This post is part of an experiment I’m doing called “Short Thoughts.” Short Thoughts would be in addition to my normal, more practical posts, and I’d love your feedback on it. Let me know what you think of this format by hitting me up on social media!
Have you ever seen or been to a rodeo? There is an event called steer wrestling where a person will literally drop off a horse, grab a steer by its horns, and wrestle it to the ground. This may be where the phrase “take the bull by the horns originates.”
In life, you’re going to have problems that you will need to tackle, your bulls if you will. It’ll be tempting to try and let someone else take care of those problems. But the whole idea of taking the bull by the horns is to face your problems head-on.
The Bull
These “bulls” are issues that come your way, but they’re not all going to be the same. Sometimes your bull is going to be a relatively tame calf that isn’t going to do much damage. Other times, your bull is going to want to enter your life and want to level it as if it were in a china shop.
And that’s where fear comes in.
Let’s face it. Taking the bull by the horns, staring your problem right in the face, is one of the scariest things you can do.
With your finances, it can be scary to take responsibility for not only the mistakes you’ve made but also for what you need to do to fix things that may be beyond your control. To really get a handle on your finances takes real work, and that’s a good thing. Working at your finances will bring results—plain and simple.
But nothing is going to get done unless you take the bull by the horns. I know you can do it. You’ve got this!
Take Action
There are tools that a cowboy uses in steer wrestling. They’ve got their boots for traction and protection, their horse to come at the steer from just the right angle, and even their belt to hold their pants up. But what is their most important tool?
Preparation.
They’ve practiced. They’ve trained. They know what to expect even if it’s unexpected. They. Are. Prepared.
So how do you get prepared with your finances? Constantly learning.
Learn something about personal finance that you haven’t learned before. Relearn a subject within personal finance that you need to brush up on. Learn a different angle on a subject that you might already know, such as budgeting or investing.
Keep growing. Learn about yourself and what you value. Learn the way you’ll manage your money best and create your own system for doing so. Read some blog posts, take a class, or read a book.
Keep learning. You’ve got this.
