Dave Ramsey’s Financial Wisdom From ProverbsSample

Day 6: Secret to Success

On the first day of every year, people make resolutions about how things are going to be different this time around. Unfortunately, few of those resolutions ever make it to January 7.

For example, polls consistently tell us that two of the top resolutions involve losing weight and managing money. But every year, the results are the opposite of what we hoped for: Our waistlines get bigger, and our net worths gets smaller!

To be honest, resolutions are a joke! We know life would be better without extra pounds and credit cards, but we just can't say no. Why can't we follow through with our January 1 resolutions? Because without teeth, resolutions are nothing more than wishes we make to ourselves.

We can give them teeth by sharing them with someone else. It's called accountability, and it's one of the most powerful motivators for change you can imagine. In Proverbs 15:22, Solomon challenged his readers to build accountability into their lives. He understood that the worst crashes often happen when we're flying solo. We can make a lot of plans, but the chances of failure increase when we try to go it alone.

On the other hand, "many advisers" (otherwise known as accountability partners) lead to success. When we are willing to hear and heed the advice of others, we can prevent a landslide of future headaches.

Of course, that doesn't mean we let someone else run our lives or that we have to follow through with every suggestion. But it does mean that we let others speak into our lives and - for a moment, at least - entertain the idea that we don't know everything about every situation. We're teachable.

Who are some people you trust? Family members, lifelong friends, pastors, fellow church members, leaders and co-workers can all serve as guides for your money questions. Find a few key people and let them help you reach your financial goals.

Don't set yourself up for failure. Accountability is biblical … and it works!

Handling money can be tricky, but the good news is you don't have to do it alone. One of the reasons we created Financial Peace University was to give people a safe place to interact and develop relationships with a small group of people committed to managing money wisely and working toward their financial goals. Married or single, we all need someone trustworthy in our lives to keep us in alignment. Visit daveramsey.com/fpu to learn more.