“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.”
~Henry Ford
The reason to plan is to make sure that you’re spending your time, money and other resources on things that are the most important to you, your priorities. For each financial goal you identify, you must figure out what’s needed to achieve it and how long it would take you to acquire the resources and reach the goal. There are several keys to success when walking through this process, but a very important one is to prioritize, by choosing the top 3-5 goals and list them in order of the most important to the least important. In order to achieve your C.A.S.H. Goals the objective must be Calculated, Attainable, Specific and harvestable.
Calculated – Are you giving yourself proper time to achieve success? How long will it take you to have the results you desire? Don’t stress yourself out if things don’t work out for you like you planned in the beginning. Don’t allow yourself to get lazy in your execution also. You know yourself better than anyone and you know how you are wired financially. With this in mind allocate enough time to achieve your desired results and watch your progression. Time is a valuable commodity-don’t abuse it, use it. If you can, push yourself as far as you can go without doubt and do what it takes to get your personal financial life zone in order. A goal that allocates enough time to be achieved will determine the value of success.
Attainable – be sure you are pushing yourself while still remaining in the real world. Your goals need to be realistically achievable in order to truly attainable. Don’t set low hurdles, but be aware of your own limitations and the economic forces around you when you set your goals. You won’t push yourself to achieve a goal you secretly feel is impossible, but neither will you value a success that comes too easily. Take your time and understand this will be a lifestyle change for you. Remember your mind is a powerful tool. If you set standards too high at first and you stumble, it will be harder for you to get back up and start again. A goal that can actually be accomplished is realistic.
Can you realistically handle your plan? Is it capable of producing the desired effect or result?
Specific – Being specific with your goals drives achievement because you spell out exactly what you want to achieve. Vague goals don’t drive you because there’s not enough direction in them to sustain extended effort. The more precisely you state your goal, the more likely you are to end up where you want to be. This is why “Pick up three sacks of trash from the park” is more effective than “Clean up the neighborhood” as a goal statement.
Harvestable – Can you change the trajectory of your current financial situation? Will your plan take you from where you are to where you want to be? Stay on track and see if your plan is making a difference in your spending and personal bottom line.
The bottom line is when you can see your destination, it’s a lot easier to get there. Where you want to go?
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