What's the hardest part of starting down the road to being debt-free? Answer: admitting you haven't done it right so far, or at best, haven't done it "good enough".

Admitting you’ve done a sorry job handling your money or that you’ve fallen for all the consumer marketing gimmicks is not easy. Often, we want to make excuses and justify our debt when most of the time it’s the result of one thing: buying a lifestyle your income cannot afford. You don’t have to be an “addict” or “out of control” to get in debt. It’s a very simple and devious formula: consistently spend more money than you make over a period of time, and as sure as the sun rising in the east, you’ll find yourself in debt.

Here’s what you have to do: 1) Admit you’ve not been diligent in the area of finances, 2) recognize your impulsive spending habits, and 3) commit to the reasons why you SHOULD be debt-free. No excuses, no whining, no B.S.

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With rare exceptions, people primarily get into debt because they want more lifestyle than they can afford. Understand that, and you are on your way.

Also, take comfort, or at least refuge, in the fact that MOST people have been down this road. It's not like you are some special case of "extra stupid". In fact, you can be encouraged that you are now part of the VERY VERY small percentage of people who actually care about getting out of debt, and want to do something about it.

I've been in and out of debt 2 or 3 times in my life. The first couple of times I never learned how to STAY OUT of debt which is just as important as getting out of debt in the first place.

"Life Without Debt" covers this topic.

What are your questions about personal finance and living free of debt?

Extreme control over your day via scheduling, goal setting, and scripting has just the opposite effect that most people think.  It is liberating and freedom producing, not restrictive and tedious.

Most people think that anal control over every minute of your day constrains you, robs you of fun and spontaneity, and turns you into a rigid freak.

They couldn't be more wrong. By controlling your time, your schedule and your actions, you gain total freedom by accomplishing what YOU need to accomplish, doing what YOU need to do, spending your time the way YOU need to spend it. All those "you" statements may sound selfish, but it's not when you are doing what YOU know is the right thing to do given the right priorities.

What's the alternative? Waking up and just "letting life happen" which typically includes other people and circumstances interrupt you constantly, allowing what other people declare as "urgent" to keep you from doing what is important... and finally allowing haphazard laziness and time wasting habits (TV anyone?) to steal away your most precious commodity: TIME.

What did you do with your time yesterday? How about last week this time? If you can't tell me, I can tell you: you wasted it. Threw it away. Gave it away. Blew it. Lost it.

Rigid control over your day gives you the freedom to do what YOU know is truly important, instead of what other people or "life" throws at you with total disregard for your priorities. We aren't just talking business... I'm talking about everything that is important to you. For example, here's my "rigid, control freak" schedule for today which in reality is going to allow me to do all the things for today that I know are really important and fulfilling:

• 5am: wake up
• 5:30 - 8:00am: bible study, devotional time, writing, personal blog (and that time is further segmented on my actual schedule so it is maximized)
• 8:00am - 5:00pm: work (and that work time is scheduled according to what tasks are IMPORTANT; the unimportant "urgent" things can wait)
• 5:30 - 6:15pm: work out, exercise
• 6:15 - 7:00pm: dinner, time playing with children
• 7:00 - 8:00pm: normally more family/kids time, tonight it happens to be doing the bills and budgeting with my wife
• 8:00 - 8:15pm: kids to bed
• 8:15 - 9:00pm: check my email, tie up loose ends, plan my next day
• 9:00 - 10pm: "wife time", read the Bible together, pray, spend time together talking and..... none of your business.

I don't show you my schedule to say "look at me". I show you to demonstrate that when I lay down to go to sleep at 10pm tonight, I'm not going to be frustrated or feel guilty that I wasted time, made no progress with my life, or spent my whole day putting out "urgent but important" fires that other people forced on me.

I get the GREATEST FREEDOM knowing that I have planned my day to meet the needs, goals and desire dictated by my priorities: God, marriage, kids, business.

That's a typical "business day". On weekends or holidays, use the same scheduling technique to make sure those days are not just wasted away but filled up with meaningful, life-fulfilling, important things... even if those important things are rest, fun, play and family time. ESPECIALLY if they are those things.

These are the types of things my VIP Group routinely talk about and I give private coaching and encouragement. At $100/month plus the free products you get, it is an investment that is a serious no-brainer. Check it out: http://www.gbrentriggsvipgroup.com/

This post has been moved to www.brentriggsMONEY.com.

That blog is dedicated to online business and financial freedom.

www.brentriggsMONEY.com

98-99% of people never do anything but talk about improving their life, or simply spend their days whining about how unhappy they are.

Are you a 99%-er, or a 1%-er? If a 99%-er, for heavens sake WHY?

If a 1%, then what specific ACTION are you taking today to reach your goals? SPECIFIC ACTION? Not some nebulous concept. What tangible, measurable, quantifiable action are you taking today to reach your financial, life or spiritual goals?

Don't say you are a 1%-er and then not be a person of ACTION. That would make you a simply a hypocrite, deceived, or both.

If you are a 99%-er, you can change that TODAY. Write down one ACTION you will accomplish today to change your life for the better.

This post has been moved to www.brentriggsMONEY.com.

That blog is dedicated to online business and financial freedom.

www.brentriggsMONEY.com