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Saving Made Easy for the Unique Learner


© 2005 Darlene Arechederra


{Note: Client name and identifying details have been changed to assure privacy.}

Kary had a real dilemma on her hands. At age 27, her credit card debt exceeded $20,000. To top it off, her family was pushing her into THEIR career of choice.

But for Kary, it meant more schooling. And the closer she came to enrollment, the more depressed she became.

As her depression increased, so did her weight.

You see, Kary was dyslexic. She spoke tearfully of her lifelong struggle to read and write. The thought of enduring several more years of schooling was unbearable.

And now creditors were calling her at work, creating even more stress. Whichever credit card company screamed the loudest got the majority of her paycheck each month.

Kary would then have little money left to pay on the other cards. She began paying late fees on a regular basis, something she'd never dreamed would happen to her.

Time for a Decision
"What would YOU do in my position?" she asked. Her friends at work were convinced she should file bankruptcy.

Her family heaped guilt trips on her shoulders, pressuring her to keep and pay off the debt.

I asked her to set aside all the opinions and advice. Then I asked her what SHE wanted to do. Gut level.

"Pay it off," she said. "But I don't want to do this for the next 10 years! I just CAN'T!"

Ten years... Yes, that's a long, long time. For Kary, it seemed like 'forever' because she could see nothing but deprivation and struggle ahead of her.

It's Only a Matter of Time
Kary at this point didn't realize she could pay off the debt much more quickly. Nor did she believe she could save any money, because she thought every penny she earned would be used to pay off debt.

But, one thing was very clear to me. With or without a new career, Kary would remain in debt as long as she spent more money than she made.

Plus, if she went into a career to please her family, there would be repercussions down the road.

It was only a matter of time.

Strengths Win Over Weaknesses
Because reading was such a challenge for Kary, I chose from my book just two simple strategies I knew would work well for her.

I then drew her a 'picture' of what she could do to quickly get some momentum going. It gave her the visuals she needed.

As I drew, I explained and reinforced the ideas. Kary could then hear them, rather than read them.

And guess what? She GOT it -- the first time through. Kary set up two goals; one to set aside money for emergencies; the other to begin paying down her debt in the shortest amount of time.

She then set up personal motivation by building in small rewards for her progress.

Her favorite reward? Shopping! She loves to shop, so once she has met her two main goals every other week, she'll reward herself by spending a small, set amount of money.

Success is Only a Strength Away
Kary could have spent years working on her perceived 'weakness' to eventually earn more money.

Instead, she discovered that she could move forward immediately by working with her strengths.

Kary is now on track to quickly pay down debt. She's no longer using her credit cards for purchases. She has money in her checkbook for her expenses. Her emergency account is growing and will be there when she needs it.

Plus, Kary gave herself permission to reward herself on a regular basis when she has kept to her plan. She needed extra motivation, and her small rewards will meet that need. Knowing that she can spend that small amount has reduced her need to shop constantly.

Gaining Momentum
Above all, what truly motivated Kary to get started was the fact that it would NOT take her anywhere near ten years to be debt free.

Knowing that she could immediately build up her savings and at the same time pay down debt was a major relief for her. How could she stop using her credit card when she had no money on which to fall back?

Not long ago, she related that she had worked up the courage to look into the requirements for the career she'd truly love to pursue.

Making a dent in her debt and having cash for the first time in years was lifting that cloud of despair that had kept her feeling so trapped.

Since then, Kary has shared with me that she's working on reducing her weight. (You GO, girl!)

Am I proud of her? You bet!

Move Forward, Just the Way You Are
Kary lacked confidence that she could recover from her dilemma. What she discovered was that she could do anything she wanted to do, just the way she was.

She needed motivation to work with the strengths she already had. She found strategies which worked perfectly for her lifestyle and personality. And she blossomed with a gentle encouragement to break those chains that held her.

Well done, Kary.

© 2004 Darlene Arechederra