1. Naming the Point Where Things Went Off Track The Guide to Pinpointing the First Slip Small decisions compound. This helps you spot where spending turned to avoidance. Before You Begin: Owning the Lost Months No shame, just timelines. Track what went quiet, and why it mattered. What You Might Be Missing About the Last Emergency Unpack how one crisis disrupted your whole system and made restarting harder. Starting the Journey Into Financial Honesty Without clarity, there’s no next step. Learn to see the numbers for what they are. First Steps Toward Feeling Safe With Your Mistakes Blame freezes action. This helps unfreeze your thinking. How to Start Understanding Financial Avoidance You weren’t lazy. You were protecting something. Let’s name it. Exploring the Emotional Cost of “I’ll Fix It Later” Procrastination feels safer—until it doesn’t. This explores why we wait. Foundations of Self-Compassion in a Bankrupt Moment No growth without gentleness. Start with understanding your own burnout. A Question Worth Asking: What Was I Hoping to Avoid? Debt is often a distraction. This guide digs into the root. Regret Is Not a Strategy Learn how to set it down so you can move again. 2. Rebuilding Without Shame How to Start Again After You’ve Given Up No lectures, just low-friction ways to re-engage. First Steps Toward Reorganizing What’s Left You may not be starting from scratch. Here’s how to sort the mess. The Guide to Facing the Numbers Without Panic For the day you log in and want to vomit. Here's how to stay. Before You Begin: Finding One Small Win Momentum starts with one bill paid. One account reopened. One breath. Exploring a Shame-Free Budget Reset Your first version won't be pretty. That’s exactly how it should be. What You Might Be Missing About Recovery Timelines You're not behind. You just didn’t know what it would take. Foundations of Nonjudgmental Budgeting This is not about being “better.” It’s about being honest. A Question Worth Asking: What Feels Easiest to Tackle Today? Start where resistance is lowest. Progress follows relief. The “Start Where You Are” Rebudget Plan No spreadsheets required. Just start with what’s true right now. How to Stay When You Want to Shut the Laptop Again Relapse is part of recovery. Learn to pause, not quit. 3. Making Peace With Debt The Guide to Talking to the Collectors Scripts, emotional prep, and boundaries for the hardest calls. Before You Begin: Knowing Your Numbers Debt feels scarier when it’s vague. Bring it into the light. What You Might Be Missing About Minimum Payments They’re a tactic, not a failure. Here’s how they buy you time. Starting the Journey Into Debt Fatigue Recovery Chronic repayment wears you down. This shows how to mentally rest without giving up. First Steps Toward a Realistic Payoff Plan Forget the 3-year plans. Focus on one quarter. Exploring What Debt Actually Took From You Name the sacrifices. Let yourself grieve. A Question Worth Asking: Is This Debt Still Serving Me? Not all obligations deserve repayment. Here's how to tell. Foundations of Forgiving Past Financial Versions of You She did what she could. Let her rest. How to Stop Seeing Debt as a Moral Failing You are not a bad person. You are a person in progress. Regrouping When the Interest Feels Like a Monster High APRs are paralyzing. This helps you take one small bite at a time. 4. Restarting Income After a Break How to Start Earning Again Without Burnout Sustainability first. Not hustle. First Steps Toward a Gentle Job Search This isn’t about ambition. It’s about stability. The Guide to Making Peace With Needing Help Sometimes the only way out is through a conversation with someone who can say yes. Before You Begin: Reclaiming Your Skills They didn’t vanish. They just got quiet. Here’s how to bring them back. Exploring Low-Stress Ways to Reengage With Work Freelance gigs, part-time options, slow ramps — no pressure. What You Might Be Missing About Confidence After Career Gaps It’s not just about the resume. It’s about your story. A Question Worth Asking: What Would I Do If I Didn’t Feel Ashamed? Sometimes the real block isn’t the job — it’s you feeling unworthy of asking. Foundations of Sustainable Reentry Work that doesn’t trigger the same patterns. How to Handle Explaining the Gap You don’t owe anyone a tidy story. But you can own the truth. Regrouping After a Job That Drained You Not all paychecks are worth repeating. Start different this time. 5. Reconnecting With Money Habits The Guide to Daily Money Check-Ins Five minutes a day that keep you grounded — not overwhelmed. First Steps Toward Feeling in Control Again It’s not about balance. It’s about being present. Exploring the Feelings That Follow Financial Tracking Tracking isn’t just numbers. It’s self-awareness. Before You Begin: Choosing a System That Feels Safe Apps, journals, spreadsheets — start with what feels gentlest. What You Might Be Missing About Automation Sometimes the best choice is one you make once and don’t touch again. A Question Worth Asking: What Made Me Quit Last Time? Build from the lessons, not the shame. Foundations of “Good Enough” Systems Perfection isn't the point. Reliability is. How to Stay Engaged When You’re Tired Low-energy checklists for money days when you’re spent. Regrouping When You’ve Missed a Week (or Ten) No resets required. Just resume. How to Build Habits That Don’t Feel Like Punishment Sustainable habits feel like care — not control.