Goals - From my favourite blog - not my writing!

""Determine what is important to you. Money doesn’t bring happiness; pursuing goals and experiences that are aligned with our personal values brings happiness. How can you be sure your spending is aligned with your personal values? By setting goals. I’ve had great success using George Kinder’s three questions to crystalize what is important to me. This, in turn, helps me set meaningful goals.

Look forward, not back. Base your goals on the future, on what you want to accomplish, not on where you’ve already been. This forces you to think outside the box. Don’t worry about past failures. Concern yourself only with what you want to accomplish in the future.

Take one step at a time. It’s vital to break large goals into smaller ones. If you focus too much on the Big Picture, you may become intimidated and give up. You eat an elephant one bite at a time. So too with goals. Once I decided to pay off $35,000 in debt, I shifted my focus from the big number to the smaller steps along the way. I made incremental progress. If you’re pursuing a big goal, break it into small components.

Keep your goal in mind. One way to do this is to advertise to yourself, perhaps using the techniques described at Take Back Your Brain. Regularly remind yourself of why you’re doing the things you’re doing — but don’t obsess over the Big Picture.

Use an accountability partner. In June, GRS reader Kinley shared her system for meeting financial goals. She and her sister serve as accountability partners for each other. They’ve shared their current financial situation and future goals. Every month, they review their progress together. An accountability partner — whether sister, friend, or spouse — can help you keep on track.

Be patient. Progress toward your goal can seem slow at first, but will accelerate with time. Things will get easier. You’ll learn new techniques. You may receive support from unexpected sources. Together, these things will help to accelerate your success.

Don’t let setbacks derail you. It can be discouraging when your goal seems to have been thwarted. You save a $5,000 emergency fund only to have your car totaled by an uninsured driver. You start a new busines and a big-name competitor moves in down the street. You get your debt snowball rolling and your credit card company changes your terms. When setbacks happen, don’t give up. And if you make mistakes, just get back on the right track. Persevere.