Are you trying to lose weight or build muscle? How about paying down debt or trying to save more each month?
I was thinking recently about similarities with my fitness and weight goals and my financial goals:
- They are both something you tell yourself to strive for every day (but that doesn’t mean you actually do.)
- They are both something you say you’re committed to, but usually, have very little to show progress toward.
- For both to be healthy and fit would likely lead to a better quality of life yet you usually deprioritize them over other things.
Remarkable things physical health and financial health have in common.
Today I wanted to share what physical health and financial health have in common what physical health and hopefully motivate you to commit to improving one or the other, or ideally both!
They take time.
To get both physically fit and financially fit takes time! Neither one is going to be an overnight success. They take a plan, they take work, and they may even take a financial investment.
You may need to spend money on a gym membership or workout gear. You may need to spend money on a financial planner or a few books to read up on strategies to help pay off debt or build muscle.
Either way, neither one will be an overnight success. You need to create goals, write them down, and then craft a plan on how you will achieve those goals before you even begin, or you won’t know what success looks like. Commit to improving your health and financial fitness, create a plan for how to get there, and start today!
For my financial fitness, I love using the app Personal Capital. It allows me to see a quick snapshot of my financial health in one place and is very user-friendly tracking month-over-month spending and 401K investments. Check out Personal Capital today!
You will want to give up.
You will make some efforts, not see the results you were looking for and may want to give it up.
Your goals may appear unachievable and you’ll start to doubt yourself early. You will begin to convince yourself that the goals you have set may not be achievable or worth it.
Maybe you convince yourself that your goals aren’t important and prioritize other things in your life before them. Have you convinced yourself you don’t have time to work out because you’re a mom with kids at home? Why not work out with them! Take them on a walk or do a fun activity outside!
Or, you may think that this one little achievement isn’t going to matter so you stop trying. Know you are not alone, we all feel this way. And it’s up to YOU to make a choice to keep going…I really hope you do!
The goals you have may seem out of reach.
You have mentally committed to your health and financial goals and you have started to craft a plan. But all of a sudden the goals seem really big and overwhelming. The number on the scale is bigger than you want to see but you begin to wonder if anything you do will even make a difference.
Your debt from credit cards, student loans, a mortgage or your car feels really overwhelming. The interest is so high you are barely paying down principle, how will I ever make a dent?
The truth is you won’t make a dent unless you try. Unless you make a commitment to yourself that this is what you truly want. That you’re going to make sacrifices every day to see this goal through.
Sacrifices may mean waking up early to work out before anyone else in the house is up. It may mean changing the way you grocery shop and committing to meal planning and cooking healthier meals. Check out my grocery shopping printable in the upper right corner of the website for inspiration to get your meal prep and grocery lists planned in advance.
Committing to health and financial fitness may also mean committing to cutting out the meaningless purchases that truly are wants and focusing just on the needs as those lines tend to blur. How often do you make a quick impulse buy due to lack of planning or boredom? Commit to recognizing and stopping those purchases today! Check out 30 little ways to save big for ideas on easy ways to save.
Make a goal, chunk that goal down into bite-size quantitative pieces, and start making progress. You are the only one holding yourself back in moving your goals forward.
You will succeed.
If you put your mind to it, you know you can achieve anything you want. You understand that every small step you take will add up over time. Every time you go for that walk or curb your hunger by drinking a glass of water instead of grabbing that snack you are making a difference. You know that each time you choose to not spend and put that money aside, you are getting one step closer to your financial goals.
In fact, why not tag team the goals:
- Turn down the offer to go out to lunch with a colleague and go for a walk instead. Maybe even invite the person who asked you to lunch to walk. You’ll get the blood moving and avoid the expense. Pro tip: if you’re walking outside, download the app Sweatcoin that tracks the steps you take outdoors. Earn points for steps and turn points into prizes.
- Take a lap around the grocery store before you actually start shopping; get some extra steps in before you even start shopping.
- Group shopping trips together. Don’t go to one store today, and go to another tomorrow. If you have to go to both, plan accordingly and only make one trip. Saves on time and gas.
- Instead of shopping or spending money, go for a walk or do an activity with the kids. Find some fun ideas for nature walks with the kids here.
- While you’re at it, park in the furthest parking stall in the lot – or even a parking lot or two down if you’re in a strip mall or area you can do so. It is amazing how quickly steps add up on my Fitbit when I’m conscious of trying to move; small efforts add up big over time.
Your future self will be happy you started now
Like all goals, sometimes the end result feels very far away. It seems like it will take forever to archive the results you are looking for. But if you pause today, and choose to take even ONE action toward your goals instead of pushing off the start, I guarantee your future self will thank you for it.
Sometimes it’s the first step that is the hardest. Committing to taking action is different than actually taking action. Literally, take an action today to start getting closer to our physical and financial goals and your future self will be so so happy you did!
Conclusion
Physical health and financial health really do go hand-in-hand. How would you grade your physical health today? Your financial health?
If you’re not giving yourself an “A” grade on one or both, take the next best step you can today and get closer to becoming healthier on both fronts. Your future self will thank you for it.
Take one small step today – to help your physical & financial health tomorrow,
Steph
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