Cluing in to Debt: A judgment that says that consumer debt is bad will not inspire change or motivate you to reduce it. While this is certainly the desired outcome, very few people are motivated to move away from something. We are all far more motivated to move towards something that inspires us. When looking at your debt such as your credit card debt or consolidated loans, these can provide valuable clues about the income of your desired lifestyle.

How? By totaling your consumer debt and dividing it by the approximate number of months you took to accumulate it, you will have a number that represents the cost of your real lifestyle. You then have three choices: increase your income by that amount and more, decrease your expenses by that amount, or a combination of both.