Wake Up!

Have you ever had one of those mornings ( or evenings for your night owls ) when you just don't feel like getting up?  You would rather roll back into the warm blanket, reset the snooze button, and head back into la-la land?

Sure you have, we all do. It is something that we can all seem to relate to inside. That desire to just be left alone in a secure place regardless of the what we know we should be doing.

But what would happen if we were to indulge ourselves? 

Likely, we would end up running around trying to make up the time as we scramble for that morning cup of java and a little time for something to eat before heading out the door to fight (hopefully) minimal traffic. Or for you hard working stay at home types, knowing that the kids got the jump on you, you can literally spend the rest of the morning playing catch up. 

Sure, some of you may work from home or maybe you normally allow a bit of "sleep in" time into your morning routine  But for most of us there is an understanding that if we dally in getting up there is a consequence. Be it time lost or some other thing, that desire to stay right where we are can be very tempting, but usually not beneficial.

So when it comes to our finances, how often do we defeat ourselves before we even get started? When it comes to something important like balancing our checkbook, setting up a budget, or learning how our 401k works, how many times have we said secretly, "I can't do that"... whatever "that" is and then stay right where we are at?

Many of us beat ourselves out of  good opportunities by simply not even starting or giving up before really ever trying. We would rather stay in our proverbial bed wrapped up in a blanket known as"our comfort zone". But just like not getting up on time to face the day, staying in that place just because we are comfortable there is hazardous. When the alarm is going off telling us that we need to face the issue at hand, not doing so may seem like better thing to do because it is what we know, but truly it can be disastrous.

With our finances, refusing to get them under control is like a slow poison. It will continue to get worse and worse until eventually you lose it all.

What's Your Blanket?

Why do we do this and what can we do about it?

For many of us it really comes down to analyzing that comfort zone.  This can be defined by a number of different things such as:

* ignorance ( intentional or otherwise)
* fear
* the belief that "it's not my thing"
* that if left alone long enough, the issue will fix itself

The point is, get a handle on what your specific comfort zone is and learn what it's about. This will help you to be constructive and break out of so that you can get on with what needs to be addressed.

Ignorance?

Sure you may not know how to do something, but in today's society you would be hard pressed to not be able to find some sort of information about whatever you are dealing with.  In most cases a trip to your local library or bookstore, or a quick search on the internet can bring you to resources that will give you guidance.

Learn about the subject from easy to access resources. They are there just for this sort of reason.

Fear?

It seems cliché', but there really is nothing to fear but fear itself.  Fear can be paralyzing, but the root of fear is uncertainty, and that can usually be handled much the same as with ignorance; by learning the facts. 

In and of themselves all of those pieces of information may not give you a total understanding of what may or may not happen, but chances are, if you bring those facts into your thinking, you will be more informed and have more certainty about the wisdom of your decision.

It's "not my thing"?

Regardless of whether or not "it is your thing", if it is affecting you...... it is "your thing". Accepting that and moving on makes a lot of difference and likely will give you a better perspective. And here again, learning more about a subject or process can make a lot of difference. 

In some ways, it is only "not your thing" because you choose to make it that way. This is not always the case, but truly, when it comes to finances, each of us does have the ability to learn at least the basics. And by doing so, even if it is only a little, it has now become "your thing". It just may not be your favorite thing.

It will take care of itself?

Truly, this is one of the worst levels of thinking.  In finance, as with your health, the chances are yes, it will resolve itself, but likely not in your favor.

Imagine trying this with a bad tooth in your mouth. Simple telling yourself that eventually it will go away will neither make it more real or more beneficial to you.  Is the pain, the frustration, the anxiety really worth it?  Is the end result of complete irrevocable damage what you would like to see happen? Probably not.

So before you allow yourself to go too far on this way of thinking, remember this: "We accomplish things by directing our desires, not by ignoring them" (anonymous).

Bright Eyed And Bushy Tailed

Will you take some time out today to think about where you are hitting a comfort zone when it comes to your finances?  Is there something that you know that you should be doing but haven't done so?

Where could you use some help in dealing with a comfort zone?