Write Down Your Dreams and Goals

Take the time to write down you dreams and goals in the short-medium, and long-term range. Doing this simple task more that once is valuable for several reasons: You can trust the goals that come up repeatedly and discard the ones that were just temporary flights of fantasy.

Let's go to work on the realistic dreams. This will be the hard stuff about money, family, and your life. Retirement is often number one or two on many people's lists. I often see a "comfortable retirement" listed. Now that certainly is a commendable goal, but you need to put some corners on it. Huh? That's right. Corners. This is a fuzzy picture, and you need to bring it into focus. What is comfortable? Comfortable for you may not be want to retire? Where do you want to retire? How much income would you like to have in retirement? See what I mean?

A more specific retirement goal would be to retire in 20 years at age 60, work two days a week, remain in your present housing, have an income stream equal to $50,000 in today's dollars, and be able to travel while you are healthy. Wow? Now envision what it might feel like not to have to get up on Monday mornings, pack your lunch, and fight traffic to get to work. Feel the warmth of the tropical sun on your face while you are traveling in the Caribbean, Dreaming is okay and is recommended here.

Tip. When you put a dollar value to your hopes and dreams, you can better see how important they are to you. Knowing, for example. what a trip to Paris costs helps you to know how badly you want it. You may never realize your dreams if you don't add the money component.

Next, break your goals out into long-term and short-term. When do you want to achieve these goals? A long-term goal is five years away or longer. And it's the short-term goals that help you achieve your long-term goals.

• Commit to paper your dreams and hopes.

• Get them into focus by making them more specific.

• Break them down into parts so that they are achievable.

• Set up a time frame.