Distractions surround us everywhere. And if you focus in on a goal like eliminating debt, they seem to come out of no where and in an endless supply. It’s like shopping when you have no money, no list, and no particular purchase to make. Immediately you see 150 items that you suddenly need. right. now.
Eliminating distractions is an indispensable key of paying off debt. Here are four areas of life where we could all benefit from averting our eyes and instead focusing our energies elsewhere.
- STAY OUT OF THE MALL. Seriously, that place is just a hotbed for “the gimmes” and “the I never knew I needed its.” So unless you have gainful employment there, you need to avoid the mall, Walmart, Target, or any other store that places you temptation’s way. It’s not a good idea to visit any of them for sport and then be surprised when you walk out with a receipt totaling way more than your budget allows.
- TURN OFF THE TV. Lest you think I’m a complete killjoy, know that I do enjoy entertainment from time to time and I have my favorite “guilty pleasure” shows. But I can count the TV shows that I regular watch on less than one hand. And as much as I LOVE a good HGTV or Food Network moment of bliss, I’m usually left with malcontent in my heart. If you don’t know about that slamming backsplash, will your life really suffer? And don’t even get me started on the ads.
- FIND NEW FRIENDS. Harsh, huh? While you may not necessarily have to dump a litany list of lifelong friends, you’re probably going to either have to have some hard conversations or seek out fellow frugal minded folks if you’re to successfully pay off debt. Lord bless our core group of friends not so much for the things that they said to encourage us on our debt slaying journey {they did do plenty of that} but more for the things that they didn’t say. Relationships and our finances are so intrinsically tangled that it’s really hard to maintain an intimate relationship with someone who doesn’t “get” what you’re doing. If they’re constantly spending or telling you how stupid you are, it’s time to drop the dead weight and ask the age old “mom” question, “Would a true friend put you in that position?”
- LIMIT THE INTERNET. I’m probably just writing this because I’m feeling convicted today. But I know that I am HIGHLY distracted by the internet for all sorts of reasons. And yes I realize it’s counter intuitive for me to tell you to shut your laptop off or shut down your Facebook account {I kinda like having you around}. And I can PROMISE you I spend way more time online than you do {see, don’t you feel better about yourself?}, but the internet is infinitesimally sending messages to your brain wanting more and more and more. From the ads on the sidebar to your friends’ beautiful beach vacations to e-mails in the inbox that advertise something you didn’t even know you needed, being online is dangerous and counterproductive in your journey of paying off debt. So set a child safety timer for yourself or get an egg timer but unplug if you want to have success.
What distracts you in your journey of paying off debt? How would you suggest eliminating it?
