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Every once in a while it’s easy to get into a funk with our finances. We get out of our groove, we mess up our rhythm, we slack off. What I mean is that it’s easy to slip back into bad habits like getting into debt, or seemingly forgetting how to save money or just simply not caring about reaching our goals anymore. We start thinking about all the negatives to disciplining ourselves financially, becoming more frugal or using our cash flow for saving rather than spending.

Sometimes it’s not fun, but we need to recalibrate. We need to get back on track. If you find yourself in this position, you’ve come to the right place.

So here are three things you can do to get back on track financially and start getting ahead again.

Be Positive

Be positive. This is easier said than done – especially if your natural personality is a bit of a pessimist.

Turn your “No’s” into a “Yes!” Don’t talk about what you can’t do, talk about what you can do. Turn your negativity into positivity.

Now, this doesn’t mean you’ll all of a sudden start saving $2,000 a month, but it does put things into a different light. It’s motivating to talk about the things that could be, to put things into a positive perspective, and it helps with reaching your goals.

I know too many people who think the odds are against them to save. Maybe it’s true, but don’t dwell on why you can’t save – let’s figure out some ways to help you get there.

Share Stories

This is so important. Share stories with others about your successes or your failures and help one another stay accountable with your financial goals.

This is hard to do – especially in our culture, where we prize secrecy and independence about our financial situations.

One of the great motivators for me is hearing all the stories come through in the comments sections or reading other people’s blogs about how they paid off their debt, how they saved 10% of their income or retired early!

I love hearing those stories – and it’s motivating. It makes me want to turn my “No’s” into “Yes’s”.

Why do you think Dave Ramsey is so popular? Besides his to-the-point advice, one of the things people love about his show is the “Out of Debt Scream”

Have you ever heard that? When someone pays off their debt they call in and they get to scream on the air! It’s silly, but you know what – it’s motivating. And there are people across America who are dying to call into the Dave Ramsey Show and scream!!

Commit To Change

I can tell you one thing for sure. If you’re not committed to changing your lifestyle, getting ahead financially, opening a Roth IRA, creating a budget, giving more away or even reviewing your life insurance plans – (you can also throw in any number of other things that take a bit of work) – then you’ll never do it.

You can’t half-heartedly commit to your goals.

Runners don’t half-heartedly commit to the 100 meter dash. Baseball players don’t half-heartedly commit to trying to get a hit.

Neither can you half-heartedly go after your goals – it simply won’t work.

It takes discipline and a motivated effort to change. But you and I both know that you can do it. Look at the contestants on the Biggest Loser.

Most of these folks have lived with negative eating habits for their whole lives and all of a sudden they’re on a show that is getting them to lose weight.

But the weight loss is the result – what trainers Jillian and Bob are really trying to do is get the contestants to commit to change!

If the contestant is not going to commit, they stand no chance of winning the money!

It’s the same with our finances.

Motivate Others!

Now it’s your turn to motivate others and share your story!! Please share at least one positive change you’ve made or a positive thing you’ve done in reaching your financial goals in 2010!

We’d love to hear your story!

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