bluntmoney.com

In many ways, getting into & out of debt is like hiking the Grand Canyon using Bright Angel Trail. I’d gone to see the Grand Canyon with a group many years ago, and I decided to hike it on a whim. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and the promised reward sounded appealing (seeing one of the seven natural wonders of the world up close.) This is exactly how many people get their first credit card: it seems like a good idea at the time, and the promised rewards sound appealing. (Free t-shirt, bonus miles, easy access to cash, ‘looking cool’ as you whip out your platinum card to generously take care of the bill…)

It’s just over 4.5 miles from the rim to Indian Gardens, and the trip down is ridiculously easy. The trail is well-maintained, and the scenery is amazing. In fact I ran down it in about an hour and a half, and I’m not a runner by any means. This descent is just like getting into debt: once you start, the trip is a breeze. Credit card companies throw offers at you like they’re going out of style, and the things you can buy with the swipe of a card are pretty amazing.

Then comes the trip back up.

You pay the price. Maybe you don’t even remember what you used your credit cards for. I don’t remember much about Bright Angel trail itself except that it’s one dusty switchback after another. 3 or more MILES of switchbacks ascending over 3000 feet, with barely enough passing room for the occasional hiker or mule. Hiking out of there was hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, physically-speaking. When I did it, I wasn’t in shape at all. I didn’t have enough food or water with me. It was an enormous struggle. For at least 8 or 9 hours, I concentrated on nothing more than convincing myself to put one foot in front of the other for just 15 more minutes. For one more switchback. For three more feet. To the next rock. For one more step. And then just one more step. And another. The whole thing took a huge mental and physical effort, plus the constant coaxing of my then-boyfriend. But I finally made it out, and it was worth the struggle. (Never before or since in my life has anything tasted as good as that apple pie a-la-mode I got at the top.)

This is like getting out of debt. It may seem like a huge struggle. You may have to psych yourself up for every single step. You may need someone to coax you along. But if you break it down into its smallest part (paying off debt one dollar at a time, while staying aimed in the right direction) you WILL get it done. And nothing will ever feel better than knowing that you had the strength to accomplish what some people never even dream of doing.

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