How to Move Forward After Setbacks

If you’re here reading this, it probably means one thing:

Something didn’t go the way you planned.

Maybe you hit rock bottom financially.

Maybe life blindsided you with something bigger than your savings account could catch.

Or maybe you’re just emotionally stuck, staring at the mess and wondering how you’re supposed to pick yourself up and move on.

Let me say this as clearly as I can:

Starting over doesn’t mean you failed. It means you’re ready to begin again—and that takes real strength.

But I get it. Right now, you might not feel strong.

You might feel ashamed, paralyzed, overwhelmed, or flat-out exhausted.

In this week’s podcast episode, “Too Ashamed to Start Over? This Is What You Need to Hear,” I talk about the emotional side of financial failure—the part no one prepares you for.

I’m not here to give you fluffy advice like “just be grateful” or “smile more.” That stuff sounds nice on a pillow, but it doesn’t help when your heart feels like it’s been dragged through gravel.

🎙️ In This Episode, You’ll Hear:

• Why you might feel completely frozen after a financial failure—and why that’s normal
• The real reason happiness and gratitude don’t work until you’re ready to move
• What a widower taught me (and a doctor) about grief, healing, and choosing forward
• A behind-the-scenes story from my time as the debt coach on the reality show Starting Over—including a woman whose shame ran deeper than her debt
• The two biggest lessons I took from that show—one financial, one involving a Sharpie I’ll never live down
• How to know when it’s time to say, “Let’s go,” and start again with power, not panic

👇 Listen to the Full Episode Below:

💬 The Truth About Being Stuck

If you’re stuck in shame, regret, or fear right now, please hear this:

You’re not broken. You’re becoming.

The longer you wait for the past to come back, the longer you stay trapped in a story that’s already over. The days ahead are more important than the days behind—and this episode is your invitation to start writing that next chapter.

You don’t need to be perfect to move forward.

You just need to be willing.

💡 Need More Help?

If you’re in a serious financial jam and don’t know which way is up, talk to someone who can guide you through it. I’ve mentored a guy named Damon Day for years—he’s one of the smartest, most honest debt coaches I know. You can find him at DamonDay.com.

🎯 Take This With You

“You don’t heal by pretending you’re okay. You heal by giving yourself time to grieve—and then deciding you’re ready to begin again.”

You’re not too late.

You’re not too far gone.

And you are not alone.

Hit play. Let this episode be your first step.

Until next time, stay kind to yourself—and remember: you’re allowed to begin again.

Steve Rhode is the Get Out of Debt Guy and has been helping good people with bad debt problems since 1994. You can learn more about Steve, here.