What Do You Do When You Fall Off The Wagon?
When I started this website, my intention was to write every week. At first, it seemed easy to find ideas to discuss and I had so much I wanted to say.
But the world changes each day, and sometimes seasons of life change significantly. The end of the school year is one of those times.
And since my life revolves around the academic year, I was unprepared for how the change in schedule would interfere with my website, and not give me more time for my writing and website. It’s been a good two months since I found the time and inspiration to write.
What happened?
As with all summers, the days became both less structured and more full. Our family traveled; my husband and I both taught one-off classes; our kids had events and scheduled summer activities …. All the things that disrupt a schedule and make it harder to do the things you mean to do.
And once your time and intention are interrupted, it’s easy to fall into old patterns of behavior. For me, this website is new – so the old pattern of behavior was to do other tasks and morning routines that didn’t include writing.
So what do we do when we fall off the wagon – whether it’s not meeting our goals, or running up the credit card?
1) Learn the lesson
For me: This experience – unscheduled, full days of summer – will come around again next year. There will be differences, of course; each year is different. But the principle is the same: There will be a seismic shift in my schedule.
What experiences in the past month or few months might lead you to a lesson about your financial behavior? Or, like me, your behavior regarding your goals?
2) Think through solutions and goals.
Accepting this truth – there will be a seismic shift in my schedule - so how will I change and adapt? What new structures will I put in place to prepare for next summer?
Is my goal to post an entry each week, no matter what?
Or is my goal to communicate with my readership what to expect?
Currently, I’ve decided that I’ll work to bank enough writing that I’ll be able to post throughout the academic year, but take a hiatus during the summer. I’ll communicate to my readership that June and July are my months off. This might change! Experience has taught me that you set out down a path, but you can always alter course.
In your situation, what are some options and solutions to control your spending, to get out of debt, or to save for a future purchase?
3) Set up the structure to accomplish your goal
This requires me to do two things: one is scheduling a communication in May to my readers, and the second is to do it.
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed my proclivity to plan, but not execute.
This is very applicable to the financial health realm: often we plan (set out a budget) but we don’t stick to it. What are ways you’ve successfully stuck to a plan? When have you accomplished a goal? How can you take those practices and apply them to your financial life?
Of course, falling off the wagon is one of the most discouraging human experiences. But I recently heard James Clear teach that it doesn’t matter if or when you fall off the wagon. Everyone will. What matters is how fast you get back on.
And getting back on track is a matter of practicing. The more you fall off the wagon, the more opportunity you have to learn how to quickly pick yourself up and get back on the wagon.
And eventually, you’ll be so good at getting back up, you won’t fall off in the first place.
Need help getting back on that wagon? We all fall off the wagon – no one is perfect. But sometimes we need a little help to process through the life lessons, set up a goal, and have someone walk alongside us to achieve the goal. Contact me today if you’re in need of that person.
