Overwhelmed by Christmas shopping? This time of year it’s tempting to succumb to the stress of finances, especially when credit card debt seems normal and even unavoidable. Yet what if there was another way to look at your finances this season?

Josh Lawson, author of REALIGN, offers personal experience and advice for those seeking a Kingdom perspective on money and finances, especially for those under financial stress. “Everyone has a story, and if we peel back the surface-level problems of debt, anxiety, and money fights, we’d realize there is more brokenness than we would like to admit or probably even realize,” offers Josh.

Financial brokenness is much more common than many of us believe, which means none of us are alone. Come January many families will wake up wondering how their credit card bill got so high, wishing they would have thought through their spending choices the month before. Although Christmas encourages a spirit of giving, unfortunately, it oftentimes also encourages of culture of debt.

In the introduction of his book, Josh references a principle in Stephen R. Covey’s book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, encouraging readers to “start with the end in mind.” This is a simple strategy, yet has been incredibly effective in helping young adults, singles, and couples learn to manage their finances. It begins with “asking ourselves where we want to end up and then aligning our lives and behaviors to get us there,” Josh explains. “Every day of our lives we are taking steps, whether knowingly or unknowingly, in a particular direction. The question then becomes which direction are we going?”

This Christmas season resolve to start with the end in mind. Where do you want to be financially come January 1st? Which direction are you going to go this season? Once you identify this, start working backwards to determine your shopping and gift budget for the month (or next year).