Set financial goals and develop a plan to achieve them
While many people set their new years’ resolutions in January, many start slipping by February. Setting financial goals is vital to achieving the financial success you desire. In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are some things to keep in mind when creating your financial goals to show your finances some love throughout the year:
1. Setting financial goals is how you achieve the big vision you have for your life. Your dreams and desires are usually only achievable if you have the financial capacity to do so. And having that capacity means creating a roadmap of how you'll get there. The right goals will also help you track the progress you make towards your big vision. There's nothing like achieving a goal to get you excited about what you can accomplish next. It's like fuel to your fire!
2. Whatever your goals are, they need to be measurable and realistic. If you can’t measure it, how will you gauge your progress? You need to clearly state what you want to achieve, by when and what you need to do each week or month to reach your end goal. Don’t create unachievable odds for yourself. Your goals should be challenging and outside of your comfort zone, but they should not be unattainable.
3. Figure out what matters to you. Put everything, from the practical and pressing to the whimsical and distant, on the table for inspection and weighing. Sort out what’s within reach, what will take a bit of time, and what must be part of a long-term strategy.
4. Lay those goals out. Lay your goals out, break them into chunks and track your progress. When you focus on your actions towards your goals (that you’ve broken down into chunks and are tracking daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly), you are more likely to do what’s required to accomplish your goals as a result of your consistent actions.
5. Monitor your progress. How will you know if you’re making progress if you don’t track it? Checking in on your goals is a must. And just because your progress was small doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile. Not everything you do will result in massive strides, but it all adds up.
Setting financial goals the right way and going after them is your opportunity to achieve your wildest dreams, and make real progress towards your financial success.
For more financial tips, visit Point Breeze Credit Union’s Blog page.