by Jillian Beirne Davi
It’s a common scenario. You’re chugging along, getting your finances in order, paying your bills on time, keeping your spending down and brown baggin’ it to work. You are SO in control and feeling on top of the world!
And then. The unexpected happens. A tax bill shows up, your car breaks down, a surprise expense. Someone gets sick. Setbacks like these make you question if it’s even worth the effort. What to do when you get that defeated feeling?
- Recognize that is an opportunity. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Yeah right Jill. How is this good thing?” But yes, this is an opportunity to step up and declare that you DO have more than enough to cover this bill. No matter what happens. This is an opportunity for you to realize just how resourceful and creative you really are! Start by making this powerful decision: “I believe I have more than enough. I don’t know HOW I will cover this bill just yet, but I know the answer is on its way.” I find that the answer always appears when I make the decision that I’m going to “make it work.”
- Communicate and Negotiate. Even though the bill is high, you may not have to pay it all in one sitting. Call and see if you can negotiate a payment schedule over time to help take the pressure off. Remember to ask for the first payment to be due in a few weeks. Sometimes the language they use in writing is downright scary. But, you may find that when you call and speak to someone you have a LOT of room to negotiate. Remember, they want to get paid and will most likely work with you to make that happen. Just make sure you stay in integrity with this. If you agree to pay on a schedule make your payments on time.
And now the most important step…
- Get into action. The best medicine for fear is ACTION. Take out a pen and paper and start thinking about all the ways to create new income in order to pay for this unexpected bill. Doesn’t matter if the ideas or good or bad. It only matters that you come up with some ideas and take action on the ones that seem like they could actually work. Really stretch yourself and think of up to 100 creative ways to cover this unexpected bill. Then get moving.
Bottom line: Mistakes happen, unexpected events arise. And you may feel discouraged. The important thing is for you to recognize that change is a process and life is messy. But you always have more than enough and you are way more resourceful than you think!
