If there’s something that’s bothering you about your financial situation (or any other situation, really) it’s time to do something about it. I know I’m queen of the obvious, but oftentimes the obvious is exactly what we overlook. We get so focused on just getting through whatever’s going on each day, that we don’t actually make an effort to do something about the things that we know need to change or that bother us on some level.

Awareness is the first step

You probably already know what needs to change in your life, but you may not always be aware of it on a conscious level. So start by literally listening to the things you say. What do you complain about, wish for, and dream of? If you can’t think of anything in particular, ask someone who knows you well what you complain about most. They’ll probably be able to tell you in 5 seconds flat. Write down their answer, because that’s what you need to do something about.

Now get moving

Yes, it really is that obvious. If you’ve been complaining about how much you hate that horrible looking carpet that didn’t wear well at all and how you really want to rip it out and paint the concrete instead *cough*me*cough* well, get out a utility knife and rip it out. You have to do something about it, otherwise it will continue to be there, staring you in the face everyday or niggling away at you on a regular basis, keeping you from where you want to be.

Keep moving, with a plan

Doing something about it is absolutely a critical step, because you’ll never get anywhere unless you start. But once you do start, you’ve also got to keep going. And that means you need a plan. It can be an incredibly simple plan (like “I’m going to prevent the cat from waking me up at 3am AGAIN by shutting the bedroom door each night”) to something that involves coming up with a SMART goal and then methodically working toward your end-goal, step by step.

Whatever it is, take action. Do something about it — daily if need be — until you make a permanent change.

So it’s food for thought time. What have you been putting off? What do you often complain about? And what’s one thing you could do about it? I’d love to hear.