How to Have Discipline in Getting Control of Your Finances

"Knowing what to do and doing what you know are worlds apart." This was one of the lines that I love when I was under business training. There are things that we know are the right things to do but we find it hard to follow. A perfect example is to save or invest. We tend to spend more on things that we don't need and we feel guilty after reflecting that we shouldn't have done the purchase. Also, if you are a person that already has a discipline of getting control with your finances and you want others like your loved ones and friends to do what you do, you notice that they agree with the idea but find it hard to do. And that makes you frustrated. I would like to share some of the factors that affect behavior and ways that you can do to really do what you know is the right thing to do. This does not only apply to getting control of your finances but to other disciplines as well. Let us begin by defining discipline first before we go deeper.

Discipline and Practices

A discipline is composed of practices that a disciple would undergo to become a master. We sometimes ask,"Are you practicing your profession?" What we are trying to ask is does the person's current job related to the profession that she studied in college. This is the case most of the time. Thus, an engineer first have undergone the discipleship of engineering as a student in a university and know more of the practices of that field.

I've also encountered how some people define true discipline. They said you can observe that when a child is playing. The child is very disciplined because nothing will distract him when he puts his heart in the game - not even his mother trying to make him eat at lunch time. Therefore, it takes extreme desire to create laser focus to be successful in a discipline.

Now that we have defined the context of some important terms, we can now proceed deeper.

What Affects Behavior

1. The Deepness of Purpose. "You need to have a reason that is greater than reality." This is what the author Robert Kiyosaki said in his book Rich Dad Poor Dad if you want to have control with your finances. What is your purpose in getting control of your finances? How deep is it? What would you lose if you don't get control of your finances? If a person doesn't have a purpose, he would really have a hard time to do it. And it's perfectly fine. Sometimes, it really takes a life-turning event before a person will see a purpose of a new discipline. It's the same as to how a child gets motivated in buying a new toy. Either the child saw a commercial or he saw it from his classmate. He wants to have it, too. Now he is focused how he can make his parents buy that toy and he feels deep frustration when he doesn't get what he wants. Therefore, don't feel guilty if there is something that you know you should be doing and you find it hard to do. Since we are in the subject of getting control with your finances, here are a few ways you can consider to trigger your deep purpose in taking action:

• Remember the most painful time you experienced with money like being in debt big time or you wanted to buy something. It would also help to know the same experiences from people closest to you. There is a  degree of truth that pain is a great motivator. It's the same that leaders emerge in critical times.
• If pain motivation will not work for you, the reward system might work. If you don't have painful experiences regarding money, what was the happiest? And if you can increase your standard of living, how will it be? Increasing your expenses will also create deep desire in you to improve your financial situation.

2. The Comfort Level of the Environment. One of my business mentors have observed that when Filipinos are residing abroad they tend to be very competitive and the opposite happens when they come back to our country. He said that there might be something in the air in our country that when our countrymen breathe it they transform into a lax person. It's almost the same with my observation working in Metro Manila versus in Davao City. I tend to have a slow pace when I was in the latter than in the previous. Below are a few suggestions on what you can do:

• You may have the option to reside in very competitive place. If not, you can try a long vacation so that you will have more time to immerse in a fast-paced environment.
• If you have the appetite to be a trend-setter, start a small project that you think would help spark improvements in your local community.

3. The People You are Always With. "Communication fuels action," is what John Maxwell said in his 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. Our words does affect how we act and the people we surround ourselves with contribute as well.

• Give more time to people that you think that would help you grow.
• Find a support group.

There are a lot more things that affects your behavior when you try to start a new discipline like habitual and thinking patterns or the people that you look up to. Those presented above are just enough to stir your awareness. And if you find yourself getting more serious about pursuing a discipline, you will notice you can find your own way in finding the answers that is fit for you. 

Start Your Discipline in Getting Control of Your Finances

For those who are now serious to take their financial situation to another level, the next are a few things you can do: 

1. Find a formula that fits your style. I believe in the saying,"Different strokes for different folks." It would also be good to copy a formula then just improve a few things so it would fit your style better.

2. The Role Model. A mentor or someone successful would be a good role model to look up to. If they have books, read them and try copy their thinking patterns in the challenges that they encountered.

3. Support Group. If you cannot find a support group, at least find someone that would support you with your endeavor.

Business Meeting with a friend. We talked about our
experiences and plans. We both wish to share to family and
friends about getting control with finances either by
investing or starting a business.

Event versus Process

 As you finish this article, you are completing an important event in your life. This may motivate you in taking action but it takes a process to create a result. There will be a process that will happen. It will be either taking action or no action in getting control with your finances. Observe your results and if you don't like it, you can either complain and get stuck or improve better and be happier.

Good day!

Ludwig

PS. "Masters were once disasters."
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