Skip to main content

Just Plan on It

Stress does weird things to us. Even if we don’t feel “stressed out,” our bodies manifest tension, and it will find a way to get out (and will try to take your credit card with it). But I think that most of you would agree with me that if we had a heads up before a specific stressful event were to occur that we could probably minimize the effects that it could have on us. Why? Because we would have time to formulate a plan of how we would respond to said stressful event.

So, what constitutes a potential stressful situation? Anything that might increase the risk of you acting in opposition to your plan. Kingsford describes “a high-risk situation can be any occasion that has the ability to cause you to behave in ways that are not in line with your…goals.” She also says, “The way to outsmart a high-risk situation is to face it with your mental machinery fully loaded.”

How do you do that? Well, you will need to have a plan ready to implement when the situation arises. I suggest you start by asking yourself three questions that Kingsford suggests her clients ask themselves: “What is your history in dealing with this situation” (especially the patterns)? “What were the triggers that caused you to turn to spending money for comfort?” and “How can you do something different next time so you won’t stray” from your path? You’re going to have to get good at saying “NO” to yourself and others AHEAD of time (try practicing in front a mirror–seriously). 

Some of life’s stressful moments can be anticipated, but there are many that cannot be. Perhaps the most predictable thing that can be said about both types is that they WILL happen–that you can bet on.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stack or Roll?

Last week I gave instructions to put your debts in order from the smallest balance owed to the largest balance owed. And, it is in this order that I intend to instruct you how to pay them off–you will pay the smallest balance first, and when that debt is paid in full, you combine that payment (that you are no longer paying because you are DONE with it) with the payment of the second smallest debt….you roll the first payment into the second debt. This allows payments to get larger and larger as you pay off creditors and is called debt snowballing . This system works for most people, is by far the easiest to understand, and allows you to see quick progress which is most likely to keep people motivated. But I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you there is another way to organize your debt, and that is by the percentage of interest you are paying–the creditor with the highest interest rate goes at the top of the pile, and you pay off that creditor first. When that debt is paid off, yo...
1 comment
Read more

Say "Ahh..."

I cannot believe that in all my months of blogging that I have not used–I checked–one of my most favorite quotes of all time. Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The gist of it is that it’s easier and cheaper to fix something small than it is once it grows too large. It sounds like Franklin’s original intent might have been health-related (think cancer), but it can be applied to anything that needs maintenance (think car problems). Your house is no different. Side note; if you are renting, you can thank your lucky stars at this point. Renters are not responsible for regular home maintenance. However, this is also one thing that potential home-owners don’t usually think about when they are getting “house-hungry” and “throwing their money away on rent.” If you have too much debt when you try to buy a home, you are probably asking for more financial trouble. Now, let us return to the subject at hand. Why this time of year? You ask? Well, t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gifts that Matter

When I think about my childhood, there are a few events (some good, some not so good) that really stand out. These specific incidents made big impacts on me, so they really stuck. I bet you can say the same thing. These encounters, good and bad, help shape who we are. As parents, it is our job to teach our children to be honest, upstanding, contributing members of society. This does not happen by accident. Part of this process involves the experiences we give our children–we can orchestrate PEAK moments for our families that will leave lasting impressions on young, impressionable minds. What is a PEAK moment? According to de Jager Meezenbroek, Garssen, van den Berg, van Dierendonck, Visser, and Schaufeli in the Journal of Religion and Health , “Peak experiences are often described as transcendent moments of pure joy and elation. These are moments that stand out from everyday events.” Christmas offers an EXCELLENT opportunity to offer experiences that can become “PEAK moments” in ...
Post a Comment
Read more