Why do so many of us make New Year’s resolutions to get out of debt or save more on New Year’s Day, only to fall back into our old patterns by the time February rolls around? Without going into too much psychobabble, the reptilian part of our brain is programmed for survival…getting our needs met in the here and now. This causes long-term objectives like saving and investing literally feel like a struggle.
3 Keys to Financial Success
These 3 steps will help you manage those emotions:
- Start a money journal: renowned psychologist Gail Matthews found that you are 42% more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down. In fact, people who write down goals earn 10 times more over a 20-year period than people who do not.
- Create a plan: write out individual steps you will take to achieve your goals and cross them off as you achieve them. These small victories release chemicals in your brain that provide motivation.
- Ask loved ones to hold you accountable: Dr. Matthews found that people who ask friends or family to keep them on track have a 76% higher success rate.
When you create the psychological and emotional environment you need for financial success, the numbers will soon follow.