Chapter Ten
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Compromise, Compromise, Compromise.
It is important to note that while you are trying to fix whatever situation you are in you must make compromises. Whether you are struggling with a high debt load, unable to save money, are struggling to achieve what you want to achieve, or a combination of the various issues that most people face. You must ensure you are making compromises.
I am not talking about not doing something entirely, because that rarely works. Quitting a bad habit cold turkey will most likely lead to failure. As mentioned several times, everything is about behaviour; and, habits are hard to break as they are ingrained in us. Instead, what we want to do is try and find alternatives to our ‘bad’ habits, and compromise to something that costs less.
The example covered in Chapter 1 is the perfect example of this. An individual who wants to eat out for lunch often might want to compromise with a frozen meal from the grocery store. The cost will be 2 to 3 times less expensive, yet will provide nearly the same convenience factor.
It is extremely important to understand that we cannot cut out everything. Generally speaking, as humans, we require hobbies or past times to ensure the stress of constantly working doesn’t get to us. But, know and understand that just because you are making a compromise doesn’t mean you are not living a fulfilling life. What it means, is that you are working towards your goals and aspirations. By determining what you want most, and working towards it you will ultimately live a much more rewarding life.
I bring up not cutting out everything as that is immediately the first thing people look at. Let’s cut the cable, cut the internet, cut the cell phones, etc. And, the next thing you know they are replaced by a much more expensive hobby. So instead, ensure you are properly weighing the pros and cons of everything you do. Live the life you want to live and go from there!
What I recommend to my clients is that they take a look at their perceived ‘bad’ habits. ‘Bad’ habits are any habits they see as being self-defeating. i.e., smoking, fast food, coffee addictions, shopping addictions, etc. and write them down. The next thing I recommend they do is determine to which extent they want to reduce their habits.
For example, I have had clients who absolutely love their convenience coffee. That is, coffee they get through a drive through. So rather than try and cut the habit out cold turkey, the first step is to commit to making coffee at home 50% of the time, and then slowly increasing that until that client is making their coffee at home 90% of the time.
Don’t be fooled; this takes discipline. But, the best part about discipline is that it is a learned skill. The more you practice the better you get. Don’t give up, continue to persist and you will get there. All too many people give up after only a few attempts which is a shame.
I should also mention that sometimes compromises have to, instead, be sacrifices. For example, you may want to eat out weekly but, from a cash flow standpoint, you may not be able to regardless of the potential compromises you are willing to make.
This is a really hard one to master as everything around us is telling us we can do or have everything we dream about or want. From a positivity note, I completely agree with this statement. But, from a practical approach, it is simply not possible all the time.
If you watch interviews of highly successful people, who often achieve outlandish goals, talking about the sacrifices that were required to obtain them, you will hear of them working 12-18-hour days for weeks on end. I am not saying that you need to do this, I just want to put some context behind some of the differing opinions you will hear me talk about.