Coloring Away Your Debt

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I’ve been thinking of taking up coloring again. It’s a soothing sort of activity you can do while on the phone or watching TV, while listening to some music or just quietly, to take a break from the world. I especially like repeating patterns, like in those mandala coloring books you can buy.

Coincidentally (there are no coincidences), I came across an article on how someone used coloring to erase $26,000 of debt . Basically, inspired by her mom, who would color in a drawing representing her sales goals for work (with great results), she doodled a drawing and decided that each swirl would represent $100 she paid toward her credit card. So every time she made a $100 payment, she would get to color in a swirl.

This article was so interesting on a number of levels. First, having a visual representation of something can be very motivating and can work for a lot of goals. That’s why people cross off calendar days when they work out or don’t smoke, etc. (the “don’t break the chain” method). Sometimes looking at something in a slightly different way can really get things moving. Who would have thought that coloring could in any way motivate someone to pay off their debt? And result in a work of art you can display and admire, a reminder of what you have accomplished?

Second, when she posted about it on Facebook, her friends all encouraged her to sell her drawings (which you can find here). At first, skeptical and focused on other projects, she said she would think about it. But eventually she made the leap, turning her idea into a business. What I love about this is how we never know what direction our life is going to take and what incredible, unprecedented possibilities there are out there for making money and creating value for others.

The moral of the story? Follow your inspirations, people! And share the things that work for you. It might help others and start you down a whole new path.