Almost three out of four Americans say they’re burdened with debt.1 Whether or not you’re part of the majority here, it’s clear debt is quite common. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Besides, who wants to be common? Who wants to feel burdened?

That’s what debt does. It holds you back from excellence, from achieving your dreams, and from feeling peace.

But again: It doesn’t have to be this way. (Yes, we said it twice so it hits home.)

Not only do you not have to feel burdened by your bills, you also don’t have to spend your life owing money. You can pay off your debt. You can be the one in control of your money—not the lenders you’re borrowing from at a price that’s holding you back.

With these six tips, you can get rid of debt faster than ever. So here we go.

When Joel was deployed to Iraq in January 2015, he and his wife Nargis (both U.S. Army captains) were two months away from becoming parents and had more than $100,000 in total debt. Being able to talk about money was difficult but important. But EveryDollar made it easy for them to communicate without saying a word.

“While I was deployed, it helped to streamline our conversations about finances,” Joel says of the budgeting tool. “When we actually talked online or on the phone, we didn't have to spend any time talking about money. We communicated about money through the EveryDollar iPhone app. It is formatted in a way that makes budgeting really easy.”

It’s a common question when paying off debt—Should I pay the debt with the highest interest rate first since it costs me the most money?

Short answer: No. But we’ll explain. It’s best to start with the smallest balance. Here’s why.

During a candid Twitter confession this week, Kanye West announced that he owed $53 million in debt. He said he “wanted the world to know his struggle.”

Mission accomplished, Kanye.

While the details surrounding his debt are still a bit murky, the fact that a multi-millionaire can be in debt roughly twice his income is a little startling to most people.

Then again, it may not be that shocking to you. If you’re like 80% of Americans, you know how it feels to be in debt. That new car probably seemed like a good idea at the time. But now you’re frustrated with the never-ending payments.

So how do you get rid of them? Well, if you’re Kanye, you send another very public tweet to Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg asking him to “invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas.”

We recommend a slightly different route. Here are three simple steps to creating a life without debt:

Paying off your debt is a lot like scoring a game-winning touchdown. You start with a solid plan and end with an over-the-top victory dance.

Whether you’re a beginning budgeter or you’ve been budgeting for years, everyone tackles debt the same way: one yard at a time. So get out there and start running!

Here are three straightforward steps to help you pay off your debt once and for all.