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Our #11 Weirdforgood Podcast Episode
Why I miss my debt! Darn You Dave Ramsey! This discussion is about Motivation, and even Self-Coaching too!


Watch the video this week, to find out the TRUTH about missing my debt, and why motivation is sometimes low in my world. This discussion forum has really become a beacon for deep conversation on the web, I hope you agree, and will join us sometime soon! Have a wonderfully weirdforgood week!

I MISS BEING IN DEBT!! Yes, it’s kinda true! Debt was a huge motivator for me and now it’s gone… Darn You Dave Ramsey! Actually this discussion is more about Motivation and the human condition of coasting along instead of creating.


You can read more about me, Aaron Nichols on http://www.weirdforgood.com

or Michael Wright’s website – http://www.fatherofone.com


I have a very low threshold of tolerance for doing things that I don’t want to do.


I just never have connected with that idea that sometimes, ‘ya just gotta do, what ya gotta do, whether you like it or not.’ Sorry, I guess that makes me a bad person, or a spoiled kid, or might make you mad… Okay 🙂 I always kind of had this idea that if we really didn’t want to do something, there would be a way around it. It may take some different thinking, or different type of lifestyle, but there could always be a way to be free, to do what we DO want to do.

(psssst, it is true you know)

I’ve found out over the last few years, that being free (including Debt Free) isn’t always the easiest thing to be. Freedom and absolute wide openness, having little to no restrictions on your life or finances, doesn’t always produce the most action and most results. Especially, from me.

Here are some truths for you.

BUT!! there is something truly helpful that I MISS about My DEBT!

It made me do things that I didn’t want to do!

And that was a good thing! See my life now is blue open sky. All the freedom in the world. I can sit here and just ponder all day if I wish. But Debt, wow, in the days of debt, I had a wonderful structure and machine of accountability to MAKE me get up and make me produce and make me bring home the bacon each week!

I am into the world of Coaching, right? One benefit of a Coach is they can create a game that makes you step into new action and gets you out of your comfort zone, so you can grow and become something more than you were before… Debt can do that too! Oh yeah!

Debt is the life coach that most of America hires to make them stay in action!

When Bills show up all through the month, that I have to pay, there is this awesomeness about that scenario. The companies that we borrow from, have this wonderful setup of accountability and disciplinary steps. They use them to make us feel like rotten little bad children if we make a late payment. Oh no! They call us on our phones! They ask us when we can pay the bill, and why we didn’t get it paid on time! This experience can be so painful and emotional that we learn to never pay late again!

We hate letting people down. We want to be the teacher’s pet. We are sad when someone is disappointed in us. So we believe this whole made up story of ‘CREDIT’ and how we need it to survive, like air to breathe. We would be bad people, if we had ‘BAD CREDIT’, OMG!! We can learn the best ways to get our CREDIT score up, and keep it there. We need to borrow the right amounts, and pay back at the right times, and keep on, keeping on, into oblivion, to keep my CREDIT score up.

This is a GREAT system. I am proof. With debt in my life, I made more money. Without it, I haven’t.

Confused yet?

Debt was a big, bad, furrowed-brow-parent in my life. It made me show up to work every day in a job that I didn’t love. It shook it’s finger at me, and made me feel like I was supposed to do this, and supposed to do that. It was a structure that I could follow, and see my progress on. It was full of ‘shoulds’ and a mysterious perfect life, that I could figure out how to acquire, if I just borrowed to buy all the right things.

That was one way, that I did produce more money in my life, than without it. That’s true.

Others may tell you that they have an internal discipline system that they use to create their schedule, and get things done, and always move forward into the work they love.

Good for them. That’s not me. I am more like the kid, who can totally kick ass and produce wonderful results… If I have to. And if I don’t, well I probably won’t. So then what? Is this life of mine, with complete freedom, a big waste of time. Should I lock myself back into the old ways, so I make myself and my family more money? Should I suck it up, and find something that is just a j-o-b, so other people can approve of me more? I would like to avoid those weird conversations about, ‘where do you work?’ and ‘what do you do?’. They are pretty awkward for me 🙂

Hmm… My mentor Steve Chandler talks about willpower and discipline, just in the same context as arm power. It can be built. It is always created through exercise. It is not just a natural trait, that you either have, or don’t have. Anyone can improve their willpower and discipline and create a new picture of the life they want, at any time, starting right now.

YEAH, that sounds better!

Instead of needing the whole world of ‘stuff I can’t afford’, meaning, ‘stuff I borrowed money to have’, creating the reason for my action and work. Maybe, I could design a roadmap for myself that I would really love to travel upon. Maybe, I could just choose, and decide something that I would like to have happen in my near future (or far future), then ask myself, ‘what would be the best, fastest, most fun way to make that happen?’ That would not be spending my day today, working to create money, to pay for something I bought years ago. I could spend my day in earnest anticipation of serving and helping someone create an awesome new life for themselves, and in the process, I will receive their investment, as a proof of their commitment, and faith in their own.

I could then track and play along this gameboard of life, that I made up for myself. I’d choose to roll my dice and move ahead sometimes, or I can take a break, to redesign it as I go. That is a discipline and willpower exercise that sounds FUN to Me!

But how can I replicate that awesome power of Debt, to make me stay on track, at all times. Man, that was really helpful for a snotty brat like me. I needed that kick in the pants… I’ve been quite immature, for my whole life. I cry when I don’t get my way. I do things, because I want to, not because you tell me to… hmm…

Maybe I don’t. Maybe I flip the whole thing upside down. How about I grow up. How about I use maturity, from my insides, instead of an outside force, to make me do things. Dang! Saying that we ‘have to do, what we have to do’ isn’t grown up anymore, it’s a cop-out. We have a whole world of possibility at our fingertips, and if we’re not tapping into that, it’s our own fault. We can be or do or become anything we COMMIT to.

Alright, let’s try this from a new level. I do things that I am so deeply passionate about, that I don’t need to be motivated to do them. I’m dying to do them. I want them so badly for myself, for others, that I am literally thinking about this work and this play at all times. My life is delicious to me, because I have spent the time to ask myself some powerful questions. I have faced myself in truth. I know that if I am not using all of my resources and energy, action and devotion, building and creating something awesome, than it’s not aligned with my purpose. It’s not what I am here on this planet to do.

If it’s not a Hell Yeah! Than it’s okay to drop it off my list. If I’m not 110% excited about it, than I am going to always come up short, on my commitment to it. If I am looking forward to the weekend, or the escape of alcohol, or even taking a sick day, to do what I really want to do, than I am out of alignment and not inspired with my work, or my life.

One of the reasons that I hired life-coach Megan Sillito, is this: On our first conversation together, she told me that she had recently been to Hawaii, to skydive with a client of hers. WOW!! This woman found a profession, that allowed her to facilitate someone’s tropical dreams coming true, and they brought her along with them, to make it happen. WOW!!

I want that too! How freakin’ cool is that! Would she, or I, or you, need willpower and discipline to show up for that kind of work? No Way!!

Ahh, these posts  really give me the chance to see and type through my thoughts on my life. I am glad you’re here to ride along. Now is the time to go into questioning myself. Now is the time to practice getting clear, on what I really, really, really, absolutely, really want. What is it that I want so bad, that I don’t need the structure of monthly bills to make me show up for it? What is it that I want so bad, that no one can stop me from accomplishing, because I will do anything to achieve it? What is my Heaven Yeah!

That is a question worth finding the answer to, my friends! And Thank You Dave Ramsey, for giving me the opportunity to fail in the face of my financial freedom, it’s given me lots of space to find myself. I needed that too 🙂



Got Guts enough to join me on a discussion, about How I Miss My Debt! (Not Really?)

Check out all of my video workshop Hangouts here, to get a feel for it. Join us if you dare!

And if you like Podcasts – I have converted all my workshops to audio, for your listening pleasure, here. Clank… clank… clank… clank…  thud, whirr, clank, whirrr, whirrr, thud, CLANK. A hushed but audible radio plays in the background. Several sweaty bodies are scattered around the place, in various contortions of abstract motion.

I find myself very uncomfortably standing at the front desk of the Ottawa Nautilus Fitness Center circa 2001…  Hang on for this story, you’re gonna laugh!
Looking across the vast gym, I am completely out of my comfort zone and feeling absolutely insecure.
To go back to that place and time I should provide more about my lifestyle at age 22. I’ll make this part fast… #1 Goal? Have FUN!  Then work hard and Play Harder! Every night is a new adventure, Never worry about tomorrow! Needless to say, the fitness level of my body and my wallet was completely Out of Shape!
I don’t remember exactly what brought me to the Gym. It may have been the latest great idea of the group of guys I ran around with. We were going to be in great shape and have fun doing it!
Honestly though, standing at the front of this gym in downtown Ottawa, all that energy and excitement had drained out and fear was taking over…
My mind observed a whole new and alien world to me. I didn’t know what was what. I felt no bearing on where to start. I felt silly for being worried so much about something that seemed so simple to all the other folks in the gym.
I feared looking stupid, doing the wrong things & having my weakness of body and strength on display for all the gym to see.
I had years of guilt washing over me. I never was interested in physical fitness until now. What had I been thinking! Was it too late? Did I deserve a fit body when I had neglected mine so long? I saw myself on square #1.
In my head, everyone here had worked out for 4 hours a day, every-day for their whole lives. They were all triathletes and here I am, the weird new kid who probably will drop the bench-press bar on my face or something! I had beaten myself mentally, before I ever tried.
Anyway, I did sign up to be a member.
I began on the treadmill. I jogged a little and let my new surroundings sink in. I tentatively played with the machines trying not to break them or me. I met “the guys” for some light lifting and low reps. It didn’t kill me 🙂
Over the next few weeks, I began to feel more comfortable with my own capabilites. I did, little by little, learn to enjoy this new facet to my lifestyle. Step by step on the treadmill, my confidence grew and I came closer to being comfortable in my body and in this once terrifying place…
That experience began an understanding for me that I always want physical fitness to be part of my life. A gym-rat I am not. I did later become a big fan of bicyling and had about 3 years of very rewarding miles out on the trail. Although the focus comes and goes, I’ve never forgotten how good it feels to be in shape and confident in my physical abilities…
Sooo, this world of financial fitness? How does it make you feel?

Are these blog topics, and word Budget or Dave Ramsey, bringing anxiety, just to think about? Is the thought of using cash as your spending tool just as scary as a squat-bar loaded with giant weights? Do you feel guilt for years of couch-potato-like financial habits? Does it feel like it may be too late to start getting in shape?

I know those feelings.
I’ve lived those feelings too.
I was also the poster-child for out-of-financial-shape-ness!
I had all those same feelings when I began my journey to financial freedom. I thought it was too late. I thought I had too much debt. I thought I had no control on the cost of living my life.
I had that same gym-like anxiety sitting in the waiting room at a hospital reading Dave’s book the Total Money Makeover. I was afraid people in public would see that I was out of shape and weak with my money…
Truth is, just by being IN the gym. Just by having that book IN my hand, I had Victory.
I had taken the first baby step. I was TRYING!
Every little step of progress helped me to feel more confident than the last. The fears of “what if I can’t”, “what if it’s too hard” & “what if I fail” start to melt when you get moving in the right direction. The act of trying is what shrinks the fear.
If I can become financially fit, believe me, So Can You!
I see things from the other side now. I have mastered the equipment and techniques of building a solid financial body. I still enjoy the adrenaline of working those money muscles. And Yes, I fall off track every once in a while, just as all humans do 🙂
If you want a personal trainer who understands. One who has transitioned from taking bill-collector’s calls to being completely debt-free, then my coaching services are for you. We’ll use the Baby Step approach to gaining confidence and climbing toward debt-freedom.
My money-gym membership info is available at http://www.truenorthffc.com/ check out “What is Coaching” for details.
You have the ability in you. I can show you how to put it into action. And, YES you will be more attractive, inside and out, when you know that you have a buff & chiseled
financial physique! Financial Fitness. It’s coming on like a nitrous-powered dragster. Can you feel the ground rumbling?
Surely you are noticing this new wave of thinking. It’s actually old school that is now becoming cool again 🙂
This is absolutely the best thing to come out of the change in our economy in the last couple years. The growth of our relationship with debt and it’s impacts on our lives is tremendous.
We all had a wonderful chance to learn how important it is to not be spread too thin with our money. I see GREAT things in the future for those who’ve learned from the mistakes of our culture in recent years.
Wise people from Ottawa and the surrounding areas about to embark on a financial learning journey. They have chosen to attend Financial Peace University. These classes are being held all over the nation. I am volunteering to host one at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Ottawa. It starts on Monday night… I AM EXCITED!!!!!
“More than one million families have attended Financial Peace University with amazing results. On average, these families paid off $5,300 in debt and saved $2,700 in just the first 90 days!” (from DR’s website)
All 18 people in my class had a pivotal moment when they made the decision to do this. With one little three letter word of “yes”, they’ve transformed thier financial future forever. VICTORY with a word.
It won’t be easy, but Everyone who attends all 13 weeks and implements the changes, will be driving a fast moving dragster toward Financial Peace!
Proud and honored are just a couple of the things I feel about being the host for this event.
I have personally lived the experience of the ride to debt-freedom. It will be inspiring to watch this class develop toward the same goal. In this group setting they will see that they are not alone. Together they’ll support and encourage each other. It will be a wonderful gathering of energy focused on the acceptance of debt-reality and real action toward improvement!

My individual coaching services are best for the kickstart needed to get your financial engine rebuilt and idling correctly. We can even work together toward a sweet tune-up and solid reliable ride.

Financial Peace University is always a recommended follow-up to that package. For the long term health of your money-motor, FPU provides instruction for You to become your own certified mechanic, customizer and driver of a Real Financial Hot Rod! Are you ready?
Visit the first night of an FPU Class near you. It is free with no obligation. I warn you, it is tough to see the fun and not want to join up. In this race, Everybody gets to win! Good Morning from a Brightly Snowlit, Chilly and Debt-Free Corner of Princeton, Kansas.

Honestly, I’ve been wanting this fluffy white stuff to show up!  I’ve had a snow-blog idea that’s been rolling around in my mind for awhile now. Hope you enjoy!
Here it is, Your Challenge: Cover a thousand square miles in 5 inches of white fluffy frozen powder in just a few hours… Okay… How would you begin a process like this? What would be your first step? Can you even fathom it? Well it’s a huge area – so you need something really really big right? Where would you start? Seems like waaaay to big a project to ever get going! And from these pictures from south and west of Princeton, we have proof once again that it can be done. It is proven time and again every winter here in Kansas… I am amazed when seeing this beauty and realizing that it is all done with billions of tiny snowflakes that are each created unique. The first several billion of these creations fall to the ground and melt immediately! They Give of themselves to cool down the surface so the others can take hold. Eventually with more and more and more flake effort, the whiteness starts to stick and then takes over…
How opposite of thinking is this from anything that ever crossed the mind of a human. Our creator’s ways are just beautifully amazing. A day of country cruising and enjoying the new-fallen snow reminds me that we are not nearly as smart as we think we are. Our minds are not built like that of our creator. But we can learn those ways.

When it comes to finances, we believe we have the right answer. We believe that our way of Spending Money Wisely and Having the Things We Need is best.
With research we find out that these are not the ways of the wise and learned in the recorded history. Dave Ramsey will say he teaches God’s and Grandma’s ways of dealing with money. It actually goes way beyond that. The wise teachings of old from all over the world, every faith and nationality, are all chock-full of emphasis on Giving, Saving and Then Spending.
Is this the way that your mind approaches payday?
Our universe has such a perfect rhythm and balance, but we are not using this architecture in our own lives. The more we can find out about the True ways of handling money, the more we find out that our potential is surprisingly inconceivable. Not all winter blessings are out in the cold. Not all rich blessings are money. Case in point: I was blessed to share Monday’s Snow Day Drive with the beautifully adventurous Lindsay. Yup, God likes me 🙂

We do have the ability and responsibility to blanket our financial future with snowy white riches.
If you’re ready to begin this process, throw out all your smart ideas. Get some of God’s. He seems to know what he’s doing 🙂 Hello Thursday!! Just a little insight, Thursdays have always been my favorite day of the week 🙂 Almost into the weekend and still time to get things done!

Okay, so the title of this post was meant to get your attention. Did it work?? I am throwing a radical idea out today.

Right smack dab in the middle of the consumer culture of christmas, I want to speak a minute about where we’re getting to with our financial goals. Do you ever feel that you work hard all day and when that paycheck comes in you sit down to send it all back out? A rat in a wheel spins that baby all day long and is tired from the exercise but really didn’t go anywhere. I’ve been there, done that. I’ve felt the stress of juggling due dates of bills vs. when the paycheck comes in. I’ve longed for the purchase of some item I just had to have, and it seems the only way to buy it is on a monthly payment. Where was I getting to with this lifestyle?
Enter the world of the radical for a minute. This is when it’s time to get control of your money instead of it controlling you. How about the first moment of clipping your credit cards and never again using their Capital to Chase your future into the American Distress? How would you like open and honest communication and assistance from your spouse on handling the finances as a team? What about the power of walking into the store buying exactly what you want and not having to do any mental math on how it affects your checking account? What if your mailbox seems to be emptier every time you check it from paying off those little nagging medical or store credit debts?
Go in your mind to the drivers seat of your paid for car. I guarantee it will drive better. Then remember that you’ve freed up another $300 or $400 dollars per month. Where did that go? Now it’s time to see a balance of savings piling up in your emergency fund. How about the moment that your car’s tranny goes out and you get to decide to put in a new one with cash or just pay cash for a whole car instead? What about the understanding that your retirement will be well funded because you made strides today that your 65 year old self will love you for?
Finally, (and I love this one 🙂 What about pulling into the drive of your paid-for home, having been living debt-free for several years, and this is the night that you decide to write a 5-figure check to anonymously help a family in need. You can relate to the stress this family is under. This money is extra, above and beyond what you need for yourself. Then you have the power to drop a money-bomb on them and change their futures forever… Radical? Yes. Possible? Absolutely!
In the world of the radical there are some sacrifices and things to be cut back on. You will and should feel weird about some of the changes you’ll make. There are huge gains to be enjoyed from stepping off of the revolving hamster wheel and starting to use your energy to propel yourself truly forward. I hope this little journey has been fun. The real thing REALLY is fun. I can attest to that.
I hope your holidays are going great. I am offering discounts and lots of free material on my website for you to utilize, please take advantage of them as you step toward a Radical new lifestyle!
“True Nobility is not about being better than someone else. It’s about being better than you used to be.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer

 
Free 30 Minute Financial Analysis – No Obligation – Completely Confidential Happy Thursday as the sun shines and cool weather has set in.

Today’s question seems simple enough… “When driving to work this morning did you happen to look out of windshield of your car or did you only use the rearview mirror?”

Silly question right? It would be terrible if everyone decided to use their rearview mirror to drive all over town. I think my friend Kevin would have a lot more work in his industry as an auto insurance adjuster!

Financially how are you driving? Do you know how much you’ve spent every month, feel comfortable about that and use the past month’s expenses to know exactly the amount it took to make it to the end? This would technically be the same as driving using your rearview mirror. Some people even write out their “budget” and have expenses marked down on a nice spreadsheet and track them very clearly. This is a step in the right direction, although we are still focusing on where we’ve been and not where we’re going.

Just like our cars, the best way to navigate financially is to look forward, see what’s ahead and plan to steer around the curves and stop when we come to an intersection. A Pre-Planned Zero Balance Budget is the best way to plan your month’s money. We start by looking forward into the upcoming month, writing down our income that we expect to bring in, and then working down the list of expenses until every dollar has been spent. Also this should be done at the beginning of each month because expenses change as the months change. We can plan our lives a month at a time and make adjustments along the way knowing that we are staying on the road we’ve planned out the entire time.
Some folks have irregular income amounts and may feel it’s impossible to plan things out this way. On the contrary, it is even more important to get a written plan ahead of time to know where to put money as it comes in. With the same form that you can download in the link below, write out all your expenses for the upcoming month. Then in the left column put a priority number on each expense. #1 would be food, then utilities, then house payment, then car gas, payment & insurance… Food, Shelter, Clothing & Transportation are the 4-walls it takes for all of us to live.  Make sure and spend out categories up to the amount you expect to bring in and beyond. Then as the money comes in, pay yourself into each category by the numbered order on the list. Do not spend money on a credit card bill or to eat out until the house payment is paid. This will make sure your basics are taken care of and you have a plan for each dollar as it arrives.

Click Here for Aaron’s Zero Balance Budget Tool -on the Resources page at TrueNorthFFC.com where I’ve uploaded my Zero Balance Budget Tool and some other great documents to help you get your financial ferrari on the autobahn!

Now we have to be honest here… Not everyone is looking out the windshield or the rearview… some are wearing a blindfold and mashing the gas! The results of this plan of driving are obvious. The car gets beatup, rides really rough and sometimes causes fender-benders with others out there on the road. By downloading my budget form and filling it out, we take off the blindfold and know where we are at. Seeing on paper how much we have coming in and going out helps us to know if we should slow down some spending or plan to pull into a service station!

All of us are really driving ourselves somewhere financially every day. I hope we are headed where we want to go! I would love some feedback on the budget files I’ve posted for download. Remember that you can get yourself going in the right direction, but if you need navigational help, a tune-up or overhaul, I’ll be at your service.

Money flows from those who don’t manage it to those who do. ~Dave Ramsey 
Free 30 Min Financial Analysis – No Obligation – Completely Confidential Good Morning, Happy Thursday & Thanks to all the Veterans and those who’re serving and their families today!

Even with only an antennea to bring TV into the house, I’ve noticed that the Christmas ads are starting to pop up quickly. The Retailers are hitting those emotional buttons and we’re probably starting to feel excited and nostalgic about the holidays to come… This reminds me so much of a story of a Toilet Seat, told by Russ Carroll, the man who was with Dave Ramsey from the beginning. I heard this first hand while attending Counselor Training at Dave’s home offices in Nashville, TN.

Anyway, the Toilet Seat Story goes something like this: At Russ’ house (which I’m positive is VERY nice) they needed to replace a broken seat on the throne in a guest bathroom. He checked around the local ads and knew that Home Depot usually had revolving sales on things. He wanted to save money. Yes, many rich people are rich because they know how to do this! Read The Millionaire Next Door by Tom Stanley. When he went to Home Depot and asked the clerk if toilet seats ever go on sale. The clerk replies, “Nope. A toilet seat is a Need. We don’t advertise and discount Needs.”

Wow. Come to think about it, do we Ever see something that is truly a Neeeed shown on one of these fancy holiday only ads. How about the Target or Wal-Mart Black Friday Flyers? Do we sometimes see those ads and convince ourselves that a Want has now become a Need? This is exactly the intention of those retailers, and they are absolutley Awesome at transforming our emotions! If we Needed it, they wouldn’t be advertising it and it wouldn’t go on sale because those items are carried in every store and the price is already competitive, like when you buy a toilet seat.

Okay, so Christmas should be fun and meaningful and we should buy some Wants and put smiles on little kids’ faces and enjoy seeing them play and be happy. If you really want to create blessings with your gifts, they cannot be burdens to your financial status. Paying all year for last year’s gifts with credit card bills just plain takes the fun out of Christmas. Families who practice “buy now, pay later” for gifts have very little chance of having extra income to save and invest for emergencies and their future.

Here’s some bullet points to incorporate in your holiday shopping.

Then, Enjoy Christmas to the fullest knowing that it is all paid for and you don’t need to have the New Year’s Resolution to “Get my credit cards paid off ASAP”!!

Thanks for reading this post. I appreciate every person out there and love sharing these thoughts with you. Remember, these ideas are coming from a Debt Free Dude, so I also live what I’m writing. Thanks! 
Free 30 min Financial Analysis – No Obligation – Completely Confidential



