Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. If you click a link and purchase an item I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my opinion. Read the full disclosure here.

Paying off debt is not easy and depending on how much you have, the journey can feel like a lifetime.

While paying off debt, there are some thoughts, beliefs, and practices that will help tremendously as you get through this challenging time!

1. Forgiveness

You may feel guilty for the debt you have and/or have a hard time forgiving yourself for this situation.

I’ve struggled with this too. I would often get upset with myself that I took out so many loans or made certain financial decisions.

However, we can’t change the past so the best thing to do is learn from it and move forward.

Part of that process involves forgiveness.

Find it in you to forgive yourself or anyone else who may have contributed to the debt in your life.

Money Mindset Hack: A lot of us have gone into debt for a reason. Think of those reasons and ask yourself if they were valid.
Did you get into credit card debt to feed your family and survive? Did you take out student loans to seek better opportunities?
Even if you can’t find a good reason, you can say you’ve definitely learned from it!

2. Take Responsibility

If you’re blaming other people, situations, government, society, etc. for your debt…it’s time to take a step back.

Blaming others is not going to help you pay off your debt any faster. It will only lead to hostility, anger, and your own unhappiness.

When you took out certain loans you may have been uneducated on the subject, but you still chose to take on that debt. Therefore, the best thing you can do is take responsibility and improve from here on out.

3. Slow Progress is Still Progress

Sometimes nothing feels like enough during your debt free journey, but you should be proud of even the small things!

Small steps still lead to miles walked.

Did you put $5 to your debt this week?
Did you invest $100 this month?
Did you start reading a personal finance book?

All of those little things are STILL progress and will lead to a big outcome.

4. Abundance/Gratitude

Debt isn’t fun, but instead of focusing on the negative aspects or being in a scarcity mindset, train yourself to look on the bright side.

I encourage you to read, The Bright Side of Being in Debt for some inspiration.

I’m actually quite grateful for my debt because:

• It’s a big challenge for me to overcome and I KNOW paying this off is going to be amazing.
• I never would have learned so much about finances without it. My debt has shaped my future money goals!

5. Your Debt Does Not Define You

Your debt is not your identity and doesn’t mean anything about you as a person. It doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t mean you make bad decisions, it doesn’t mean you’re destined to have money problems forever.

Of course it’s a big part of your life and you probably spend a lot of time focusing on it, but it doesn’t need to mean anything.

It is literally just money that you owe.

I’m not saying to ignore it or to just keep going into further debt, but you are allowed to move on with your life and strive for bigger money goals!

This also means that you are worthy of being wealthy and reaching financial freedom. Don’t get stuck into a scarcity mindset.

Keep pushing through and remember that every little bit counts!