be financially responsible

I retired in 2001 with more residual (credit card) debt than anyone should have when they make the decision to exit the world of regular paychecks. I have concentrated most of my financial energy since then on getting rid of this debt, but it seems to be more difficult than it should be.
My goal here is to get serious about paying off and not spending. I have reached a positive tipping point, so I need to continue to move forward.