Achieving financial freedom requires a road map that must be followed to reach the final destination,
and your goals are the signposts that will show you the way. Without goals, long-lasting changes are hard
to make in life. Here are some suggestions designed to help you begin the goal setting process
and start your path to ultimate wealth.
THINK
OF YOUR GOALS AS A DIRECTION, NOT AS AN ENDPOINT
In a world of constant change, the old rule-of-thumb that goals should
not change once they are set could not
be more wrong. Pick a point on
the horizon as your goal, and walk towards it. The success comes, not
all-at-once when you reach your final destination, but rather in tiny amounts
with each step you take in that
direction.
MAKE
YOUR GOAL SPECIFIC
Goals
must be specific in order to be effective.
A comfortable retirement or ultimate wealth are important and worthwhile goals, but they may
be a little too broad. Instead, your
plan of action could include monthly payments into an investment account. This plan has a much greater chance of
success. Once you have selected a goal
write it out, this makes it more tangible and concrete.
MAKE
YOUR GOALS CHALLENGING
In
order for goals to be effective, they must be challenging. Your goals should make you reach and extend
your current abilities and skills. But
remember, setting a goal that is out of reach or impossible to achieve will
only cause frustration, anger and self-doubt.
Be sure your goals are challenging but also achievable.
MAKE
A DETAILED PLAN OF ACTION
Create
a detailed step-by-step plan of action for each part of your goal. One of the main reasons many fail to achieve
their goals is a lack of understanding what needs to be done.
MEASURE
YOUR PROGRESS
If
you wish to run a marathon, don't set running 26 miles as your only goal. Break it up into 2-5 mile increments and keep
a daily tally of how far you have run.
Measuring your progress keeps your motivation peaking during the
lifecycle of your goal.
REWARD
YOURSELF
Set
a reward for each accomplishment.
Whether you accomplished a small step or your entire goal, celebrate and
enjoy your success. You've worked hard
and you deserve it. Go to a movie with your family, take a short vacation, or
do anything else that makes you happy.
CONSTANTLY
RE-EVALUATE
Constantly re-evaluate.
Once a month, ask yourself, "Am I still pursuing the right thing?"
and "How can I improve my approach?"
However, don't allow your tolerance for change to allow you to give up
on something prematurely. All that's
required to know the difference between "giving up" and abandoning an
obsolete plan is a bit of simple introspection and self-honesty. Ask yourself the straight question, "Do
I still want this?" and you'll come up with the right answer.
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