Dave Ramsey's Snowball Method Works on Clutter, To-Do Lists, & Getting Your Finances Organized!
If you haven't heard of the Snowball Method yet, I'm glad to be the one to let you in on the Gigantically Successful Lil Secret!
OK, so we're outside. And it's Snowing. Yes, in June, it's Snowing. Let's pick up a handful of snow, pack it down in our hands, make a ball. Let's keep adding to it with more snow, making it bigger and bigger. Soon, it's so big, we can roll it down a hill. Watch it go! It's getting bigger and faster, building bulk and momentum!
THIS is the Snowball Method.
Using the Snowball Method, let's tackle your To-Do list, as Example #1. First, scratch off the smallest, easiest, quickest items on your list. Schedule Dentist Appointment, for example. There--Done. Took you 2 minutes. Out of the way. On to the next quickest and smallest task, and so on. This creates momentum, allowing you to cross things off and feel accomplished, instead of drained!
Example #2, Tackling Your Clutter. You enter your bedroom. There are piles of clutter everywhere--clothes, kids' toys, papers, books, dishes, etc. FIRST thing you do, is make the bed. Yep. Fastest, simplest, easiest task. Then put the dirty clothes in hamper. Take dirty dishes to sink. Kids' toys to their toy chest. Before you know it, your room is picked up and looking a TON better. When you enter a room to defeat the clutter, start with the smallest pile or box, and then go for the next biggest, and so forth. You'll see a dent created in no time!
Example #3, Financial Organizing! Dave Ramsey started the Snowball Method to specifically help his clients with their debt management. Let's say you have 3 credit cards. 1 with $1,000 debt, 2nd with $2,000 debt, 3rd with $5,000 debt. To improve your finances and gain control over your debt, you pay off the smallest debt FIRST, while paying the minimums on all the other cards. (I recommend auto-pay for bills, by the way.)
**Another tip I would like to share is that your Credit Score will increase if you simply have less than 50% of your Credit Limit used. For example, if you have $1000 credit limit, your debt on that card should be less than $500 to improve your credit rating. So even if you don't aim for paying off all of your cards, at least pay half of all limits.
Example #4, REVERSE the Snowball Method! Sometimes, the best way to tackle your clutter/debt/to-do list, is to start with the #1 thing giving you the MOST Stress. Start with the project that's giving you a headache or has the soonest deadline--this allows you to knock it out of the way so you aren't losing sleep at night anymore. Start with your highest interest rate credit card first, pay minimums on your lower interest rate cards till that one is paid off.
Stop Procrastinating! Go use the Snowball Method! :-)
Cheers to De-Cluttering to De-Stress!
Kiera Rain, Owner
Bay Area Professional Organizer
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