You may be thinking to yourself, I don’t need to hear anything about being tough in a tough economy, I’m doing just fine, and that’s what I thought too. My whole life I never got laid off and I never went without a Job unless I wanted to. Times are different now; you almost can’t be overly prepared.
So here are some of the things I wish I would have done a long time ago to prevent at least a little of the difficulty getting through this bad economy.
- Tip one- Never say it couldn’t happen to you. When you think you are invincible you aren’t going to make any preparations for the worst case scenario. You might be thinking, it doesn’t matter, even if I lose my job I can get another one very quickly, and hopefully you are right. My question to you is what if you are wrong, are you prepared?
- Tip two- Get prepared. Going through a really bad economy can be like going through a natural disaster, if you are like I was then you might say, I will always have someone to count on even if the worst happens. What if they are all going through the same thing? Developing a plan of action to rely solely on you is the only way to go. It’s nice if you can rely on family and friends but you may not be able to.
- Tip three- Don’t live in denial. I can’t believe how many people, even when times are tough, still spend money they don’t have. You can’t bury your head in the sand. Be prepared to make extreme sacrifices. I had to sell almost everything I owned and at first I was devastated. Some of the things I missed, but I soon realized that most of the stuff I got rid of I didn’t even notice. I actually am glad I don’t have so much junk now, later when the good times are upon you again you can re-buy the things you really miss.
- Tip four- Have the right mindset. Having a long term perspective about it all will make a difference. I’m sure it feels like the end of the world now but I learned from my own experience that very little of what I thought mattered actually did. Keeping a positive frame of mind will ensure that you get back on your feet as quickly as possible.
- Tip five- Learn from the experience. I have had some of the greatest personal growth in my life during the tough times of the bad economy. I learned so much about myself, and my ability to persevere. I also learned what mistakes I will not make in the future. Every experience in life has a lesson to teach if you are willing to learn, even the bad ones.
Economies shift, markets vary, and the only thing that is constant is change. If you prepare during the prosperous times you will be more ready for the lean ones. When all is said and done, no matter how the bad economy affects things in your life, you will overcome it all in the end.