How to Become More Disciplined with Money (10 Easy Steps)

So... you want to become more disciplined with money?  You've had enough of not knowing where all of your money's been going.  And you're over not having enough money to cover an emergency.

Well, Sis, you are not alone.

We've all grown up in a society that tells us to spend our money and spend it fast.  It encourages us to buy the latest gadgets and to try our hardest to keep up with the Kardashians.

Even if, ain't nobody got no Kardiashian money.

And so here we are.  Scratch that...here you are.  Reading a blog post online hoping that it can save you from yourself.  Hoping that it can change you from a spend-a-holic to a money management Queen.

The good news is, it can.  The bad news (or good news depending on how you look at it) is, it all depends on YOU.

Become More Disciplined with Money - 10 Easy Steps

If there is one universal truth about achievement in any aspect of life, it is that it requires discipline.  Want to lose weight?  Requires discipline.  Want to learn a new language?  Discipline.   Want to pay off your debt?  Discipline x2.

As you can see, discipline is quite integral to our lives if we want to be successful.  There's sadly no getting around it.

So here we are.  About to dive into the 10 steps that will help you become more disciplined and make you a money management Queen.  Are you ready?

Cool.  Cause the first step is all about your goals.

Set Your Financial Goals

You know, the funny thing about discipline is that in actuality it doesn't exist.  It just doesn't.  Unless you have a reason for it.  

You are not a robot.  And you don't just do things to do things.  You do them for a reason.  There needs to be something  for you to be disciplined for.  Otherwise, discipline doesn't exist.  It can't.

So if you're saying to yourself that you want to be more disciplined with your money, you need to give yourself a purpose.  What is your goal? What would be the outcome of all your discipline?

Take some time and think it through.  What is it that you want to accomplish?  Buying a house in 5 years?  Saving for a much needed vacation?  Becoming debt free?

In choosing your money goals, you give yourself a focus and a reason to cultivate discipline.  

So if you want to become more disciplined, you're going to need some goals.  So set your money goals and set them now.

Create a Dream List

Now that you've set your money goals, it is time to take it a step further.  It's time to start dreaming.

Imagine your future life when you have reached your savings goal and have all the money you have hoped for.  What would your life look like?  What are the things that you would be doing?

Make a list of all the things you would do if you money wasn't an issue for you.  What mischief would you get into?

Really envision your future and write down how life would be for you.  This is important because more than just setting yourself a number goal to reach, you are giving yourself a new life to look forward to.

This will give you even more motivation and determination to achieve your goals and therefore, make you much more disciplined.

So create your dream list with all the hope, vigor, and joy that achieving them is sure to bring.

Create a To Do List

Okay.  With your money goals and vision firmly in place, it's time for you to make an action plan for achieving them.

Write down the things you can start doing today that would help you reach your money goals.  Nothing is too small as long as it is a step in the right direction.

You can even set daily, weekly, and monthly checkpoints to make sure you are on track for achieving those goals.

These milestone markers will give your more focus and clarity which you can use to nurture the discipline necessary to achieve them.  

What's more, by achieving these small milestone you give yourself small wins that will help motivate and encourage you to keep going.

So whip up that TO DO list and post it on your fridge or somewhere that can remind you of what it is you need to do to achieve your money goals.

Give Yourself a Challenge

Now I don't know about you, but I LOVE a good challenge.  There's nothing I love more than testing myself -  my knowledge, my strength, my willpower.  And proving to myself that I can do ALL things!

Can I get an Amen?! 

If your goal is to save more but you are always eating out or shopping, why not try to challenge yourself to a no-eating-out month.  Or a no shopping AT ALL for the next two weeks? or two months?

Got a savings goal of $500 a month, why not double it?  Make it $1000.

I find that when we challenge ourselves and push ourselves beyond our perceived limits, we discover that we can do so much more than we think.  We just don't give ourselves credit for it.

Besides, challenges help you grow as a person and life is full of them.  This time, why not set your own challenge.  That way, you at least know what you can expect.

Change Your Environment, Lifestyle, and Possibly Your Friends

If you want to become more disciplined with money, there may be some things that you are going to have to let go of.  

The life you've been leading up til now has not helped you achieve your money goals.  Nor has it helped you to cultivate the discipline you desire that would help you achieve said goals. 

That means, something's got to give.  

Have you heard the quote by Les Brown, 'In order to get something you've never had, you have to be willing to do things you've never done' ?

Well this is exactly what you need to do.  

You may need to change your environment.  Let go of those friends who are holding you back, encouraging your spending habit instead of supporting you to achieve your money goals.  

You might have to face your past and those things that keep you emotionally spending or trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Your life right now is at a crossroads.  And you have a choice.  To stay who you are OR become who you are meant to be.

I don't know about you.  But I'll always choose the latter.

Use Automation

Automation is like the trick you use when all else fails.  Although, really, it is what you do to not give yourself the option to fail.

When you automate your savings, your investing, or your bill pay, you are ensuring that it gets done each and every month right on time without any extra effort on your part.

Automation is your best friend when it comes to achieving the money goals you've set for yourself.

So if you ever feel that you can't become more discipline with your money, automation will show you that you can.  It may take the choice out of your hands but it also shows you that you can live with the money that is left.

Be Patient & Compassionate

Developing discipline is not an easy road so at some point along the way you're going to have to learn to cultivate patience and compassion towards yourself.

You can't develop discipline overnight so be prepared for it to take time.  There is no set time frame for when you will become more disciplined because everyone is different.  So remember you are you and no one else.

There may be some days where you succeed and some days when you fail.  And that's okay.  Well, at least, that's ideally how you should feel about it.

Just think of how you would talk to a friend or a loved one in your situation.  Be kind to yourself because girl... you deserve it!  

Find Inspiration From Those Who've Done It

Inspiration can go a long way in motivating you and helping you develope the discipline you need to achieve your financial goals.

When you see someone who looks like you, who comes from the same neighborhood as you and has achieved what you want to achieve, you start to believe that you can do it too.

Having someone you admire or are inspired by gives you someone to look up to. Someone to model what it is you want to become.  

A true role model.  They will be the constant reminder of your future self and your goals.

Stay Focused

To accomplish any goal you need to have the focus to see it through.  If you are easily distracted, like me, this may be something you need to work on.

When it comes to getting things done, having that tunnel vision goes a long way. One way to stay focused on your goals is to constantly remind yourself of it.  

Post your money goals in a place that you will always see it daily.  Read it out loud every day and night.  And remember why it is you started out on this journey in the first place. 

Do these things to help yourself stay focused long enough to develop the discipline you desire and, ultimately, to help you achieve your financial goals.

Recruit Help

Everyone needs help sometimes.  No one can do it alone.  We are human after all.  So go out and get you an accountability partner.

When you enlist someone to be your accountability partner, you'll have someone there to constantly remind you and motivate you to stay on track.  

Studies have shown that when you tell someone what you are going to do, you are more likely to actually do it.

So get an accountability partner and tell them your goals.  And know that, should you not be doing what you said you would be doing, your accountability partner will be there to whip you back into shape.

All in All

Becoming more disciplined with your money takes time.  But it also takes commitment and a vision to help you follow through.  

So set your goals, envision your future, and watch how those small steps you implemented in the beginning lay the foundation for a more focused and disciplined YOU.

Always remember that discipline takes practice so keep trying until you get it.  If you don't give up, you will one day succeed.  

And that, my friend, is what champions do.