***The First Step to Begin Powerfully Managing Your Money!

I remember feeling confused, stuck and burdened when it came to handling my money. My husband and I had multiple piles of traveling bills that I could never seem to locate when it was time to pay them. There were even occasions when I avoided opening my bills for fear of how much they were. And to make matters worse I didn’t have a clue as to where my money was disappearing to each month and how much debt we had. It felt like a pipe dream to think that we could ever make enough money to get through to the end of each month, let alone have some fun money to spend without feeling guilty and save 3-6 months of emergency savings… AND retirement. I knew I “should” be dealing with our finances but it just seemed like it would take too much work and time. I found myself thinking that I’d much rather spend my free time doing something fun in the evening or during the weekend instead of diving into our finances. I had worked hard all week and I deserved to have a little fun after all! The breakthrough came for me when I fully acknowledged how guilty and burdened I felt around not knowing what was going on with our money - and the extent to which my guilt was zapping my energy and self-esteem. I realized that if I was ever going to turn our financial situation around it would have to begin with discovering what was going on with our finances. My leanings towards avoidance and procrastination were just a sure fire guarantee of staying financially stuck in the rut that I had come to so deeply despise. I had a gut sense that the path to financial freedom began with creating financial clarity. I also believed that, while there might be an initial learning curve, once I mastered the skill of mastering my money it would take FAR less time to consistently implement these habits in the long run. I rolled up my sleeves and began to ask for help and learn from other money experts. I was not about to spend my precious time trying to figure it out on my own! As a result my husband and I got rid of our credit card debt in almost half the time we had anticipated. We began to make more intentional choices about where we wanted our money to go (instead of getting to the end of the month and wondering where it had disappeared to). We were able to set aside 6-months of emergency savings that gave us an incredible peace of mind. This was extremely important since both of us run our own businesses and have fluctuating incomes. We also begin saving for retirement and setting aside money for fun things like vacations. Now our financial habits really do take very little time. The same is possible for you. It starts with acknowledging that the emotional burden of not knowing what is going on with your money is taking its toll on your energy and self-esteem, realizing that financial clarity is your ticket to achieving financial freedom and knowing that getting a handle on your finances doesn’t have to take a lot of time - that it can actually BE FUN!