My Reality Check Bounced! - Jason Ryan Dorsey [60]
5. The Money Excuse
Money—the word alone triggers many emotions. Many people use having no money as an excuse not to chase their dreams. In doing so, they’re basically saying to the world, “I don’t want to try that hard to succeed.” Others are fearful of having to take responsibility once they make money or they fear losing what they already have. Either way, if left unchallenged, excuses about money may very well bankrupt your spirit.
Typical Defeatist Declaration: I don’t have enough money to succeed.
From the X-Cuse Files:
Max wants to travel the world. The thought of visiting exotic lands and meeting new people gets his heart beating. He’s convinced that being a steward of humankind is his purpose in life. His only hurdle: He can’t seem to save enough money to make the trip. Every time he gets close, he spends his savings, and he’s broke again. In the five years he’s talked about seeing the world, the only progress he’s made is coming up with new excuses of why he can’t afford to go.
Moving Beyond the Money Excuse
Step 1: Get the facts on your financial situation. Add up how much money you make each month and subtract from that how much you spend each month. If you end up with a negative number, it’s urgent for your financial health (and peace of mind) that you either start spending less or earning more—pretty simple if you think about it.
Step 2: Reduce your credit-card debt. Open those thick monthly statements and find out the total amount you owe. Pay at least the minimum on each of them, and pick the one with the highest interest rate to pay off first. If you really feel that you are in a financial hole and want out, begin paying for everything in cash while paying down your credit cards. This may be inconvenient, but it does put you in control of your finances.
Step 3: Figure out how much money, monthly or in total, you need to pursue your Future Picture. For example, if you want to go back to school, find out the monthly and total costs. Include all likely expenses and determine how much you need up front.
Step 4: Research your financial options. This includes grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study programs for school. Identify which options best fit your starting point.
Step 5: Create a financial plan based on all this information. If you have credit-card debt, determine how long it will take you to pay it off. If your apartment lease is up, consider moving into a smaller place or getting roommates. If you’re married and have a stay-at-home spouse, find a home-based business for him or her to run.
Step 5.5: Put your financial game plan into action! If this means you need a loan, apply for a loan from ten different banks or other lending organizations. If this means you need investors, write a business plan and start setting up investor meetings. If this means working two jobs so you can go back to grad school, get those jobs. See your future as priceless, and you won’t put too high a price tag on your success!
6. The Physical Excuse
Sean’s story says it all when it comes to dealing with physical challenges. Such challenges prove that life is not fair or easy—but you get to choose how you deal with them.
Typical Defeatist Declaration: I’m just not attractive enough (strong enough, fit enough) to realize my dreams.
From the X-Cuse Files:
Since he was a kid, Doug, twenty-nine, always wanted to become a chef. Whenever he gets the chance he cooks for friends and family or tries out a new restaurant. He always jokes with his buddies about how great it would be to cook full-time and maybe, one day, work his way up to having his own TV cooking show. He talks about how fun it would be to constantly create new recipes and share them with the world. As much as the thought excites him, he isn’t willing to enroll in his local culinary school, because he lost two fingers in a childhood accident and he fears people will stare at him. What’s more he believes that no producer at a cooking show would