How many times have you thought about a goal in your life and wish you’d started on it just a little bit sooner? For instance, before I had kids, I definitely could have saved a little bit out of my paycheck every week. Or, knowing that I’d be in my friend’s wedding next week, I probably could have started trying to lose that extra 20 pounds a few months ago instead of counting on a diet of water and crackers and prayer when I’m trying on that dress next Saturday. How much of a difference would it make if we did something just a little bit differently every day?

 

I’ve been blessed in my life with many mentors...people so much smarter and wiser than myself that it would be a real shame if I didn’t pay attention to them. A few years ago, one of these people shared with me the concept of the slight edge. It encouraged me to make a habit of doing one small thing a day that will make my life better. Instead of a cookie, have an apple. Instead of the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of grabbing a fast food lunch on the go, pack a lunch and put that extra money into savings. The beauty of this concept is that it’s based on small things. Easy things. And that’s also where I think a lot of us lose interest. Because we want shiny, immediate answers to our problems, fantastic and quick success in our goals. When you have big dreams, it’s hard to break them down into small steps.

So you’re probably wondering what this has to do with your day to day life, with money and kids and work and chores.  Budgeting my money, fixing things around home, building memories with my kids…to me, those are the small steps that are building my big dream of a happy and fulfilling life. And I’m trying to make those small differences and take those small steps every day. With the help of Afena Federal Credit Union I created a budget.  Now every day, I track my spending and manage my finances using Afena’s online banking or mobile banking app. My husband and I take walks every day, taking literal steps towards our physical health. And we always carve out time to enjoy each other, our family and our friends, whether it be around the dinner table or at the park. I’m committed to these small steps and I know they will lead to big rewards. I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.