Another week and here we are already in March on the cusp of officially changing seasons.  How is your year shaping up?  Are you still committed to your goals for the year?  Have you had some wins?

Are you struggling with getting your financial house in order?  Maybe you have started and had some success but are looking to tighten up a little.  Here are 3 big wins you can do to get going.

Make yourself a priority

As they say before every plane takes off… put the mask on yourself first before helping others.

Its easy to take the focus away from yourself and spend time focusing on the kids, spouse, friends, job, etc… the list is almost endless.  This is especially true when we are avoiding.

We avoid thinking about the hard stuff that make up our lives.  We all have hard stuff.  In truth, the longer you avoid the bigger that hard stuff gets.

Sure, its easy to point out other peoples problems.  We think, why do they live like that?  why don't they do something to make their lives easier, better, more comfortable?

There are no action items for ourselves when we point out other peoples problems.  That is what makes it so easy.

[bctt tweet=”Today is a new day. We cannot help others until we get our own lives on solid ground. ” username=”PieLadyFI”]

Today IS a new day.  We cannot help others until we get our own lives on solid ground.  Today we take some time and think about our own life.  Take inventory of the good and the bad and the ugly.

Remember we can only control what is in our hands.  To turn our attention inward can be difficult and even a little painful, but the amazing thing is the moment we decide today is the day we rip the band aid off and take a look at the situation at hand… its not as bad as we thought.  We begin to feel empowered and start to think about all the ways we can fix things.

Today, pick one thing to address.  Make a list of all the ways to address the issue at hand.  Pick the best solution.  Follow through.  Finally, sit back and enjoy the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment.  Repeat.

[bctt tweet=”We cannot fix what we do not acknowledge.” username=”PieLadyFI”]

Lets take the example of being buried under a mountain of debt.

1) Pull your credit history.  2) Make a list of the debt. 3) Order it by Payoff amount, Interest charged or make your own list of priorities.  4) Focus on that first debt to be paid off (while still paying the minimum on the rest and on time).  5) Celebrate that win.

[bctt tweet=”Too many people spend money they earned… to buy things they don't want… to impress people that they don't like. –Will Rogers” username=”PieLadyFI”]

Take “TRY” out of your vocabulary

To start a sentence with, “I am going to try….” already gives you an out to fail.  After all, you “tried” and it didn't work.

Did you really “try”?

Did you really put forth 150% effort to make it work?

Did you fail at the first try and give up?

The words, “I am going to try” is self defeating.  Your mind has already decided that you failed before even starting.

Today will be different.  Today, we will take the word “try” out of our vocabulary.  From now on, “try” will be replaced with “do”.  Take a breath.  Its going to be ok.  The first time is always the scariest.

That first “do” is empowering.  You suddenly realize you are stronger beyond measure.  The next “do” comes a little easier and you smile to yourself on how wonderful it feels to take control of your own life.  Then you start to wonder, what else can I accomplish?

Thomas Edison once said, “I have not failed.  I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work“.  He also said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

Work that budget baby!

If I have said it once I will say it 100,000 times… keeping a budget has been and still is the single most freeing thing I did.

I started with just recording where I was actually spending my money.  One small step – record spending, all of it, down to the dollar.  It didn't take much time out of my day, just a few minutes.

Then I looked at my spending and was shocked.  Right away I could find things to curb or cut.  No matter how good you think you are at managing your money, nothing pulls it together like having all of your spending right-in-front-of-you.  Try it.  I highly recommend it.  I still make tweaks to my spending.  True fact.

[bctt tweet=”Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.” –Joe Biden” username=”PieLadyFI”]

Time is the real currency

This is more of a reminder that we all have 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year.  What sets us apart is how we spend that time.  Do we waste it or make it count?  Everyday we have the power to decide how our time is spent.

Today, I am leaving you with some inspirational quotes.

Today, find yourself some quite time.  I get up an hour before the rest of the house does.  Take inventory of where you are in your life today, where you want to be tomorrow and make a “DO” plan.  All it takes is commitment and that first small step.

[bctt tweet=”If you live for having it all, what you have is never enough. –Vicki Robin” username=”PieLadyFI”]

[bctt tweet=”Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. –Norman Vincent Peale” username=”PieLadyFI”]

[bctt tweet=”Wealth after all is a relative thing since he that has little and wants less is richer than he that has much and wants more. –Charles Caleb Colton” username=”PieLadyFI”]

[bctt tweet=”It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. –J. K Rowling” username=”PieLadyFI”]

Today, how are you going to grab your slice?  What is that one step?

Do you have a favorite money quote?  I would love to hear it.  Post it in the comments below.