It’s proven that individuals find the settings of goals more motivating than not having anything to work towards. After setting these financial milestones, people often work harder to achieve them and are far more likely to accomplish solid, concrete goals rather than vague or abstract ones without set direction.
However, the road to achievement isn’t always easy and many of us might fall at the first hurdle if we haven’t planned out the route carefully. Thinking about the key factors and why you want to achieve these financial goals is the first step to success.
Be specific
Without a true objective, there isn’t much motivation to stick to and achieve any goal, let alone a financial one. Be specific. As some lifestyle changes such require a lot of time, consideration and planning is important to be crystal clear about why you are making these milestones.
Things like planning for your retirement, putting a mortgage down on a house or planning for your child’s further education all require money and careful budgeting to ensure that they can be done comfortably and in a way that you want them to be performed.
Once you’ve mapped out your objectives, it’s imperative that you also consider the timeframe in which you want to have achieved them by and the monetary value that comes along with it. This makes any goal easier to stick to, however small it may be.
Are your goals long term or short term
Looking at the size of your goals and how long it might take to achieve them, as well as the cost to get there, is also important. Splitting your goals into achievable short-, medium- and long-term targets accounts for the fact that not all approaches will be the same when you’re trying to attain them.
Usually, a financial goal that can be achieved within a five-year period is considered a short-term goal, for example, a five-year loan repayment on a new car. Medium term goals often take between five to ten years, and any goal that will take over ten years to accomplish is thought to be classed as long-term.
By understanding the timescale, you have to reach your goal, you can budget and invest more effectively. A good way to do this is to look at what large purchases will need to be made, such as buying a car or a house, then considering other surrounding costs in your life and how they might affect this.
Understanding what’s out of your control
Don’t try to move mountains. Some things simply can’t be achieved as quickly as you would like them to be and will take quite a long amount of time.
But you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. It’s great to be optimistic and aim to set aside a large sum of money each month, but if that means you’re unable to live your life normally in the meanwhile, it probably means you should reign it in a little and revise your budgeting plan.
Being overly unrealistic will mean that goals become harder to achieve, and often will be missed or rushed causing mistakes elsewhere in life. Keeping your goals realistic means that you can achieve them at a steady rate and keep yourself motivated without any setbacks.
H2: Reward yourself
As you make significant progress towards your financial goals, remember to take time to acknowledge your accomplishments and see how far you’ve come. Occasionally rewarding yourself with that item you’ve been looking forward to getting or taking the weight off one night by going out for a nice meal rather than cooking will motivate you to keep getting closer to your goals.
Avoid going over the top and creating any setbacks by having a large blowout. Keep your rewards enjoyable but still financially doable and you’ll continue on your path to success.
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