In Part I of this series, I recap the three reasons why I was deep in debt – the programming, lack of discipline, and lack of identity.

If you haven’t read Part I go back and read that here.

You may find yourself in one or more of these categories. Or you may think that neither applies. Either way, I recommend taking some time to think about your money beliefs, and how it impacts your spending habits.

Take a moment to review your past spending because that leaves a trail of what you believe. Once you review spending habits, here are some actionable steps you can take to either avoid making the same mistakes I did or get out of it quickly.

Actions to Address the Program

The first step is to be aware that there’s a program that you have bought into. There is a program that indoctrinates you into a cycle of debt and excessive consumerism. It is everywhere from television programs, commercials, billboards, the Internet, advertisements, and telemarketers.

We even learn what success entails. For example, we are encouraged to go to college so that we can get a job. But we minimize the part where we are agreeing to hundreds of thousands of dollars for an education. This is a program. This is a set of beliefs.

Now I’m not saying college is bad. I went to college. I learned a lot and I had a great time while there but I was fortunate enough to get a full scholarship to college. Most do not.

Instead, the government and businesses offer student loans.  College and student loans can be a completely different article, but the I want to highlight the belief that most of us learned.

So, the first step is to acknowledge that there is a program. Now you must decide which program you have accepted.

Ask yourself, is this program serving you?

Is this program getting you closer to my goal?

Is it true?

If it’s not true, ask yourself why do you believe it?

Take some time to write down what you believe about money. Specifically, write down what money means to you, how to make it, and how it should be used. Write down everything that comes to your mind.

Next, determine if these beliefs are serving you now and will the same beliefs hold for you at the next level. Ask, are these beliefs getting you closer to your goal? Are they keeping you stuck at the same level?

After you identify the program that you believe in and determine if it is serving you, check the source to confirm if it is in fact, true.

For example, let’s go back to the college example. The belief is that you go to college to get a job. Is it true? No, not in all cases. Some jobs require a degree, but not all. I know this is an overused example, but some of the wealthy people did not graduate from college.

You can also start your own business without a degree. So the belief is not necessarily true, in most cases (if not all) employers want you to be competent in your job. You do not need a degree to be educated. You can study and develop skills by practicing them. The benefit of school is the formal, structured training, but it is not the only way to learn. Self-education requires discipline and intention that most have not learned.  This is why people only associate studying and education through school.

This is one of the mini-programs we believe but it may not be completely true.

Once you determine what is true or false, you must choose to go against the belief. Resist the program they want you to focus on, and choose the program that you will believe to break out of out of the norm because you don’t want to be in the majority. The majority of the population is in debt. That’s not where you want to be. Do the opposite.

Because of the program, many people lack discipline in managing their finances.

What is discipline?

As defined, discipline is the practice of training people to obey a code of behavior. Two key words stand out in this definition, practice, and training. To have discipline, you must practice and train. These are the active actions that must be done intentionally. But remember that the program that I mentioned above provides a set of rules and beliefs for you to be a part of your money, your lack of discipline is someone else’s program for you. When you don’t create a plan for your money, you become someone else’s plan.

The results are late fees, overspending accumulated debt with high interest, payments, making money, but not having anything to show for it, low to no savings, a less-than-optimal credit score, and a commitment to stay in the rat race.

Some tips to become more disciplined is first to believe that you can and commit to the training. Yes, training is required. This means that you must push yourself to do the things you don’t want to do even when you don’t feel like doing it. It means you must be conscious of your behavior and not allow yourself to operate on autopilot.

Because most spending habits are done on autopilot without conscious thought. Your emotions override any semblance of logic if you allow it. Become aware of your emotions when you spend money and actively choose to stay on track. Identify your spending triggers.

Once you’ve identified your spending triggers, get in the habit of creating a monthly spending plan before the month starts.

Set a date, let’s say no later than five days before the new month begins to have your spending plan complete. Once your spending plan is set, follow the plan and direct your money to the right location.

When your spending plan is complete, your work is not done. You must track it and monitor your progress. Completing it is only half the battle. Don’t allow it to be a nice piece of paper with numbers on it. Review it and follow it. Use it as a guide.

Dedicate a few minutes weekly to track your spending against your plan. If you need to make adjustments because things have changed then adjust your plan.

The reason you must track your plan is to keep you cognizant of where you are spending your money. This way you are not mindlessly spending but rather making conscious purchases that align with your financial goals.

When you are tracking your spending, you would want to listen to wealth-building content. Thoughts create action because what you focus on expands.

When you choose to consume wealth-building content, you’ll focus on wealth-building activities. The more you consume, the greater the focus. It works in the opposite direction also. The more you focus on what you want to buy, the more you will spend.

The Void

Now that we discussed how to resist the consumerism program and tips on how to be more disciplined with your finances, we must now address the void.

This is a big one because the programming contributes to this and the lack of discipline is the result of it. This is also the hardest to step through because it is extremely personal. It can also be associated with a childhood issue or memory.

I’m not a therapist nor do I play one on TV. These recommendations are based on what has worked for me and helped me in my transition from struggling to multiplying my money.

The first step is to identify how you were feeling right before you start spending. This will require a conscious look at your behavior to pause. Ask yourself what are you feeling currently. Did you find yourself comparing yourself to others?

For instance, were you scrolling on social media and you saw an old friend of yours with this bag or they just bought a new car or house? Did you find yourself comparing yourself to the other person?

Sometimes it has nothing to do with others, but it may be your emotional state. Do you spend money to feel happy or just a feel good about yourself? This can be considered retail therapy.

Once I realized my incessant need to spend to overcome boredom or loneliness, I noticed that no amount of material things would feel that void. And I had to realize I was more than enough.

I’m a believer, which means I believe in Jesus Christ, but for many years, I did not know my identity, and truth be told I am still evolving in this area.

I accepted the labels that society placed on me from being a black woman to a military officer to a college graduate. These labels could change, but until I understood what would never change, I was always seeking fulfillment externally.

That is a losing battle because society will continue to bombard you with the latest and the greatest toy, outfit, purse or car. If you constantly chase those things you will always be running. It is not until you understand your true identity that will you be satisfied. Now does this mean get rid of all your things and have no more desires? Of course not.

This level of awareness allows you to become a money master versus a money servant. We were never created to serve money. This is what the world will have us believe, but it’s time that we take our rightful place in this world and start directing our money.

Making this transition has allowed me to move, leaps and bounds with my money. I still like to buy nice things but I’m in control of when, how, and why I buy. That’s positioning yourself to build wealth not just for yourself, but for your legacy.