Words are Powerful - Get out of debt using one word!

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Friends. Your words are powerful.

Do you want to have a GOOD life? Or do you want to have an EXCEPTIONAL life? The difference between those two words is gigantic.

MY Words are Powerful

Rewind to 2015. We were trying to get our finances on track. I had a spreadsheet of the debt totals where I could track our progress, and I titled that spreadsheet ‘Debt Reduction’.

After a couple of months, we lost interest, and that spreadsheet sat untouched, collecting digital dust until we fired back up at the end of 2017.

When I looked at what I had started the year before, the word ‘Reduction’ struck me. Was I looking to REDUCE my debt? Nope! I wanted it gone.

So? I changed my mindset and the words I used. Debt ELIMINATION. This pile of stress and obligation was going to be GONE and was never welcome to come back.
Eliminated.
Forever.

Reduction Versus Elimination

Here are the two definitions…

Reduction: making a specified thing smaller or less in amount

Elimination: the complete removal or destruction of something

See the difference? We weren’t looking to make our debt smaller; we were looking for it to be completely destroyed!

YOUR Words are Powerful

Make sure the language you are using when you are thinking about your money is as intentional as your actions are.

For example, you don’t HAVE TO stick to your budget.
You ARE sticking to your budget so you can reach for your best life.

Similarly, don’t tell your friends that you CAN’T go out for drinks every single weekend – that will make your brain switch to deprivation mode, which will cause you to resent this whole process.

Instead, explain to your friends that it’s in your budget to go out once this month so you’d better choose something enjoyable and soul-filling.

And, if you are a daily goal writer like I am, the best brain hack I’ve learned this year is to write in the present tense. Don’t write that you WILL BE debt-free. Write that you ARE debt-free. Your brain will work extra hard to align your reality with that statement and help keep you focused and intentional!

"Good words are worth much and cost little" - George Herbert
The words you use are important - are you looking to reduce your debt or eliminate it completely? — Using powerful words to talk about your finances helps keep you motivated!

Changing your Habits

Getting into the routine of using this language is the same as training yourself to make your bed each day or skipping the take-out coffee. There are lots of new habits that will help you get more intentional with your money, and this brain trick is no different.

Except…it is.

Using words that support your journey, whether you are thinking them or speaking them out loud, can make the biggest difference of all.

If you constantly tell yourself that you can’t do this, that you’ll never be wealthy, that you’ll always be in debt – well, guess what? That will probably be true!

However, if your inner voice is telling you that you can be debt-free, that you are building wealth and being intentional, that you are reaching for more with your money and your life? Well – that’s what will happen!

The Power of Choice

This is your life, and you get to CHOOSE how you live it. It doesn’t matter how you were raised, or the cards life dealt you. You can choose, today, to reach for more. To get intentional with your finances and to change the narrative in your head. You, yes YOU, can decide today that you want to retire early, with enough wealth to do whatever brings you joy.

It won’t always be easy or fun. But, by choosing to make your money work for you, you are taking control of your life and setting the stage for an awesome future.

Likewise, I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed by my finances. And scared of the future.

My mission here is to empower you to believe in yourself and educate you with resources and tools and motivation to do the hard work. I want you to believe that you CAN do this because I believe that you can.

Moving forward, if you are ready to eliminate your debt and start rocking your finances with intention, check out these posts to get you started!

How to start a budget that will change your life
Everything you need to know about sinking funds
Why you need an Emergency Fund – NOW!
How to save for your Emergency Fund fast!

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