Preface: I'm not so much complaining as just mind spewing for therapies sake. ok.
I've been hearing myself say constantly as of late, "AHHh, I'm so overwhelmed!" I feel as though I'm accomplishing the bare necessities but I'm not doing anything with excellence and there are SO many things left undone. I'm so frazzled.
There's something very much like a scene from Disney's Fantasia playing out in my mind at all times. Hundreds of thoughts are dancing (clumsily and very out of sync) around each other, colliding, quarreling, hiding, and jumping out from behind a curtain to twirl and dance some more. I cannot seem to grab hold or control them. Like Mickey mouse attempting to conduct the brooms and mops while watching them revolt and cause chaos. Water rushes everywhere and the effort to clean a mess results in catastrophe.
I've visions of a heavy hippo named healthy eating twirling and plopping about. A broom and mop making splotchy messes on the walls of my mind rather than helping me organize. A few little critters calculating and computing the financial obligations like a game or a comedy where tearing a few hundred dollars to bits is hilariousity. Multiplied by a million more characters. Welcome to my mind. I fear this may just be the result of being born female.
I am a self proclaimed dreamer, planner, organizer (of sorts), ah but also an artist. I tend to go about accomplishing every task in a rather round about manner only nothing seems to be getting accomplished lately and my mind is swarming with undone activity.
So, I'm listening to Dave Ramsey on the radio the other day on my way home from work; listening and thinking, "Balance the budget, get out of debt, plan some dinners, don't spend money, Christmas presents, lose the baby weight, bathe the baby, get the junk out of the basement, dust bunnies in the bedroom, brush the dogs teeth, ahhh weeds are taking over the front lawn... shoot, when's the last time I showered and I need to e-mail back my friend who's been kicking butt with her finances right now. ect; ect; ect."
He, Dave Ramsey, gets a question from a listener, "How do you stay focused financially once you've paid off the debts?" Dave said that you should always have a goal. If you've paid off your debts set a goal of saving so much, or donating so much, or something to strive for financially (something obtainable). You need a goal, always. That is the idea behind the baby steps after all. Well this little bit of advice caused a light bulb moment for me. I need "A" goal right now. Not a list. ONE goal. ONE thing to shoot for (that's obtainable) and I need to set it on a platform above all the dancing hippos in my mind.
I'm kind of laughing right now because I'm thinking about what goalS I could shoot for after I accomplish my first goal.
GOAL: $1000 emergency fund in the bank.
I think I'm almost up to $200 at present. I need to focus and work at it and get that $1000 in the bank and nothing else (except my family) can dance it's way around that.
$1000, $1000, $1000, One Thousand Dollars!
Part of this is baby overwhelm and the other part is well you have a mind lie mine that never stops. But you are right one goal. What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI think having one goal is a great idea too. I've been trying hard to set up an emergency fund but keep having to dip into it in order not to use my credit card. I'm hoping with time and my continued efforts to plan and reduce my spending, this will get easier, i.e., I'll actually have an emergency fund used ONLY for emergencies. Maybe this is obvious, but as you build up your emergency fund, are you also completely avoiding using credit or racking up more debt?
ReplyDeleteAndrea, to answer your question I am not racking up more debt while building up the emergency fund.
DeleteYou can do it! *hugs* I'm 19, working full-time, and attending college, and I STILL managed to save over 7,000$ in the 10 months I've been there! Just bought a motor scooter too($500), so until fall, I'll be using that a lot to save on gas(save the car for passenger transport and bad weather). Otherwise, I plan to drive the scooter.
ReplyDeleteWhile I know everyone's story is different, I know with enough hard work, you can succeed at your goal!
I recommend making a goal in Mint.com. Check it often and while mint may say you can have a goal done as early as a certain date, put an extra 3-4 weeks to save up on there. Then any emergencies won't set you back. :)