It's not enough to begin the process of transforming your finances, simply because you "want more money." You need to figure out why. This journey will be tough. Your "why" will be what keeps you going. When you're in the trenches and tempted to blow it all on a trip to Italy you need to be able to remember your why.

So, first things first.

Step One:

Reflect.

1. Thinking back on your life, at what times were you at your happiest? Try to come up at least three different personal experiences. Write these down.

Ex: I'm happiest when I'm traveling in an unfamiliar country with no impending deadlines waiting on me back at home, or when I'm doing something fun with great people

2. Times that made you proud?

Ex: Being able to solve difficult problems or get through crazy challenges makes me proud of myself, because of the amount of work it usually takes to get it done.

3. Times that made you feel satisfied or fulfilled?

Ex: I feel fulfilled when I help people figure things out, or when I accomplish things I never imagined were possible.

Step Two:

Define.

Look back on the experiences you wrote down and try to pinpoint why each one was so important. From there, write down what you believe to be your top 5 core values.

Ex: According to the experiences I listed, I believe my top 5 values are exploration, freedom, community, personal-growth, and problem-solving.

Step Three:

Prioritize.

1) After picking your top 5 values... eliminate two of them. This is where it gets pretty hard because obviously you care about ALL of these things or you wouldn't have picked them. So try to dig deep and think about what you would give up if you absolutely had to. Write down the remaining three and explain why you picked them.

Ex: The three values I would have to hold on to are freedom, community, and problem-solving. I know I feel most fulfilled when I am able to do things/go places without worry or when I'm helping others solve problems.

2) From those three... drop one more. (I know, it's killing you!)

Ex: If I could value nothing else in the world, I would absolutely need... freedom and community. Solving a problem is not something I value more than either of these things.

3) Now you should be looking at your top two core values. Think extremely hard about them. Are they worded correctly? Are you comfortable with your choice? If so, compare these two things and pick the one that you wouldn't be able to function without. This becomes your number one core value!

Ex: I value freedom over community, because I believe being free would allow me to take on things that help the community. I think it's essential.

4) Good news- you can pick your other four back up! Since you've narrowed down your top one, top two, and top three values, it should be easier to prioritize them. So, go back through and write them down in order of importance.

Ex: Following the order I used to narrow down my values, my list would be: 1) freedom, 2) community, 3) problem-solving, 4) exploration, and 5) personal-growth.

Now that you've walked through this process and determined your top 5 values, think about your present life. Do your day-to-day activities, spending habits, current expenses, and bills match the values you said were most important to you? Are you spending your money and time on things that bring you closer to what you truly want in life? How can having more control over your finances help you get to this point?

Use your value-words to complete the following statement:

I commit to taking control of my finances because I ______________________________________________________________________.

Now write this statement down + stick it in a place that is visible to you on a daily basis. When you feel overwhelmed or you start to relapse to unhealthy spending habits, take a look at the commitment you made to yourself. Remember your why.