What’s One Money Move I Can Make Today When I’m Overwhelmed?

When you're overwhelmed financially, you don't need a five year plan, you don't need a new budgeting app, and you certainly don't need a lecture. You just need one small win. Because when everything feels like it's falling apart, the most powerful thing you can do is one steady, simple step.And today I'm going to give you exactly that. We. Hey, friend. Ralph Estep Jr. Here.This is financially Confident Christian, where every day my goal is to break that cycle of financial shame and help you find confidence. And today's topic is what to do when you're completely overwhelmed. Well, let's get right into today's listener question.Ralph I feel like I'm failing every single day, just barely keeping things from falling apart. I am so behind and I'm overwhelmed that big plans feel impossible. And I don't need perfect. I just need progress. Even if it's tiny.What's one money move I can make in the next day that'll help me feel steadier and less like I'm drowning? I just need to feel like something is going right for once. Thank you so much for that question.I appreciate your honesty and I appreciate your candidness. Here's my big idea for today. When you're overwhelmed. And listen, all of us have felt that from time to time.You might be living in a season of overwhelm. Right now. The first thing you've got to do is shrink the battlefield. You're not lazy, you're not irresponsible, but you are overloaded.So we gotta figure out how to simplify things. And that's exactly what I'm gonna tell you now. First thing, stop trying to fix everything. So many of us catch ourselves trying to fix everything.Yeah, we've got a laundry list of things that we've gotta fix. But that overwhelm grows when you try to solve your entire financial life in one day. Because we know the list, don't we?We've got the debts to worry about, the bills that seem like they're endless. We want to grow our savings. We want to grow our retirement. Groceries keep on getting expensive.The kids are getting older and they're eating like it's going out of style. Just everything just overwhelms us and it's all at once. So today, first thing, we're not fixing everything. We're choosing just one category. Just one.Here's what I'm going to tell you to do. Do a 15 minute money reset. I want you to go grab a timer. I got one here on My desk. Go grab a timer. Timers are great by the way.Set a timer for 15 minutes. Not an hour, not all Saturday, not a Saturday marathon, just 15 minutes. And during that time, I want you to log into your bank account.Just log into it. I want you to write down your current balance and then I want you to list the three next bills that are due. That's it again, 15 minutes.Log into your bank, write down your current balance and list the next three bills that are due. Because see, that clarity reduces the panic. And then I want you to do the next logical thing. I want you to pay or, or plan just one thing.Choose one of those three bills. If you can pay it right now, go ahead and pay it. Even if it's early, just pay it and be done with it.If you can't pay it, you're overwhelmed, call and set up a payment arrangement. Reach out to that person.You're not trying to eliminate the debt, you're trying to create some motion because progress breaks that paralysis that you're feeling right now. So do that. And then create a seven day stability goal.This isn't a time to build a 12 month goal, some 12 month plan, because guess what, that will just overwhelm you. But you can do seven days, can't you? So just pick a seven day goal plan. Maybe for you it's, I'm not going to have any overdrafts this week.I'm going to log into the bank every day, I'm going to see what's coming in, what's going out and I'm not going to let my account overdraft. Maybe you're going to decide no new credit card charges this week. I'm going to fight the battle of needs versus wants.Not going to put anything on that credit card this weekend, by the way. When you do that, you might start a trend with yourself. Here's a real simple thing you could do.You asked me in the question, what's one thing I can do? Bring lunch to work this week, pack a brown bag, as they say here in the United States.And when you do that, that seven days is going to build confidence. And when confidence build, momentum builds as well. And you know I'm a big believer in speaking things out loud.So here's the time to speak truth over the chaos. Say this out loud, even if you gotta lie to yourself at first. Say, I'm not drowning, I'm rebuilding.See, your nervous system needs to hear your voice. I know it sounds kind of counterintuitive, but your brain Actually needs direction. Your spirit needs truth. Because here's my big takeaway for today.That's small obedience. Just those little things, one at a time beats big anxiety. So here's your one win today. We've kind of already talked about it.Get that 15 minute timer. If you don't have one, I encourage you to get one log into your bank, write down your balance, list those three bills and just choose one action.Done. That right there is success. Well, let's look at the book of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 34. You know, I always like to anchor us in scripture again.This is Matthew 6:34. Seems like this week we've had a lot of good ones. So write this one down and put it where you can see it.Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. We could stop right there. I could say have a nice day and we could end on that, couldn't we?But what is Jesus telling us? Jesus didn't tell us to solve tomorrow. He said to handle today. That's how you actually beat that feeling of overwhelm.How about we pray to him right now? Jesus, for the person listening right now who feels buried, who feels ashamed, who feels like they can't catch a break.Lord, I just ask right now that you would bring calm to their spirit. Slow down those racing thoughts and remind them that you're not disappointed in them. Give them courage for one small step today.Lord, it's not about perfection, not some miracle, just motion. And Lord, help them to see progress where they used to see failure. And Lord, let today be the beginning of steadiness in their lives.And we ask this in your name, in Jesus name. Amen. Friend. You don't need a breakthrough today. You just need a next step. And I've given you some great ones today.And if you've got a question for this show, I would love to hear from you. You can send them to me by going to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/question we'll put that in the show notes.But you can also send me a voicemail too, which is kind of cool.You can go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/voicemail so either one, I would love to hear your questions because this show is all about answering your questions. So thank you so much for joining me today. I want to encourage you today. You can do this. I have confidence in you. Stay financially savvy.May God bless you and you have a truly great day today.