It sounds pretty simple. And sometimes it is. This principle can be followed in order to meet any goal in life. State the goal. Write it down! Read it and make sure it’s measurable, just like your budget is. A goal that isn’t measurable isn’t really a goal. There needs to be a timeline associated with it (just like a budget). Then write down what objectives are needed to accomplish that goal. If it’s financial, then it’s very easy to measure. But if it’s not, then measurement might be a little more difficult at first. This sometimes requires some real thinking about the goal and what it is that you really want. A fitness goal, for example, is often first stated as, “I want to lose weight and get into better shape.”

Look at that goal. Is it measureable? Of course not. How much weight? And when should the weight be gone by? And what kind of better shape – more muscles? Better cardio? Goals, whether personal, career, or financial, need to have clear outcomes and timelines. The weigh loss goal might be reworded into “lose 20 pounds within six months.”

This is why it’s also good to break them into objectives, just like a budget. What are the bigger level tasks that need to be accomplished in order to achieve the goal? In a budget these are usually things such as save X dollars a month, pay the rent, groceries, and other specific bills, and bring in the pay on time. For a personal goal, such as losing weight, it might be to join a gym or find an activity that allows you to get the required exercise to meet the goal. And it could include a specific amount of weight to lose each month.

Setting specific tasks to meet the actual objectives is also required. And everything must have a timeline! With a budget, these tasks are easy to know. To pay the rent, you must give the landlord a cheque for a certain amount by a certain date. That is pretty straightforward. And the same with savings goals. A certain amount of money must be put away each month, at a specific time, in an already specified investment. Hopefully your objective has already stated what kind of investment is needed to meet the larger goal.

With the losing weight example, the specific tasks can be quite focused, as well. These can be things such as go to the gym on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and run 1 mile. And each month the objective can be changed to increase the amount of exercise required.

So, with any goal one can see that there are three elements:

1. The clearly stated goal that is measurable and includes a timeline
2. The objectives that are required to meet the goal. These must also have timelines and be measurable.
3. The specific tasks required to meet each objective – also time specific and measurable.

Use this method and you will find that meeting your goals becomes easier. Writing things down and actually following through on the plans can make many things in life much more fulfilling! And there is such a feeling of accomplishment, when even the smallest goals are completed! Try it, it’s worth it!

Assigning the Objectives

What’s an objective? Well that’s the mini-goal that you want in order to meet you bigger financial goals. For example, you might have goal to get 3 months of savings in the bank so that you stop living from pay-period to pay-period. To meet that goal, you will have to come up with some smaller objectives that will help you meet that goal. An example might be that you make it your objective to cut down on eating out. You decide that you won’t eat out for lunch every day and instead will take your lunch. But that leaves you with money that you didn’t have before, because you were spending it on lunch. Now you have to give that money a task!

Picking an Appropriate Task for Your Money

Let’s say that you are now saving $2 a day from your lunch objective. That’s a measly $40 a month, right? Now, have a look at your overall finances. If you were so strapped that you couldn’t even go out to a movie once a month, perhaps you can give your money one task by allocating part of that (say $20 a month) to your entertainment only. And that $20 has to let you relax a little bit in some way, even once a month. Now you have the other $20 to assign another task to. If debt pay down is one of your goals, then that extra $20 can go towards the debt. And that will really help in the long run!

Whatever job you decide to give your money, you have to make sure that it meets the objectives you make to meet your overall goals. Straying can sometimes be hard, but if you make a list of your goals, then you are more likely to meet them. You can also then break each of those financial goals into steps that will really move you foreword and help you stay motivated. Remember, smaller steps are easier to take than big leaps. And the little steps end up covering the same distance. The small steps tend to get you towards your goal with less energy, worry and in an easier, safer manner. And that means you’re more likely to stick to your goals!