Perhaps the most difficult struggle that any of us face in reaching our financial goals is the inevitable long journey it takes to reach them. Most of us have goals that are far in the future, like buying our own home, getting out of debt, or retiring in comfort. When we strive to reach a goal that we've never before experienced, it can be easy to fatigue on the goal, and to start losing ground. It's in those moments that your resolve is truly tested.

I've found that I start to slip in my determination when I stop dreaming. Financial goals require a lot of dreaming because of their long-range nature. I have to dream about what life will be like when I'm debt free, when I play with my kids in a real yard, and how glorious traveling the world without a schedule or obligations will be. It's only in the moments that I lose focus, when I stop dreaming about tomorrow and only worry about today, that I slip.

When you find yourself in the danger zone of budget fatigue, ask yourself these four questions:

Why am I working towards this goal?
How different will my life be when I reach it?
What's broken in my system?
How can I move past today's problem and get back on track?

When you take a moment to answer these questions you can remember why you're sacrificing today and better guarantee a happier tomorrow.

Tags: Money