Fatigue reaches beyond weather woes for us all. Anytime you set a goal or attempt to make a change in your life, the urge to return to old ways taps at your door. The excitement wears off of Day 1. The hard work of being consistent wears you down. The temptation to give up the fight and completely quit becomes ever present.
So many times in our journey of paying off $127k in debt, I wanted to give it up. To lay down the choice to make difficult sacrifices. To splurge on something frivolous or just “be like everyone else.” Again and again, a few simple strategies helped to refresh our journey and kept us from quitting.
Make your goals smaller
I love BHAGs (big hairy audacious goals). But after years of failing at achieving them, I began to realize that I needed to set micro goals within my larger aims. There’s research behind why this process works. It’s a concept called gamification.
If you’ve ever played a video game or a game on your phone, you already have an idea of this, with the earliest levels being the easiest, and your early success prompting you to keep playing, even those the games get harder.
Think like a gamer when you begin your goals. Plan victory celebrations for those first, small achievements so you continue to play the game. You’ll feel the ping of early success and be motivated forward toward more difficult tasks.
Press pause
When it comes to your goals — especially those that are financial — you may need an occasional small break from your overall aims to collect your thoughts, remember why you’re doing what you’re doing and return to your efforts.
But, wait. Before you press pause and perhaps make a splurge purchase (with cash of course) or eat a cookie in the midst of a season of clean, whole foods, you need a plan. It’s easy to allow a small splurge to turn into a month long bender if you’re not careful.
Choose exactly what you will do as a diversion. Set a specific budget (financial or caloric). Allow yourself ample time to enjoy the pause. If it’s hurried or unthinking, you’ll be back to fatigue in no time at all. Then, appreciate the time and money spent.
Create a visual
Studies show that it’s difficult for the human brain to conceive much more than the number seven. For this reason, it’s challenging for any of us to grasp paying off tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Envisioning training for a marathon? Forget it. We lose our way in the middle of numbers and abstract ideas.
It’s smart to create a visual representation of your goals. Maybe you put together a dream board filled with the places you want to visit once you save enough money. Perhaps you create a giant thermometer to fill in as you pay off debt. Even marking dots on your calendar for each day of the week you exercise helps you to see your progress.
Seeing how far you’ve come already bolsters your ability to stick with it even when you’re fatigued.
Ask for advice
When we have challenges in our finances, it’s easy to think that more money will solve all of our problems. However, if you don’t have the knowledge and skills in place to manage your resources well, the same problems repeat no matter how much money you have.
What you need even more than money is wisdom. You need fresh ideas to move toward your goals. You need encouragement from someone who has been there before. You need a new perspective.
Even if you don’t know someone personally who can speak into your life, you can find resources online and books to read. You can find podcasts to listen to and perhaps even a digital support network. If you feel stuck, there’s someone else who has been in a same or similar situation. Ask them what they did to move forward.
Goal fatigue is a natural part of our lives, just as natural as Indiana’s unpredictable weather. But you don’t have to let fatigue keep you from achieving what you want to do with your life. The sacrifices are worth it and you can do it.
