Sounds like a tall order?  Just stick with me.

Before I tell you how to be completely free from the anxiety most people experience about debt, let me review just a little.

Last week I asked a few of my subscribers to tell me about their experiences with debt.  Positive and negative.  The majority of the 130+ responses were unsettling.

Here is a small sampling:

“All my life…I have had a fear of debt.”
“Debt makes me feel like a failure.”
“It’s a never ending thing.”
“Debt causes me to feel ‘stuck’.”
“Debt was like a chain around my neck.”
“How easy it is to sell your future.”
“My debt makes me feel like I have FAILED my Wife and Children.”
“It makes me feel powerless.”
“A habit that is difficult to break.”
“We are so consumed with our debt problems that we can’t focus on what is really important.”
“Debt means lack of choices”
“Debt, is that room in the funhouse with the doors, you open one, then another, then another. You keep opening them, but never get anywhere.”
“Being debt makes me feel out of control of my life.”
“Debt kills.”
“I will be in debt for the rest of my life.”
“Debt depresses me.”
“Being in debt has been like running in quicksand. The more I move, the deeper I get.”

Like former President Clinton, “I feel your pain.”

On the next page I will tell you all about my personal history of failure:

http://all-in-one-business.com/imarketer/2006/03/22/my-own-personal-history-of-failure/

Back in 1990 I had just started my own consulting business.  I had a beautiful office in one of the most envied addresses in Memphis.  I had a nice 4 bedroom home in Cordova, an upscale suburb on the northeast side.  My neighbors were young doctors and FedEx pilots.

Even though I had financed the whole thing on my 7 credit cards as well as a signature loan, my wife and I were optimistic about the future—we knew we’d make it big.

In my first month I landed a dozen or so new clients, netting me around $8,000.  Not bad for a first month.  Everything was working just as I planned.  Lots of money coming in, prestigious address, great home life.  The overhead of an office and receptionist didn’t really bother me.  I knew it was all going to work out just fine.

Plus, I liked “lunching” with potential clients at upscale eateries, wearing nice suits and crisp-white tailored French-cuff shirts.

The second month was more of the same—we netted out over $9,000.

That’s when the roof caved in.

Looking back I can see a combination of  my arrogance as  a 26 year old “hot-shot”, my own inner fears and my desire for a lifestyle I couldn’t afford caused my problems.  I wasn’t prospecting for enough new clients.  I wasn’t pre-screening the prospects I did have.  I was spending way too much time face to face with people who couldn’t afford and/or weren’t prospects for my services.

The third month, things were tight.  After paying my overhead I made a very small profit—less than $2,000.  “That’s alright,” I told myself, “it’s just a slow month.  I’ll get on the phone, get some new clients and we’ll be back on track next month.”

But I didn’t get back on track.  In fact, I lost even more ground.

By the sixth month I was no longer able to pay my receptionist or my lease.  I was getting weekly cash advances on any credit card that wasn’t already maxed out.  I was paying everything late or not at all and my debt skyrocketed with interest and penalties.

By the eighth month I was 3 months behind in my office lease.  The property manager was nice enough to let me leave and break my lease, but I still owed them over $3,000 for the 3 months I was behind.  I wasn’t making my house payments either and the idea of foreclosure loomed dark in my mind.

My life seemed bleak.  I was totally defeated.  I quit opening the bills, answering the phone.  Maybe you feel the same (I’ll show you how to stop this in just a minute.)

Worse yet, I didn’t want to tell anyone about my situation.  I was embarrassed.  I didn’t get overwhelmed with debt because of some tragedy like a divorce or illness.  I got over my head trying to be a hot-shot.

Turned out I was more of a “hot-not.”

Through a group I belonged to I had met Jim, a business owner in his 60’s who seemed to have a lot on the ball.  I drove to his office and spilled my guts, asking for his advice.  His response:

“Kevin, being in debt isn’t your problem—not having a plan to get out of debt is.”

He went on to explain how EVERYONE gets into debt at one time or another in their lives.  In our world today it is inevitable.   The ones who go on to financial success are the ones who put together a plan to rid themselves of the debt.

Then he told me something truly life-changing: Once I had a workable plan in place to deal with my debt, I could put those worries behind me.  Avoiding bill collectors, not opening my mail, burying my head in the sand only increased my anxiety.  I needed to put together a plan.

That afternoon we came up with a plan to deal with my debt.  The first part of the plan dealt with how I could make regular payments on my debt.  The second part was how I was going to increase my income so I could survive financially.

It was tough to face the bills, total them up, look at the balance and come up with a workable plan.  But once I did an amazing thing happened—my anxiety lifted.  I was able to be creative again.  I was able to get back to work on making money rather than worrying about debt.

Today I am completely free of debt.  No mortgage.  No car loans.  The feeling of freedom is refreshing.  The feeling of personal control over my destiny is amazing.

It’s a feeling I want you to experience.

Now, let’s move on to where you are…and how you can be free from the anxiety associated with your debt.

If you’re reading this it is likely you are in debt.  It’s also pretty likely your debt causes you some anxiety—you aren’t seeing how you will ever be out of debt.

On the next page you will discover how you can rid yourself of the fear and anxiety caused by debt and never have those fears again:

http://all-in-one-business.com/imarketer/2006/03/22/step-one

First, you need to recognize that being in debt is normal today.  In fact, having too much debt is normal.  Don’t skip over this—it is crucial to you overcoming your fear.

Most people in the western world today have too much debt—they actually spend a little more each year than they make resulting in increasing debt.  In addition, when a crisis arises (like a transmission repair or a medical bill), they have no cash reserves.  So when they run into a crisis they turn to the only place they can—lenders.  The lenders are more than happy to lend them money to cover their bills.

And the cycle continues.

Hear what I am saying because it is crucial to becoming free from your debt worries in the next few minutes:  Overwhelming debt does not make you a bad person, it makes you a normal person.

Virtually everyone you know has a mortgage, two car loans and thousands in credit card debt.  Virtually everyone you know makes barely more than the minimum payment.  Virtually everyone you know worries about their debt.

So if you are worried about your debt, you’re just normal.

And normal people, just like you, have overcome their debt.  Many times.  Thousands of times.  The sky didn’t fall in.  They weren’t sent to debtor’s prison.  Normal people, just like you, found the power to overcome the overwhelming debt they were in.

Before we go on to the next step I need you to complete a little exercise.  It’s painless and powerful.  It’s based on a profound psychological principle.  It will begin to change how you feel about your debt.  Ready?

Get alone in a room where no one else can hear you.  Then say, out loud:

“I have the power to control my debt.”

[You didn’t say it out loud, did you?  It doesn’t work if you don’t say it out loud!  Go ahead, trust me on this and just do it.]

Now, repeat it again only louder.  And again even louder.

You feel that?  That feeling inside like a small ember glowing?  That’s your confidence.  That’s your power source.  Every time you feel your confidence wavering, say the statement above out loud again—it’s like gently blowing on an ember to keep it going.

Just like starting a fire, that little ember needs to be encouraged to grow.  That takes us to the next step–it will dramatically change your life:

http://all-in-one-business.com/imarketer/2006/03/22/step-two/

I recently was reading an article on anxiety.  I was struck by what actually causes us to be anxious.

Anxiety isn’t caused by a situation.  Anxiety is caused by lack of control.  When we are in a situation where we have no control, anxiety is the normal response.  Once we find we have control in a situation, our anxiety goes away.

It’s like driving a car in winter.

You’re driving along, everything seems fine, you’re at peace.

Suddenly you hit a patch of ice and your car begins to skid—you have no control over the motion of the car.  Your heart races, you grab the steering wheel with both hands and hang on for dear life.

Almost as quickly, you skid off the small patch of ice and back onto dry pavement.  You gain control of your car.  Your anxiety begins to go away.  You say something like “whew!  That was close!” and you smile, knowing you averted disaster.

When we have control, we have peace.

How do we find control in an area?  It’s a simple equation:

Strategy + Action = Control

Want to get control of your health?  Have a fit-life strategy and follow it.  Want to raise happy, healthy kids?  Get a child rearing strategy and put it to work.  Want to get control of your debt?

Get a debt reduction strategy and put it to work!

But coming up with a debt strategy may be tough for you without some help.  Here’s why: 

If you were born after 1940, you probably weren’t taught much of anything about debt and financial success.

For your strategy to be effective, it must have several characteristics:

1. It must be workable for you

A debt reduction strategy is never “one size fits all”—your strategy has to be based on your lifestyle, income and debt load.

2. It must be based on sound financial principles

There are tons of resources out there supposing to tell you how to get out of debt.  Almost all of them “sound” good.   Very few of them are based on sound financial principles.

3. It must focus on long-term success

It can’t be just about getting your debt paid off.  It must focus on how you can live the rest of your life.  How will you buy a car?  How will you buy a house?  Pay for college?  Cover an unexpected medical bill?  These are real issues and not addressing them is a recipe for failure.

So how can you develop a strategy?  My recommendation is to get professional help.

The best resource I know of to give you instant control over your debt is one put together by Leo Quinn.  Leo is not only a financial whiz-kid, he knows the practical side as well.  He has helped thousands of people just like you get free from the black pit of debt.

Leo has a tremendous resource he’s making available to my readers here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/stopdebtworry

(Look for my name on the page…)

Leo’s resource will give you a complete personal strategy for getting out of debt and becoming financially successful.

It’s pretty amazing.

Then, once you have your strategy down on paper, you simply put it to work.

That gives you control.

Make a decision now to get your own strategy in the next 24 hours.  Get it from Leo, check out what’s at your local bookstore, whatever.  Just make sure you do it in the next 24 hours.  It’s that important.

At this point it’s time for another exercise.  Just like your last exercise get alone where no one can hear you.  This time say this out loud:

“I have a plan to rid myself of debt and the power to carry it out.” 

Debt no longer has power over you.  You have made your decision.  You’re putting together your plan.  What’s your first action step?  Getting your strategy—and you’ve either already done that or will do that in the next 24 hours.

Saying this out loud puts to work a powerful psychological biochemistry to work in your brain.  But it must be true for it to work.  If you don’t intend to come up with a strategy in the next 24 hours, your mind will dismiss this as pointless voodoo.

Debt’s tyranny is over—you’ve just taken your first step as a free person.

Whether you go with Leo’s simple to implement, “cut and paste” strategy or you use something else, put it to work.  If the “debt fear gremlins” start nibbling at your toes, simple repeat your debt free mantra and they will go away:

“I have a plan to rid myself of debt and the power to carry it out.”

In Step Three I show you how to increase your income so you can dramatically speed up the process–and possibly even retire:

http://all-in-one-business.com/imarketer/2006/03/22/step-three/

While you can probably get out of debt without additional income, imagine the power of adding an additional $ 1,000 to $10,000 per month to your current income.

That would make a dent in anyone’s debt.

So how can you increase your income?  I recommend you look into starting a part-time web business.  The investment can be as low as $50, and the returns can be huge—hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

But be warned…there are lots of folks out there who are just waiting to prey on unsuspecting people who are desperate to earn a few bucks to survive.  Just to make sure you don’t get taken advantage of, here are some things to look for in any resource before you invest:

1. Reasonable success claims.

While the internet does provide the opportunity to make a significant income in a relatively short period of time, it requires a workable plan and consistent effort.  You cannot simply “join a program” and have money pour in.

You should plan to take a few months of consistent work (10-20 hours per week) to get to a consistent profit of $1,000 per month. Give yourself a year to get to a $5,000 to $10,000 profit.

2. A track record.

Don’t simply rely upon the testimonials on a sales page—do a little homework.  Go to Google and type in the author’s name.  See what others are saying about him—or if anyone even knows who he is.   While almost anyone WITH a track record has a few detractors (me included), the vast majority of the comments should be positive.

3. Step-By-Step Plans.

In pretty much every product I create I put together a step-by-step outline of the specific steps people need to take to become successful.  Why?  Simple:  I have found over the years that information is only profitable when it is put to work.  You don’t want to LEARN about web business, you want to DO web business.

Most products out there will explain how things work but very few will actually give you a step-by-step plan.  You will see comments about these books and courses that look something like this:

“Well, it had a lot of information, but I just couldn’t figure out how to put it to work.”

You want to make sure any resource you intend to put to work has step-by-step plans.  If you wonder if they do, email and ask them. Without step-by-step plans you aren’t likely to be successful.

4. Support for your specific questions.

No matter how good the resource you choose is, I will guarantee you will have questions.  You need to make sure the resource you choose has some way for you to get answers to those questions.  Forums, live teleconference calls, email hotlines and phone consultations all are ways you can get this help.  It typically costs a little more, but your chance for success without some way to get your questions answered is slim.

When I designed and wrote my Success Secrets course I specifically addressed all four of these requirements.  I can say without a doubt it gives you the best possible path to success.

But don’t take my word for it—check it out for yourself here:

http://www.All-In-One-Business.com/?z=2

or simply Google “Kevin Bidwell” to see what others are saying.

There you have it—a three step plan for getting free from your worry over debt and get your finances back under your own control.

Put it to work and it will change your life just like it changed mine.

I’m beginning a new project dealing with debt and its impact on our lives.  I want to hear from real people about their experience with debt–how it has impacted their lives, how it makes them feel, etc.

Please leave a comment answering one or more of the following about your own experience with debt:

1.  How does debt make you feel?

2.  What debt bothers you the most?

3.  Do you have a story (good or bad) about debt from your own life?

Later this week I will be sharing my own story of how debt has impacted my life and how it now feels to be completely debt free.

Please leave your own comments/experiences below.

PS:  If you are looking for this week’s edition of I-Marketer, it is here:

http://all-in-one-business.com/imarketer/category/current-issue/