As the year draws to a close, it is customary for people to make resolutions for the New Year. Most resolutions have something to do with health and well being. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight. As a society, we tend to neglect our financial health. Keep that in mind as you are making your resolutions.
The first step in making a resolution is to establish goals. Do you want to buy a house? Find a new job? Pay down your credit cards? Go back to school?
A resolution should be a specific statement of action to help you achieve your goals. A resolution “to lose weight” is too vague. Losing weight is the goal. A resolution “to join the local gym and go Monday, Wednesday and Saturday” is more specific and helps you achieve the goal of losing weight. There might be multiple resolutions that work together in achieving a specific goal. In addition to going to the gym, you might resolve “to eat fast food only once per month.”
Many people talk about making resolutions and setting goals, but fail to follow through. Write your goals down on a piece of paper. Discuss your goals with family and friends. It sounds simple, but expressing your goals to yourself and others helps to ensure that you are being realistic. It also makes you more accountable, if only to yourself.
That’s all for now. I will be back in the New Year to discuss strategies for achieving your financial goals.
