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The Right Way To Set Financial Goals

By: Martin Lukac
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:17:39
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Every financial advisor will tell you that to succeed, you must set goals.

But that just doesn't tell you enough. You see, there is an art to setting goals that actually work.

It isn't enough to just say, "I will get out of debt." While that is a good idea, it isn't a goal until you do a little work on it.

First, set yourself a time limit on your goal. If you have no date to work towards, then you will just be wasting your sweet time. You have to set a date to do this. For example, you can plan to pay off $10,000 debt in the next five years. You automatically know that you will at least have to find $2,000 a year to go towards that debt, not counting the interest.

This step is trickier than it sounds. You have to be reasonable when you set your goal. If not, you will just quit. That is why most budgets fail. They aren't reasonable. Set a date that will actually work for you.

If you miss your deadline, simply readjust your goal. You've made progress on it, so all is not lost. Just set another deadline and work towards it. Remember, life doesn't always work according to our plans. That is why plans and goals change over time.

You have to not only decide to get out of debt, but you must define what that really means. Do you really know what it will take to get out of debt? You need to sit down and write down your goal. Write down the time limit you have given to achieve your goal. Now define that goal.

I find that the definition comes in the actions that must be taken to achieve the goal. These small steps make a goal easier to handle. It is hard to get out of debt. But it is much easier to call your credit card and request a lower interest rate. A sample of your actions might look like this:

1. Put all credit cards in safe deposit box at bank.
2. Call lenders and ask for lower interest rates.
3. Shop around for lower interest rate credit card.
4. Look at budget and find ways to increase money for debt repayment.
5. Sell motorcycle and use money to pay off two credit cards.

And so on. When you break up your goal into manageable steps, you will find that you roll right along to getting it accomplished. My husband and I wanted to get rid of our credit card debt for a year, until we figured out that we had to write down steps and do them one at a time. Otherwise, we just said it but never did it.

Now take a pad of sticky notes and write your goal on several of them. Put them on the front door. Put them in your wallet. Put them in your checkbook. Put them on your computer. Put them on your bathroom mirror. But more than that, each time you think about doing something that threatens your goal, you have to think about what achieving your goal will really mean. You might really want a new car, but when you think about it, retiring early means much more.

When you focus on the benefits of reaching your goal, the sacrifice doesn't seem to be so important. It is easy to live a frugal life now if you know it means a completely debt free life in ten years and early retirement in style. It is easy to not eat out once a week if you know it will help you get to eat a meal in Paris in a few years.

Article source: Expert Articles