to. You’ve got this!