Getting back in shape financially and physically is no easy task. It requires being goal-oriented and being consistent. Just because someone has a six-pack and won 20 million dollars in the lottery does not mean they are physically or financially fit. Having 20 million dollars may make you “rich”, but if you cannot live off that money for the rest of your life, you are not financially fit. Having a six-pack may make you appear to be in good shape, but if you have a poor diet, you are not physically in good health.
The trick to becoming financially and physically fit is turning a mountain into a series of smaller hills. In my head, this analogy would look like this:
Reaching the peak is not a constant uphill battle with no rest. Reaching your ideal fitness or financial goals require attacking very specific things on a consistent basis. These specific tasks must be measurable. Then, once you accomplish the task, take a moment to acknowledge what you have done and rest. These resting periods are illustrated by the small dips while overcoming the hills on the mountain.
This resting period can vary from a period of just an hour or a couple weeks depending on how big the hill was. No matter how you choose to break down your mountain into smaller hills/tasks, you must make the specific tasks measurable.
Saying I am going to lose weight is okay, but it is much more effective to set more specific goals/tasks, such as, “This week I will not eat processed sugars,” “I will walk for 30 minutes every evening,” or “I will go to the gym 3 times a week this month for strength training.” As you can see, the overall goal is weight loss and being healthy, but none of the smaller goals have anything to do with your overall weight number. Your overarching goal will be accomplished if you are able to break it down into much smaller tasks and complete these tasks on a consistent basis.
Having all this in mind, this is how I am planning to become financially fit! My overarching goal is to spend as much time as I wish doing the things I love to do and that are good for my long-term health (see my Top 13 list in my second post). Now that the bigger goal is decided, I cannot simply leave it at that. This is why I am choosing to breakdown the goal in as many smaller tasks, or hills, as I can. Getting the time to do all the things I love and are good for my health whenever I choose in just a seven-year timeframe seems like an unattainable dream, but consistently completing the smaller tasks I set out for myself makes this dream seem reachable.
If you like this article, please click the heart icon, share it, and subscribe to get new content sent directly to your email as soon as it is published!
Next week I plan on attacking our first measurable goal in Step 3, purposefully lowering our food spending and still eating healthy. Onward!
Comments