Prioritize Your Financial Goal

Setting goals, whether long term or short term, is a lot of work. Goals need to be prioritized so that we'll be sure we can achieve them. Some goals are pure fantasy and fun, and others help us to achieve financial success.

This may sound simplistic, but you are going to do it by putting one foot in front of other---baby steps to begin with. As you look over your lists, one of the things that may jump out at you is how many of your dreams---if not all of them---have a financial element to them. As grownups, most of our decisions and our dreams all have a financial angle attached to them.

Losing weight may have made your list. It always makes mine! Do you join a gym or an aerobics class? How much more will it cost you in time and money for the food you will need to prepare? If you lose more than 10 pounds, you may even need new clothes or transition clothes until you reach your goal weight. All of this takes money, and you will need to figure out where it will fit in your budget.

What you need to do is prioritize your list. What are the things you absolutely want to have? This is where you can cross Tom Cruise off the list and maybe the red Jaguar! With what is left, you further prioritize using a number system. I  like to use1-4, with 1s being keepers and 4s being what would be nice to have. Your dream list is a work in progress because, as your life changes, so will your goals. Nothing here is cast in concrete, so have fun with your first homework assignment.

You certainly wan to accomplish all the dreams on your list, and you may be able to do that---it just may take you a bit more time. When speaking with those younger, one of their concerns is " having it all." They certainly can have it all, just not all the same time. So it may be with your dream list.