Once the excitement of a new year fades away, it is easy to also shelve your goals until later in the year. When you realise that the year is coming to an end and you haven’t accomplished what you wanted, this can be demoralising. I have experienced this many times. In this blog, I will be writing about ways to kickstart your goals and how to build momentum. The tips covered in this blog can also be found in the Financial Goals Planner.
Why did you set the goals?
When you are setting your goals, you need to know what is important to you and why. Why do you want to achieve the set goals? Are they linked to your values or to what you ultimately want to achieve? When you know your ‘why’, this will motivate you to achieve your goals. This will be the driving force that will keep you focused in challenging times. One of the goals I had set this year was to read at least 3 books about business. I value my personal development; I value growing my knowledge so that DPF can remain a trusted platform. My values, passion and goals give me the drive to continuously make time to read books. I have completed two books already and I’m currently reading the last one to meet my set target.
Prioritise prioritise prioritise!
Writing a long list of goals, you want to achieve is very satisfying but not always the solution. Trying to focus on too many goals at the same time can be tiring and may cause you to give up quickly. This is why it is important to prioritise your goals. You may come across some that can be achieved simultaneously which is fine, but if there are no synergies, consider prioritising. Prioritising your goals means you focus on a few goals at a given time. This means you give yourself a greater chance of achieving your goals. Once you set your goals, prioritise them and set deadlines and start dates.
Be realistic
I like to let my imagination run wild when I’m thinking about goals to set. This is actually great for the goal-setting process because you open your mind up to being more creative. It is also equally important to set realistic goals that take into account your capacity and abilities. This is why it is important to remain realistic about time frames and what you are able to do. If you realise that you need more time or knowledge to accomplish a goal, you can extend the time frame and seek additional training. When we were saving for our house deposit, setting a smaller time frame for raising the deposit was tempting because we were excited to buy a house. Looking at our budget, how much we could contribute every month and how much was needed, helped us to set a more realistic timeframe.
Measure your progress
Failing to measure your progress or keep track of how much you have accomplished can lead to a loss of concentration and motivation. When setting goals, it is important to find a way of measuring or tracking them. Tracking your progress includes writing down accomplishments, and keeping track of how much you have saved or completed tasks that contribute to achieving your goals. I find this to be useful when I am setting financial goals. Looking at how much I have saved towards a goal motivates me to continue saving. When you are not feeling motivated, look at how much you have accomplished. Every step is needed to achieve your goals, so don’t overlook the smallest of accomplishments.
What can you control?
In the goal-setting process, it is important to recognise the areas that are within your control and areas that are not. Confusing the two can easily lead you to believe that you are not capable of achieving your goals. However, correctly recognising the areas within your control, can help you to work towards your goals. For example, if your goal is to save more during the year, basing this on your employer increasing your salary is outside your control. However, you can take relevant steps to ensure that your work is above average, work on creating other sources of income or try to reduce expenses.
Once you have reviewed your goals based on some tips noted above, you should be in a position to know where you are with your goals and what action you need to take. Remember every small step counts towards achieving your goals so celebrate the small wins.
Get your copy of the Financial Goals Planner today! The Planner will help you effectively set your goals, measure your progress and grow your pockets.
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