7 Weeks ago I started a challenge to PIF 4 cards in 15 weeks time.
- The first 4 weeks I did great staying on schedule.
- The 5th – 6th weeks were still paid on schedule, but I ended up borrowing from the EF for various expenses and buying school clothes (with great discount) on store card.
- Now the 7th week I didn’t submit the payment because of the holiday weekend and our grocery bill was heafty because we stocked up (I have to admit the break was nice)
The scales are now tipping into the negative. By “stealing from Peter to pay Paul” the funds are just getting reallocated. I am paying off one card but gaining debt in another card. Not my goal’s intentions at all!
What to do? With approximately $3000 left to pay, it would take $375 a week to PIF in 8 weeks. That a stressful situation and its got me down. How am I going to handle this situation? Hmmm…
It was recommended that when there is an obstacle you are trying to hurdle and it’s not going your way. Take these steps:
- Re-evaluate the situation. Ask yourself again, “What do I need to do to reach this goal?” Make sure that your goals are challenging but achievable.
- Now, create an Unstoppable Drive. Find what motivates you to reach your goal. Is it reading a self help book, talking with friends, taking a run… get out and find that motivation!
- Organize your goal. Mine is to pay $250 per week to meet the desired result in 8 – 12 weeks. Write down the steps it will take to meet your goal.
- Have faith, believe in yourself, and stay flexible. As much as we would like to go from point A to B, it doesn’t always work that way. A friend of mine published a great quote on her site, “OBSTACLES ARE PUT IN OUR WAY TO SEE iF WHAT WE WANT IS REALLY WORTH FiGHTiNG FOR.” Believe that you will reach that goal, see yourself reach that goal, and realize that Point A to B may have some bumps in the road.
Let’s see how this works for me…
Time to re-evaluate the goal. 3 cards…
- 2 cards @ $2000 need to be PIF’d in 8 weeks. That would be $250 a week. That is a more achievable goal.
- The 3rd card is being PIF’d before the end of the year so that I keep the promotion of not paying finance charges on our purchase. This actually needs to be PIF’d by January 9, 2010. Which means it gives me a bit more time to pay. Additional 4 weeks time @ $1000 = $250 per week.
I am actually feeling better now. It is still a big goal that is going to take a little extra time to meet. But, it is nice to realize I have options, they are acheivable, I will continue to apply determination, and I WILL SUCCEED.
“To dream anything that you want to dream. That’s the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.†– Bernard Edmonds quotes
Is there a goal that has you stuck? Let’s brainstorm and see if we can’t come up with some more options for acheiving that goal.
You can do it! I know you can!!
I always figure if I end up “stealing from Peter to pay Paulâ€, that is a sign that I’m not properly allocating my budget. It is NICE to have goals, but the key to goals is keeping them realistic. I think lowering your weekly payment and drawing out the time to pay it off is probably a good thing if you’re just exchanging where the credit is.
BUT you can still add your Earn More September money to the total, for sure! =)
Thank you for the vote of confidence.
And you are right. The recently former budget plan started not to work anymore. I didn’t give room for flexibility or room for possible other expenses.
I am hoping the little extra lead way and a great Earn More month will prove a good lead for me. 🙂
Ah, that’s a bummer, but it sounds like you have an alternative plan, which should keep you motivated!
I’ll be pulling for you!
Thank you, Sharon. Goals, goals, goals. LOL. Sometimes I get frustrated at myself for falling off coure. But I guess what matters in this case is that I keep jumping ‘back on the horse’ to move forward. As long as I learned from my previous lesson to leave behind what doesn’t work and extract what does work. 🙂
Ha! you bet there is a goal that has me stuck and in some weird way, it excites me. as you know, i’ve been trying to run 100 miles, even though i am so not a runner. the first goal was to run the miles by aug 31 (which would have been 2 months). i only ran 1/4 of the miles so i extended it to 9/30 … huh, if i couldn’t run 100 in 2 months, what made me think i could run 75 in 1 month. yeah, the timeframe was just an anal extraction!!! i had absolutely no written plan, no strategy, no nothing, just some numbers and dates pulled straight out of the air. so, with that, i plan on moving the date out farther, to the end of the year. so that’s the new goal, 100 miles by the end of the year. 😉
You’re not a runner? Neither am I. It would make that goal of yours ultra hard for me to achieve. 😉
I am glad to know you are still working at it! Lets see… 75 miles divided by 3.75 = 20 miles a month. Totally attainable.
So, if I don’t keep my $250 per week payment goal… I am going to have to totally re-evaluate the whole situation. Thinking of using HI funds to PIF a card. Not what I want to do, but I can look up to receiving my tax return to use towards the trip. *just a mental note*
Stay motivated, you can do it – look how far you have come so far???? Keep it up – you have an amazing vacation to look forward to… that will be a fantastic celebration once you get some of your ccs pif!!!
Thank you, JpKittie. We both have come far in our journey. I know the whole family is really looking forward to this trip.
Thank you for your confidence. I need it as I am not feeling so solid about reaching that goal (right now).
Your so motivating! I love this article, I have a hard time creating the unstoppable drive and the organizing of the goal. But, your article offers some pointers. Love it!
🙂 Thank you for your kind words. It is hard to keep the unstoppable drive. I need to learn how to build and keep the momentum, too. I do know that eachother’s support makes it a bit easier.
Bravo!
Thank you. 🙂
I just have to remember to keep flexibility room.
Yes, you will succeed! Stay positive!!! Great job on re-evaluating your goal to make it achievable. So often we stay focused on the original plan and fail completely because we stretch too thin. Great job putting it into perspective!
Thank you, Simplelivin’! And we stetch so thin because we are in a race to get there! Want it now mentality! 😉
And I know I definitely want Hawaii. So, if I want Hawaii than I have to achieve this goal or that trip will me compromised. *eek*.
I am *sure* you can do it! You always have such determination!
Thank you, Frugal Trenches! Now, I could just believe in that determination. 😉
Wow, I feel inspired reading this, you make it seem so do-able. You have a great plan & you can do it!!
Thank you. I hope to pull it off. A hefty goal to carry out during the holidays. 🙂
I think you’ve made excellent progress and that you’re wise to take time to re-evaluate your goals and aim for something more achievable. It’s really hard to stay intense and hyper-focused all the time. I think your new goals are totally doable!
Hi Leigh, Thank you. You’re right, it is hard to stay focused all the time. And I believe its important to find balance. But sometimes I just get so frustrated with the debt that I just want to kick it down quickly. Hmmmm… Maybe a great money windfall will fall in my lap. Winning the lottery would be nice. 😉