Tag Archives: goal setting

Three New Year’s Suggestions

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Happy New Year! I’m not going to urge you to make a bunch of resolutions, because most of them go by the wayside in the first month. They’re just as valid when you make then in March. In fact, they’re more likely to be successful when they’re not made January 1st based on societal pressure. But do remember to never set any goals that have an expiry date!

There’s an older book called Simplify Your Life. I loved it, and still re-read it every couple of years. Keep an eye out for it in any Thrift store for a couple of bucks – it’s worth the read. In that same spirit, look around your place at all the stuff you’ve accumulated. In the Money Tools book (page 216) is our family story when we had to throw out 14,000 pounds of this stuff when our parents had to sell their family home. I’ve done this a number of times, and want you to think about this for January. Walk around your place a few times this month and throw out, give-away, or donate 100 things. Do you need 26 coffee mugs for the two of you? How many sweaters are in your closet you haven’t worn in years? It won’t take long to get 100 things out of your place and you’ll never miss them! It’ll remind you that all this stuff cost big money and may get you to slow down buying even more stuff this year that just gets stashed away somewhere!

Change your thinking about getting out of debt just as much as your savings.

“Only rich people can save enough money.” If that’s your thinking, you can spend a lifetime proving that you’re right, and staying broke, but it’s just not true. The Royal Gazette recently had a story of a 92-year-old man who died after having worked as a gas station attendant and janitor his entire life. He had a pretty modest lifestyle, so his friends were stunned to find out that his estate was worth over $8 million! He just paid himself first every month, invested a small amount of money each and every month, and reinvested the dividends (which mutual funds do automatically through additional shares). If a minimum wage earner did it – you can, too. But first you need to change your thinking.

George Boelcke – Money Tools & Rules book – yourmoneybook.com

Some Financial Resolutions That May Actually Work

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Sometime last summer I shared with you that there are a number of psychic web sites claiming to predict your financial future – yea right. But let me try to predict one or two things that most of us will go through tonight: We will drink too much, eat too much, stay up way too late, get depressed about things from 2009, or the coming year, or make some wild New Years resolutions that don’t have a chance of surviving for more than a week or so.

It’s something that diet plans and fitness clubs count on. We get excited, sign a one or two-year contract, and show up for a month – tops. We’re still paying payments on the contract, but haven’t seen the place in months. When it comes to our finances, I want you to make this year’s resolutions different. I want you to be smart about it, and give yourself a fighting chance of achieving your dreams and goals.

For your financial resolutions, and I hope you make some, they need to include a few things:

They must be YOUR goals. In other words, they cannot be handed down to you by your spouse, or someone else. You cannot make a goal of getting your car or credit cards paid off without agreeing to it with your partner. You’re not Moses. You don’t get to hand a list of things to someone else. It won’t work.

They must be specific. Just a goal of getting your credit cards paid doesn’t work, and you’ll never do it. A specific goal would be to pay off these particular cards, in this order, not charging on them anymore, and cutting them up. THAT is a resolution you’re way more likely to keep.

You need a time-frame: Sometime next year, in the future, down the road – those words don’t get it done. Set a day and a month to make it happen.

Goals must be in writing and tell the world: Achieving your goals is 5 or 10 times more likely if you write them down. And I suggest posting them on the fridge so that they’re in your face every day. You’ll also massively increase your odds if you tell a bunch of people. They’ll hold you accountable, if they care about you, and you’re more likely to be disciplined if you feel that others are watching.

But the big one is that you have to want to want it in the first place. There is no feeling in the world like being debt free. Most of us have never been there, so we really have no idea. But it’s worth it and you’re worth it.

Start by sitting down with your spouse, if you’re married, and agreeing to some financial goals for 2010. And take 10 minutes to do a budget and a list of your debts. No TV, no kids – just you and a piece of paper. That’ll be more than 99% of the world will accomplish.

I wish you a great New Year and may all your financial goals come true for 2010!