And for my final resolution — I mean…you gotta stop somewhere — I gotta get my money right.
One of the downfalls of being a hermit and overweight and unfocused and depressed is that I spend a lot of money on food — specifically food from DoorDash. On top of that, I’m spending more than I’ve allotted for myself, so I’m dipping into next month’s check every month.
It’s horrible. I’m making more money than I’ve ever made (for which I’m extremely grateful), but I have less to spend each month than I’ve had in a while, and that’s completely my fault.
This year, I tackle this quandary and get thrifty.
A big part of the solution will be cooking my meals, which will be one of the main action items for this goal. When I cook meals for myself, not only do I eat better, but I also spend less on eating at restaurants. Win-win-win (that was for you Office fans out there).
I’ve jumped onto the Facebook Vegan Recipe algorithm, and the goal is to ride it straight into the kitchen, prep some really good meals, and probably end up saving between $500 and $600 per month (give or take $100).
I’ve also fallen into the pay-for-it-later trap more than I’d like to admit. I’m wiping those accounts out with a fury and focusing more on paying with the money I know I have right now.
It probably seems simple to most of you, but I’ve really not kept a handle on my spending…going so far as to spend my future earnings (but not thinking about it like that) and then suffering the consequences. I’m getting my mind right, and hopefully, getting the money right will follow!
I’m cutting off the Resolutionpalooza there. For one, I’ve probably shared way more than I would normally be comfortable sharing. But honestly, putting it out there is a form of accountability for me, and I desperately need that in my life right now.
Secondly, I think six big goals for the year are plenty, but if I can master even three or four of these goals this year, it would be a massive improvement in my life.
From here, it’s about the plan. Sure, these are great goals to which I can aspire, but how will I make them happen?
Getting them down on paper and mapping out a plan is how I bring them into the “real world” with actions and timelines. I want to be completely out of debt in two years. It’s doable, but I’ll have to get aggressive and dedicated to a strict budget in order to do it.
I’ve always been taught to tackle things like this with the “Swiss Cheese Method” — poke holes in it. Take the big goal and break it down into smaller pieces. I’ll be working on that this week and putting all this information in a place where I can refer to it often.
One of my favorite quotes is “Discipline is remembering what you want.” It’s attributed to David Campbell, but the Internet can’t give me a definitive answer on who he is (for those looking, he is definitely not the founder of Saks Fifth Avenue).
But I think a lot of people fall off their goals because they don’t have them front and center in a meaningful way. Modern life is all about getting sidetracked. Social media wants you sidetracked. Advertising wants you sidetracked. The entire corporate apparatus clamors for your attention.
Discipline is being able to focus and remember your why. That’s the main reason I’ve created this whole “Resolutionpalooza” in the first place. Yes, I’m aware it’s a stupid name.
But I won’t forget it, and I’ve published it on the Internet, so it’s not like it’s going away any time soon.
I’m hopeful this year. I’m grateful this year. I have the feeling this is the start of something good.
I hope it’s that way for you, too.
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
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