By Denice Wallace

I struggled for years with the cycle of credit card debt—and I’m finally free.

You probably know the cycle I’m talking about: you work so hard to stay on budget. You finally get the cards paid off and then—BAM!—your car needs new brakes, or you crack a tooth and need it fixed. Then maybe you find a great new solution to a problem you’ve been dealing with, and you invest in a program because you want to make a difference for your family. And just like that… you're right back where you started. Paying everything off. Again.

That was my life for 17 years. But not anymore. I finally learned how to break that cycle—and the best part? It was so much simpler than I expected. Here’s what I did (and what you can do too):

1. Write it out.
The first thing I did was get clear on exactly why I wanted to be debt-free. I didn’t just write down a goal—I created a vision. I asked myself: What would I do with the money I used to put toward debt? Why did financial freedom matter so much to me and my family?
I wrote a story that filled me with joy and purpose. Then I recorded myself reading it out loud and listened to it every single morning and every night before bed. That story kept my "why" front and center.

2. Visualize and feel it.
Next, I started visualizing the feeling of relief and excitement my husband and I would have when we hit our goal. At first, it was hard to imagine, so I made a vision board full of words and images that represented financial freedom.
I even printed out our credit card statements, whited out the balances, and wrote PAID IN FULL across them. I added pictures that made me feel safe, free, and empowered. Every day, I took a moment to look at the board and really feel that sense of freedom and gratitude.

3. Create a reward.
We picked a reward for ourselves to celebrate when we hit the goal—something meaningful, something exciting—and I even started a small savings fund to pay for it in full.
I added pictures of our reward to the vision board too. It became this fun, motivating reminder of what we were working toward. And here's the crazy part: the money we needed to pay off our debt and fund that reward showed up faster than we ever expected. Not only did we reach our goal earlier than planned, but we were also able to enjoy our reward completely guilt-free.

4. Listen to the inner voice.
Last but definitely not least, I listened to that quiet inner voice—the one that nudges you to make a small change, move money around, skip a purchase, or make a phone call.
Every time I had a thought to act on something (even the little things), I did it. I trusted those inspired ideas, and they added up. Each small step made a big difference.

By the end of the year, we were completely free of credit card debt and had built up enough savings to handle whatever came our way—without going back to the cards.

Small, intentional choices made all the difference. We didn’t just pay off debt—we changed our future.

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•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
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