People who fail to reach their financial goals often fail to acknowledge the reality of their current situation.
This can take one of two forms.
The first is a kind of blind optimism.
These people say things like, “It’ll sort itself out.” Or, “Things will be better next month, next year…”
They falsely believe their finances are going to improve on their own and as a result, fail to take the necessary steps. They’re waiting for a day that’s never going to come.
The second is a kind of blind pessimism.
These people say things like, “I could never afford to do that.”
They falsely believe there’s no hope and that they have no ability to alter their future trajectory. As a result, they don’t take action. It becomes the worst kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
The common thread is a refusal to accept reality and a refusal to own the current situation.
Whether you believe things will get better on their own, or you believe they couldn’t possibly get better no matter what, in both cases you’re off the hook. You either don’t have to do anything, or there’s nothing you could possibly do.
The only way out is to do the opposite. You have to take responsibility and see your current situation more clearly.
Because when you do, you’ll realize things won’t magically improve on their own, you have to take action.
And happily, you’ll begin to realize that you do have the ability to improve your situation. There are actions you can take right now that will, slowly but surely, improve your future trajectory and get you on the path toward your long-term goals.
Facing reality can be a super scary thing. Acknowledging that you have a role to play in creating your future can be incredibly intimidating.
But it can also be incredibly empowering and cause ripple effects through every area of your life.
And, of course, you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to take an honest accounting of where you’re at today, where you’d like to be, and what steps you can take to get there, send me a message. This is why I do what I do.