Debt Snowballs and Health Obstacles

Ever heard of a debt snowball? It’s a method taught by financial guru Dave Ramsey. And it’s a great strategy to approach both our financial debt and our health.

What is a debt snowball?

A debt snowball is a method for reducing and eliminating debt. In this method, you list your debts from smallest to greatest. Each month you pay the minimum payment on each, and then put whatever extra money you have into the smallest debt. After you’ve paid off the smallest debt, you put all the money you were using each month to pay that debt (minimum payment and extra money) toward the next smallest debt. You carry this strategy on until you can scream, “I’m debt free!”

On one aspect, this makes no sense. Why wouldn’t you pay down the debt with the largest interest rate first? Because the debt snowball is all about momentum. Once you pay off that first debt, you feel empowered to keep going and pay off all your debts.

When describing the debt snowball, George Kamel says, “The quick wins you get with the debt snowball help you believe you can actually pay off your debt. And if you believe it, you’ll start behaving like it.” Like a snowball that collects snow and grows as it’s rolled along the ground, paying off your small debt first builds moment big enough to tackle your largest debt over time.

Believing you can change your health.

If you’ve never felt the weight of debt, you’ve at least felt the weight of a health obstacle you can’t seem to overcome. Maybe it’s literal weight that won’t leave your body. Maybe you’ve tried a million times to be consistent with exercising just to find yourself “starting over” again. Maybe you’ve tried to eat healthy only to sit on the couch with a bag of chips more nights than you’re proud of.

When it comes to debt and health, it’s easy to feel like we can’t overcome these obstacles.

But what if we employed the debt snowball strategy to our health, tackling the smallest change first? Over time these small changes would help us build momentum and believe we can overcome our health obstacles.

A lesson from Robin Long.

Sometimes these small changes will seem so insignificant that you feel you will never make progress. But each healthy choice is worth celebrating and is building momentum to overcome your obstacle.

In her book, Well to the Core, Robin Long says, “When we attain a goal (even if it’s small), we feel accomplished and more confident in our ability to make meaningful changes. This helps us to continue moving forward.”

So tackle your smallest health challenge first. Need to lose weight? Start by eating a healthy breakfast and celebrate each time you do. When that becomes easy, you’ll be able to tackle your lunch with more “debt snowball” momentum feeling empowered to create lasting change.

Practical tips.

Below is a list of small changes you can make to start your debt snowball. Choose one to help you build momentum for tackling your large health obstacles.

• Drink 1 glass of water each morning when you wake up.
• Eat 20 grams of protein for breakfast.
• Go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night.
• Close your kitchen after dinner.
• Pack veggies in the evening to put in your lunch the next day.
• Walk 10 minutes every day when you get home from work

Of course there are many more things you could start with, but these are a few ideas. Start small, celebrate your success, then put that momentum to the next healthy choice. Watch the debt snowball work for you.

I’d love to hear what small changes you are working on! Head over to Instagram and share them with me @allieisracing.

Want more tips on how to make large obstacles easy to overcome? Read my post here to discover the secret to achieving your goals.

1. George Kamel, How the Debt Snowball Method Works. (Ramsey, 2023).
2. Robin Long, Well to the Core. (Carol Stream, Illinois, Tyndale Refresh, 2023), pg 17.