Throughout the time my husband and I have been paying debt off, there has been a welcome shift in the way we view money.
There’s also been a shift around how we motivate ourselves to pay off debt, which I think has had a great impact on the success we’ve had so far in trying to become debt free.
We don’t beat ourselves up anymore about how we got into debt. Rather than looking back, we look forward now and as strange as this sounds, our debt (once we started tackling it) has given us many opportunities to learn new skills and has helped us create a vision for how we want to live our lives in the future.
I remember the moment very clearly when I really believed we could do what it takes to become debt free. It was when I paid off a credit card back in November 2013. It was a credit card I’d had for 10 years and the credit limit had been maxed out for most of that time.
When I made the final payment to my creditors for that particular credit card, I did so by phone so I could actually hear the person at the other end confirm that my debt had been cleared. I can’t tell you how good that moment felt. I believed then that debt freedom was possible even with a ton of debt to pay off.
In the months that followed right up to now, we have persevered in our mission, chipping away at the debts and watching those numbers reduce. There have been months where not much debt was paid off and other months where we had jaw dropping debt repayments. Those ones have kept us going, to the point now where our debt free date is two years earlier than expected (by the end of this year all being well)!
As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
The importance of believing in yourself
If you want to achieve anything in life, don’t let self doubt get in the way, because it will just hinder you and put a block on your chances of achieving your personal goals. You have to believe in yourself to succeed.
Sometimes, the people closest to you will have your best interests at heart and think they’re being kind when they gently say that you’re setting yourself up for a fall. Others will bestow negative opinions of your ambitions whether you’ve asked them to or not. But at the end of the day, no-one knows what you’re capable of but you. Have you stopped yourself from trying to do something because of the fear that you’ll fail?
We all fail sometimes. When we fail, we feel bad about ourselves, right? Like we shouldn’t have bothered to give it a go in the first place, we’ve wasted time and the naysayers were right all along. Yes, you might unhelpfully get told “I told you so.” But you can choose who to listen to and filter out those opinions that aren’t helping you.
So what if you do fail, over and over again? The only person that should matter about letting down is yourself, so you owe it to yourself to keep on trying, no matter how many times you fail. As long as you pick yourself up and keep trying, you can achieve success in the end. That’s why believing in yourself is so important.
If you want to get out of debt for example, but you think it’s insurmountable, then it will be. You’ve already doubted your ability to succeed, so you’re not exactly starting off on the right foot. But if you truly believe that you can achieve debt freedom, then you will – because something will change in you and you’ll start making small steps which will all be going in the right direction.
Perseverance will get you to where you want to go
When you believe that you can achieve your goals, you’ll know that you’ll get there no matter how long it takes. That’s perseverance for you. Perseverance delivers you to the finish line, one way or another, providing you have your end goal in sight and close to your heart. Challenges will arise of course, as they do for everyone. How you handle those challenges will determine your chances of success.
For anyone looking to get out of debt, improve their finances or transform other areas of their life, arm yourself with these two values – perseverance and belief, keep your goal in sight – and you will succeed!
Since writing this post, we’ve now become debt free! If you want to read our story, click on the image below!
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I like the saying of Winston Churchill. It is really courage and plus commitment in order for us to keep forward and stick to our goals. I have the same experience in paying endless credit card bills. I was like in a debt that I thought I would not get out. Luckily, with the right courage and commitment, I paid it off after some years.
Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…What is The Future of Recruitment in Australia
I’m so glad you paid off your debt Jayson, that’s great! 🙂
Hayley, yeah after all the perseverance and dedication I put. I’d like to add that belief really is essential. If I hadn’t had belief at the very start, I wouldn’t have done it at all.
Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank recently posted…What’s more important – A pay rise or job security?
It’s all about the mindset for me when it comes to achieving goals. As you said believing in yourself and abilities is crucial to getting things done. You will likely still fight with doubts along the way because that is the reality but as long as you really want to achieve something, you’ll find a way to get it done.
Kassandra recently posted…The Moment I Outgrew My Money
Definitely Kassandra! With every journey comes challenges but if you believe you can do it, you will!
We had a few raise eyebrows during our debt repayment journey, but now that we are complete we have been overwhelmed at the amount of friends that are asked for information on how we did it.
Brian @ Debt Discipline recently posted…Week End Round Up #50
That’s so great Brian, I’m really happy for you and your family. It really is important to do your own thing, set your own goals and stick to them, despite any worries (or negative opinions from others) you might experience about not being able to achieve them.
Anytime I have a slow month where I’m not able to pay as much toward my debt as I’d like to, I remind myself of where I would be if I never started this journey. The payments I’m disappointed with now would have seemed like a hefty extra chunk of change just a couple of years ago. It’s much easier for me to persevere and stay motivated when I not only look ahead to my goal but when I look behind to reflect on how far I’ve come as well.
Brittany recently posted…Saturday Morning Hustle: Links we Loved this Week
Thanks for stopping by Brittany! It’s good to look back, to see where you first started out at and how far you’ve come. It sounds like you’re doing brilliantly with your debt and you’re setting the bar high now to get those payments up to a level you’re happy with! )
Ah that was a great post to read on a Monday morning! In the last six years I’ve had a lot of moments of self-doubt. Some I’ve overcome and some I haven’t. It’s always up and down. BUT…I’ve never given up try to achieve what I want to achieve, so at least that I can take with me!
Tonya@Budget and the Beach recently posted…Making Bold Choices
Glad you enjoyed this Tonya! As long as you don’t give up, you’ll achieve what you want to achieve! I’ve given up far too easily on many things in life before – not just debt, but at one point I stayed in a job that made me miserable because I didn’t believe I could make things work doing something on my own self employed. I kind of fell into self employment anyway through life events and through perseverance I’m making a living for myself and getting of debt too!
Wow! Two posts by two of my fave bloggers about self-confidence today. I needed it too, so great timing. Self-confidence is hard after you’ve been torn down, but I’m really working on getting it back up there and I as I make progress toward my goals (not just financial goals, but all goals) it gets easier and easier to be confident.
Kayla @ Shoeaholicnomore recently posted…October 2014 Budget Plans
One thing about being in debt, is that it can really grind you down and make you feel bad about yourself. Sling your regrets away and always work on moving forwards! 🙂
I needed this today! I feel like this debt repayment has been such a slow progress for me… but I just have to keep my eye on the goal. It just looks like a huge mountain to climb right now.
Ciel Belle recently posted…Week 17 : Birthdays and Holidays
I’m glad this post helped you Ciel! Any progress, no matter how slow – is still progress. Keep going, you can do it! 🙂
Great post Hayley. As you most probably know, I am a huge advocate for a positive mindset. I really believe that whatever you want to achieve whether it is reducing debt, saving a set amount of money, learning a new skill or something else; If you just put your head down and go if it, you can get there.
Also with debt; if you really want to clear it and you’re motivated, you’re already halfway there.
Ricky | The Skint Dad Blog recently posted…Grocery Shopping Online At Tesco
Thanks Ricky! 🙂 It’s so much more productive to have a positive mindset and ignore the ‘noise’ of people around us who don’t believe we can achieve what we set out to do.
Wise words my little grasshopper! Self-doubt is a real issue with many, including myself, so thank you for this shot of encouragement.
Aldo @ Million Dollar Ninja recently posted…Our Trip To Philly – Part One
Lol! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my post Aldo!
I really like the point about looking forward to the future, and leaving the past in the past. I think we all tend to get caught up in our mistakes, what we could have done differently, etc. But we can’t go back in time and change anything! We can only control what happens going forward. It’s up to us to keep fighting.
Erin @ Journey to Saving recently posted…FinCon14 Expenses & Experience
Well said Erin! I spent a lot of time regretting (mostly before I started this blog though). Yet regretting our mistakes just brings us down, so looking forward is the best option all round.
You are spot on. At the end of the day trying over and over again and staying true to what is right for you makes all of the difference.
Thanks Michelle! Staying the course is hard, but the one thing that will bring ultimate success.
Never giving up and even when you reach your goal you are still as passionate as when you started your journey, then definitely a wonderful change will happen to your financial life.
Mike Goodman recently posted…Cash in the Attic – Making Money from your Old Junk
Thanks Mike for stopping by and commenting! Passion is also a great value to have. 🙂
It’s amazing how much attitude affects paying off debt. I am no longer as depressed as I used to be. I have accepted my reality and try to stay positive as I pay off debt. You have to believe it will happen and persevere. Great post!
Melanie @ Dear Debt recently posted…You Don’t Live Here Anymore
Thanks Melanie! Having the right attitude is so important. If you believe that there’s no end in sight, then you won’t be in the right frame of mind to take the action needed to succeed. You’re doing great Melanie and I’m really pleased that you’re feeling more positive.
Good to hear, Hayley. We’ve had a great two quarters except with a little hiccup in September that has got me all rattled again. Gotta stay positive.
debs @ debtdebs recently posted…Credit or Cash? Pick Your Poison