Seriously!  This thought just occurred to me this morning.

How many times have we heard (or even told people) to pay yourself first?

First of all, there are not nearly enough people that actually do this.

I only started doing this a few years ago myself.  I used to hear this advice all of the time, and I'd have every excuse not to do it.

"Yeah, but what if you need everything you make?"

"I'll do it when I make more money."

"I'll do that when I get closer to retirement."

Ummmm…yeah….all of that was me, and I took myself seriously.  Now that I know better, I cringe when I hear other people use these same lame excuses.  (If you're reading this, and you're one of them, contact me.  I will gladly counsel you through the transition—for free.  It's totally worth it!)

Okay, either we get this, or we don't—with money.

What about our own goals?  It only just now (basically) occurred to me to apply this same basic principle to my own goals.

How many of us get caught in the whirlwind of trying to get things done?  We barely have time to do things we need, much less the "extras."

What goals do you have?What have you done to get toward that goal—TODAY?  If you haven't done anything—for yourself, why not?

What are our excuses for this?

"Yeah, but what if you don't have any time?"
"I'll do it when I have more time."
"I'll do that when I retire.  I'll have more time."

Sound familiar but different?

We all have the same amount of time.  With money, we investors often ask ourselves and other people, "Why are we working so hard to make other people rich but not ourselves?"

Can't we ask ourselves that same question about meeting our goals?  Why do we work so hard to help other people complete their goals but pay no attention to our own goals?  Does this make any sense?

It sure doesn't for me!

By the way, I'm not saying to ignore your responsibilities.

With money, the paying ourselves first principle figures on us feeling more pressure to be able to pay others since they'll be screaming at us if we don't pay them.  (They should!)  You're not going to holler at yourself as loudly if you miss a payment to yourself.  You just won't.  If you pay yourself first but don't have enough to pay other people, then you are going to try harder to find a way to pay them.  Another words, you have more incentive to be creative.

With time, it's pretty much the same thing.  If you spend some time on your goals every day (paying yourself first), then you will have to try harder to find ways to meet other people's needs.  However, if you take care of their needs first, then you aren't going to be as hard on yourself if you don't have any leftover time to work toward your goals today.  Stop doing that!

For some people, this is just an ordinary thought.  For me, it was an epiphany.

Now I just have to find a way to make sure that I apply it, now that I'm aware of it.

Wish me luck!  Care to join me on my journey?

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