I am going to share an idea that has worked wonders for me over the last year. It started out very, very difficult, but has grown easier as time has passed. It’s not for everyone, but it could work for you.

We had accumulated a “boat load” of debt that was making it impossible to breathe deeply, or think clearly. We had accumulated this in an attempt to maintain a lifestyle that we had become accustomed to over the years.  The interesting thing was the lifestyle really wasn’t as fulfilling anymore. When the economy tanked about 5 years ago we could see that the world had changed. It seems to me that many people I see are doing the same thing. They are trying to maintain a “world” that really no longer exists. For me, the time had come to create a “new, brighter world”.

Shed the debt! Doesn’t matter how you do it, but consumer debt is drowning people under its toxic weight. I am not talking about your mortgage (although we could). We’re talking about one of the most toxic kinds of debt, credit cards. In business it’s very easy to accumulate it since you can convince yourself that it’s necessary to keep the business running, maintaining an image, and thus putting food on your table. The problem is you end up working for the banks, instead of yourself. I know there is nothing worse in small business than working hard day in and day out only to see the profits, when there are any, head to the banks.

Tuck your pride away, seek help from professionals if necessary, and work a way out of it. It’s not easy, but its life changing. Some will tell me that it’s OK to carry some consumer debt as long as you pay off the bills once a month, or use the debt to grow your business. I won’t argue finance, since we are all different. However, in my now “new world” credit card offers that come in the mail are ripped up, and thrown away. Don’t even open them anymore, despite their offers of 0%interest. I find it amazing that after the economy tanked over five years ago the banks are still pulling this kind of stuff. It’s unethical, but when has that ever stopped them?

I write this in an attempt to help people I know who are crying out for help. Everything can seem so overwhelming these days. Where do you start? How can you possibly dig yourself out from under what seems to be a mountain of concerns? Don’t focus on everything right now. Start with just one thing, and watch as those other things start to come into focus more easily. Your new brighter world will translate into your business life, as well as your personal life.

After all, in small business your personal life IS your business life.