Your attitude determines how far you will go when you set new goals. I'm now at day 40 in my debt reduction game and I know one thing for sure – I'm all in. There's no turning back to my old habits. Is it easy? I must admit the temptations to cheat or bend the rules are great. This is a daily battle and the game will be won or lost based on small choices.
I decided to split my paychecks into two separate direct deposits that now go to two different banks. My goal amount is now diverted to an account where my mortgage is serviced and this makes it easier to pretend that goal money doesn't exist when I'm paying bills. Daily spending is tracked on my credit card and the amount is paid in full before the due date to avoid interest. My wife and I promised each other we would cut the card up if we ever pay interest so the penalty for mismanagement is high. So far so good. There have been 3 paychecks out of 77 in our three year mortgage reduction game and we made par (payment above required) on all three holes. We are facing a giant sand trap on hole number four and we will have to make some adjustments to stay on par. The way the game is designed, we're measuring our performance and keeping a running tally of our progress. Anything less than par is called a bogey. Should we come up short, we know we will need some birdies or eagles in the later rounds to get back on par. The final hole is on day 1,095 and today is only day 40. If I keep telling myself debt reduction is a game, perhaps I can survive all the challenges ahead. Have a great day.
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