Ten! Nine! Eight!Â
Peeking out from a pile of wrapping paper is a brand new year. 2013 is on the way and its time to review this past year and revise our goals. As with any type of goal, financial goals are best created when you know your current situation. Finding out where you are with finances can be a bit unnerving like stepping on a scale before deciding to lose weight. Still, facing facts is the first step towards changing your habits. Setting unrealistic goals is sometimes worse than not creating any goals.
Seven! Six! Five!
In the spirit of the holiday, maybe enjoying a glass or two of champagne, its tempting to say, “This year, I’m going to exercise more.” or  “I’m ready to eat healthier.” or “I’m going to save more money.”
The trouble with these well intentioned resolutions is that they are incredibly vague. High quality goals can be broken down into pieces that can be accomplished monthly, weekly, even daily. Easier said than done, I know. Using a tool like this one can help. SMART goals are Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant and Timebound. Take the example: “This year, I’m going to exercise more.”
This goal could be changed to read: “This year, I will visit the gym once per week in January for 30 minutes and walk on the treadmill. In February, I will visit the gym twice a week for 30 minutes and walk on the treadmill. In March, I will visit the gym three times a week and walk on the run/walk on the treadmill.”
Four! Three! Two!
Remember, there are 52 weeks in a year. No more and no less. A friend once told me that the average adult has about 16 waking hours in each day. According to this article in the Wall Street Journal, “The temptation is to bite off more than you can chew, but baby steps are likely to work better.” Check in with yourself at the end of each day, at the end of each week, at the end of each month. If things are going well, reward yourself! C-E-L-E-B-R-A-T-E!!! If things aren’t going the way you hoped, ask yourself why. Ask yourself why in a logical way, like a scientist looking through a microscope. Do you need to find a different gym, one that is located on your way home from work? Have you told a friend about your goal, someone who could encourage you?
One!
In setting goals, financial or otherwise, be prepared for set backs. A goal to be at the gym twice a week could be derailed by a head cold, a goal to save $20 extra a week could be sidelined by a fender bender. One aspect of goal-setting, that doesn’t get nearly enough attention is how to get back up after a fall. If you have a tough day, try not to let it turn into a tough week, or month by getting caught up in all or nothing thinking. Its better to get to the gym one time this week than it is to give up all together. Saving $10 a week still amounts to $520 for the year. Enough for a flight, and a hotel room, and perhaps a relaxing time 🙂
Happy New Year from all of us at Splasm Software!