Yesterday we looked at the first 5 steps to take if you want to actually achieve what you resolve to achieve.

Eliminating negative messages were the first two steps.

The reason these actions come first (and second) is because unless and until you eliminate negative thoughts, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.  It’s almost impossible to do something when your mind tells you that you can’t.  And it’s very hard to get anything done when the people around you are constantly yapping about the mistakes you’ve made in the past.

You have to neutralize these two obstacles before you even try to move ahead.

So clear the playing field. Once you do, the next three steps we looked at were:

3. Write down exactly what the problem is.

4. List all possible solutions to the problem.

5. Prioritize the different courses of action.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re much further ahead than 97% of the population ….so congratulations are in order.

But before you pop that bottle open and pour out a bit of the bubbly, your work isn’t done.  You are simply ready to take the next step.

6. Take action

This is much easier to write about than to actually do. I know that. But without action, you might as well go play mini-golf.

My experience tells me that it’s easy to get stuck.  This is something I have to be on guard against too.  I think  we get stuck sometimes because we want to avoid the negative consequences of making a mistake more than we want to enjoy the benefits when our actions are right. Many people are like that sometimes.  Are you?

This is why it’s so important to take the prior 5 steps before you get into action.

Through those first 5 steps, you’ve educated yourself and you’ve researched all the possible solutions.  You’ve taken inventory, you’ve determined what the best possible actions are and the order in which to take them.

Now it’s time to trust yourself.

Even if things don’t work out, you’ve got to be proud of yourself. After all, you’ve taken the best possible action there was based on the knowledge you had at the time.  Nobody can ask more than that.

7. Fire yourself.

That’s right.  Once y0u’ve taken action, fire yourself immediately.

This might be a hard concept to understand but if you’re anything like me, your mind will flood with second thoughts after you’ve taken action.  The “what if’s” will attack you.  Know that these are enemy agents dead set on keeping you stuck with your problem.  But you can’t expect different results if you keep doing the same thing.  And your mind will come up with all the reasons why you shouldn’t go forward with this change.  That’s why you have to fire yourself.

Keep in mind that your best thinking is what got you into the financial challenge you now face.  If you rely on those same thought patterns now, you will stay where you are.  Your mind will trot out your emotions in a desperate effort to get you to abandon this new idea…..that’s why you have to fire yourself.

I’ve used this analogy before but I have to use it again because I just can’t think of anything better.

Imagine that you have an employee and he keeps doing a very poor job.  He doesn’t solve problems….he only makes them worse.  You’d fire that employee wouldn’t you?  Of course.  So why not fire yourself if that describes what you’ve been doing to yourself?

This is a very important step. Fire yourself (at least with respect to the problem you are trying to solve) and “hire” an accountability partner who will keep you on track.

8. Accountability partner.

If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m a huge fan of asking someone to be an accountability partner.  In fact, I can tell you that without an accountability partner, I never would have been able to overcome some of the most difficult challenges of my life.

An accountability partner might be a financial adviser but it certainly doesn’t have to be. You’re looking for somebody who has what you want.  Somebody who is responsible, honest, intelligent & trustworthy.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be your richest or best friend.  Having a lot of money has little to do with this.

You are looking for a person who will take a weekly or monthly call from you. During that call, you can explain what the problem you are currently dealing with is, the possible solutions that you came up with, the solutions you are going to implement, (when and how) and finally, you’ll tell your accountability partner how you progressed on your resolutions since the last time you spoke.  Your accountability partner will be invaluable in providing feedback, new ideas and most important, accountability.

There you have it.  Follow these 8 steps and you’ll achieve what you resolve to achieve.

Is this an easy path?  Not at all.  In fact, the last two steps, while simple, are very difficult to do.

That’s why I write about this subject from time to time. To remind you that you can overcome the financial problems you face – but you have to actually do the work.  It’s not going to get done for you.

The biggest payoff when you actually do something you set out to do (besides the potential financial benefits) is that it’s very self-affirming.

We all have the opportunity to feel good about the people we are and the people we are becoming. Take these 8 steps.  Apply them to the challenges you face. Let me know how it goes.  I am genuinely interested and want to celebrate your success on the journey.

Like this article? You will love getting my free brilliant financial updates! No spam, and I won't give your email address to any other person or company. That's a personal promise. Neal Frankle, Certified Financial Planner, Los Angeles, California.

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