Get readies for a far richer future

Work out your goals, set targets and stick to them

January is the perfect time to try something new, so put yourself on the path to a better financial future by changing your relationship with money this year.

If your current financial situation is difficult, it doesn’t have to stay that way. New habits will set you on the journey to financial freedom – by which I mean freedom from the worries of money.

The most important step to money mastery is the first one – figuring out what it is you really want.

It may sound simple, but few people really have any clarity on what they really want and why they want it. As a result, they live, at best, only satisfied with their lot.

So how do you start to get that clarity? Well, I can help you there.

In my book The Money Plan, I write about creating a compelling vision: a vision of your desired life – one that inspires and excites you.

Think big and think bold.

It’s important to keep your eyes on where you want to go, not where you are right now, because that will subconsciously influence your decisions and keep you from moving towards your goals.

However, it can of course often be disheartening to look at the life you desire and compare it to where you are now.

It’s easy to think: “What’s the point? I’ll never get there.” So the next step is to bridge that gap.

You can do this by setting shortterm goals that will move you to your long-term vision.

Where do you want to be in 10 years? Where do you need to be in five years to be on your way there?

A lot can happen in the space of five and 10 years, so it’s time to get serious with your planning and set yourself more specific targets at certain points in the future.

Much can happen even in a year, which can knock you off track. Indeed, most people’s New

Year’s resolutions are long forgotten by the spring.

To keep on the right path, break the year into quarterly (90-day) check-ins.

These check-ins are the specific steps you need to take within each three-month period to move yourself closer to your 12-month goal. This, in turn, will move you towards your 36-month target and the life you want to be living.

Put these dates in your diary and take the time to plan for and commit to them. If you don’t, you’ll find that nothing will change.

This approach may not be for everyone but if you want to make big progress, bear in mind it’s not likely to happen by accident.

Live your life by design, not default, and make 2022 your best year yet.

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