recreatingreality.com

December is the month to display your self-deiscipline and execute your decisions.  Most of us faced temptation on Black Friday as retailers cut prices to the bone to lure us into the stores.  Many of us were lured and many of us forgot every thing we have been working on… like eliminating that credit card debt or staying within the family budget.

Yesterday is gone.  What’s done is done.  If you were one of the well disciplined people who stayed home on Black Friday or stuck to your budget, CONGRATULATIONS!  You are serious about recreating your reality.  If you went shopping on Black Friday or on Saturday and got a little carried away, it is time to make a few decisions.  Do you have the courage to create a family budget and stick to it or are you really happy (in the comfort zone) spending more than you have earned? 

There is little need to criticize those who went overboard on Black Friday.  You know who you are and in all probability, you didn’t overspend because you wanted to.  You probably overspent because of your ego.  Our egos have a way of putting us in total denial at times.  We reason our way through the exercises and we know what we should be doing to save money, but when the time comes that big old ego appears and says, “What will people think if you don’t give them those expensive presents this Christmas?”  Or, it may say, “Okay, you know you want this, so why listen to reason?  Just go ahead and buy what you want to buy.  Everything will be just fine.”  Occasionally our egos trick us by bringing procrastination into the conversation.  “Go ahead.  Get this now.  It’s on sale.  Besides, you can start saving for tomorrow, tomorrow.” 

Many of us have talked ourselves into the idea that January is just a month away and we can start all our goals then.  Let’s just have one more month of irresponsible spending.  Then, we will go cold turkey and stop everything! 

The truth is we will all make our New Year’s resolutions in January and by February we will forget all about them.  By March we will be moaning and groaning over our debt or lack of progress on any of our goals.  And, by July we will be looking forward to January 1, 2010 as if we are really going to start over on that magic day.

January is the time to really buckle down.  It will be easier on all of us.  The flurry of holidays will be behind us.  We will not be pressed to attend one holiday party after another.  The biggest thing that comes on us during the first quarter of the year is Valentine’s Day and for most of us it isn’t even a mini-Christmas.  So, we will buckle down in January and start tracing some real progress on a few goals.

But… going cold turkey in January is a hard task.  The decisions we make in December will set us up for January.  If you use good self-discipline during December, January will be easier to slide into.  If you spend yourself into deeper debt January is going to be overwhelming. 

The decisions you make in December, no matter your goal, is a good indicator of how you will start the new year.  Those decisions will also demonstrate your real burning desire whether it be to appear as the big spender or whether it is to be debt free on January 1, 2010.

Now is the time to have the courage to face the truth.  Now is the time to stop believing the lies you tell other people.  If you do nothing more during December, decide if you really have a burning desire to achieve your goals, or if you are engaging in a bit of mental masturbation.  The real truth is that whatever decision you make, you must be prepared to commit to it.  December is decision time.