I’m pretty impatient, this was especially true when it came time for me to work my way out from a $28,000 student loan bill. The only thing I wanted more than being debt free, was to be debt free NOW! My intense desire to get out of debt was the best and worst thing that ever happened to me.
Marathon not a sprint:
My minimum payment to Sallie Mae was $178/month. Do you know how frustrating it is to pay over double that, but barely see the principle drop? SUPER FRUSTRATING! The first $170 of my payment went straight to interest, I felt like I was barely making a dent. I felt defeated. I was giving Sallie Mae virtually all of my discretionary income and getting what appeared to be nothing in return.
As my intensity was decreasing and my frustration was increasing, I had an epiphany. I DIDN’T GET IN DEBT OVER NIGHT! No, it took four looooooong years to rack up that $28,000, so why was I expecting to get out of debt in a few months?
Renewed focus:
Right as I was about to crash and burn, this little epiphany completely reignited the fire in my heart. I was ready to kick Sallie Mae in the ovaries, repeatedly. I had a goal and it was simple, “Get out of debt faster than I got in debt.” This took the pressure off each individual payment, and gave me a long term perspective. My frustration turned to focus. Focus that I desperately needed.
You know the rest of the story. As my income grew, my $500/month payments turned to $1,000, $2,000, and at one point $10,000 payments. Watching my balance go from $28,000 to $27,000 was disheartening, but watching it go from $10,000 to $9,000 was FREAKIN’ AWESOME! Three years after graduating college, I reached my goal. I was debt free.
I hope this story encourages, but more importantly reminds you that the journey out of debt is a marathon and not a sprint. If you racked up $10,000 on credit cards over ten years, it’s probably going to take you a few years to pay them off. If you financed your undergrad and graduate education (7+ years of loans), you probably wont be getting out of debt in one or two years. Think macro not micro.
I think it would be really cool if YOU shared a little bit about your situation. How long did it take you to get in debt? How long did it take (or do you expect it to take) you to get out? When you feel defeated by your debt, how do you stay focused? Respond in the comments below and let’s encourage one another!!!!!
