The new year is here and it’s a fresh start for all of us. Setting and completing goals is the best way to get to where you want to be in life. Whether it be financial, fitness, or any other type of life goal, you can complete it if you have a plan in place.
I’ll show you how to create a goal-setting plan so you can do whatever you set your mind to.
At the end of this post, I share my personal goals and how I’m going to achieve them.
Quickest ways to increase income now
- Sell printables – Make money selling printables on Etsy. This is my #1 recommended side hustle! Earn over $10,000 a year selling printables online.
- Money Like A Millionaire course – Learn how to manage money like a millionaire and find out how to pay off debt and live frugally. This is the simplest way to set up your financial life to maximize wealth.
- Surveys – Earn extra money filling out surveys. You can take as many surveys as you want and earn up to $5 per survey.
- Proofreading – Make $20+ an hour proofreading from home. Be your own boss and set your own schedule.
Let’s get started!
10 tips to achieving any goal
#1 Put goals in plain sight
It’s easy to forget what your goal is when you never think about it. Think of ways you can remind yourself of your goal everyday. For example, we have our goal written down on our fridge so we see it everyday.
We’re constantly reminded of our goal to pay off debt.
If you have a financial related goal, pick out a free printable in my free printable library and hang it on your fridge.
#2 Break your big goal into sections
For example, if your goal is to pay off $10,000 in debt in the next 12 months, break down that goal into 12 month goals. $10,000 divided by 12 months is about $833.
Make it a goal to pay off $833 each month to pay off $10,000 this year.
Make sure you’re budgeting if you have a financial goal. Use a budget planner or a budgeting app because it’s easy to spend money and not even realize how much you’re spending.
#3 Make it fun and enjoyable
If your goal is sucking the life out of you, you’re more likely to give up and not achieve your goal. That’s why you need to find ways to make your goal more exciting.
If you’re a planner person, I recommend using a goal planner to write down all of your goals and steps to get there.
#4 Mindset is everything
With the right mindset, you can achieve any life goal. If you need help working on your mindset, gaining confidence, and completing your goals, I recommend investing in a life coach.
My friend Natalie Bacon has an incredible life coach membership called Grow You that makes working on personal development fun and exciting.
Grow You teaches you how to coach yourself out of a negative mindset so you can show up more positively. You receive real-life strategies for time management so you can stop feeling busy all the time.
I love Grow You because you work on a different topic each month to make you stronger, and you even get to ask coaches questions and share what you’re struggling with, and get one-on-one support.
You’ll find that people are struggling with the same thing as you and getting the help they need to overcome obstacles. It’s so much fun!
#5 Take small steps
You’re most likely not going to change overnight. This is why it’s important to take small steps to achieve the goal you desire.
If you have a fitness related goal and you don’t have a physical hobby you like, you can try out different things.
#6 Why do you want to achieve this goal
An important question to ask yourself is why you even want to complete this goal. Some people make the same goal year after year, but don’t even have a reason for why they want to complete the goal.
For example, if your goal is to quit your day job and become a freelancer, what’s your why? Maybe it’s because you want to be at home with your kids or dogs all day.
Or maybe you want to travel without having to get approved time off first.
#7 Set yourself up for success
Make it as easy and convenient as possible to achieve your goal.
If your goal is to eat healthier, you want to make sure your fridge and pantry is stocked with healthy, delicious options.
#8 Get support
Join Facebook groups or in-person communities filled with like-minded people. If you’re one of the many people whose goal is to start investing for retirement this year, follow @personalfinanceclub on Instagram and become apart of a community of people who have the same goal.
I also recommend checking out @personalfinanceclub’s investing course, How To Build Wealth By Investing In Index Funds.
This is how I learned how to invest in my Vanguard accounts and I actually know what I’m doing.
#9 Don’t beat yourself up, instead learn from mistakes
The journey to achieving any goal isn’t always easy. Make this journey a journey of learning from your mistakes and growing stronger.
This whole process is teaching you how to create life-long habits that make completing your goal easy.
#10 Believe in yourself
Have confidence in yourself and your ability to complete any goal you set your mind to. Give yourself evidence of being able to complete goals.
Think about your life and what you’ve done to get where you’re at now.
Goals to choose from
If you’re having trouble thinking of a goal to make, here are a few.
- Pay off all credit cards
- Find a physical activity I like
- Start a side hustle that makes $1,000 a month by the end of this year
- Save $3,000 in emergency fund by end of this year
- Talk to parents once a week on phone
- Find a hobby that gives me joy and do it regularly
Example Goal #1 Start a side hustle that makes $1,000 by the end of the year
How to achieve this goal: Find a side hustle that you know can make a lot of money each month. Make a decision and be decisive about the side hustle you choose and don’t spend an entire month figuring out which side hustle you want to start.
Side hustles to start now
- Pinterest Virtual Assistant – Help businesses shine on Pinterest as a Pinterest manager. Create your own schedule, work for yourself, and work from anywhere in the world.
- Sell printables – #1 recommended side hustle for people looking for a low-stress way to earn passive income from home.
- Sell dog treats – Make up to $2,500 a month selling dog treats with this fun side hustle perfect for people who love dogs.
- Proofreading – Earn $20+ an hour proofreading from home. Be your own boss and set your own schedule.
- Surveys – Make money for answering simple questions. You can take as many surveys as you want and earn up to $5 per survey.
- Bookkeeping – Start your own virtual bookkeeping business and earn up to $80,000 a year from home.
Example Goal #2 Save enough money to have $5,000 in emergency fund
How to achieve this goal: Set a budget every month and in that budget, include a certain amount of money that can go into your emergency fund.
Some of my favorite ways to save money:
- Get cash back on groceries (even healthy foods) with Ibotta. Get $10 for signing up for Ibotta here.
- Slash your cell phone bill in half by switching to Tello. Tello plans start at $5 and the highest plan being $39. You can cancel or upgrade your phone plan any time you want and keep your existing number. I only need the $19/month Tello plan which gives unlimited text and calling, with 4GB of data.
- Move your money into a high-yield bank savings account. Your bank right now probably offers 0.03%. That’s nothing. CIT Bank currently offers up to 1.70%. You can move your money and emergency fund to a high-yield savings account to save even more money. Open a CIT Bank account here.
- Save money on meal planning and save time grocery shopping with $5 Meal Plan. You get your first 2 weeks free here.
- Lower your bills like your cell phone, internet, cable, insurance, and more with Billshark. I used it myself and saved $290. All you do is upload a bill that you want to save money on here.
- Get cash back on online purchases (pretty much anywhere) with Ebates. You get $10 for signing up for Ebates here.
- Get the best coupon codes instantly when shopping online with Honey.
- Use a budget planner to keep track of your spending (this is the budget planner I use).
Personal Goals
Goal #1 Pay off rest of husband’s student loan debt.
In 2021, my husband graduated with about $62,000 in student loan debt. We started the 2022 year with $25,000 left in student loan debt. Our goal is to pay off the rest of the loans by fall of 2022.
To achieve my goal, I’m sticking to a preplanned budget and setting aside a certain amount of money each month to student loan debt. We are paying off student loans with the highest interest rate first. We will be debt-free in 2022!
Goal #2 Lose weight gained in the past year.
2021 was rough for me due to medical issues and a new diagnosis. I started a medication that could possibly cause weight gain, and I gained some weight in 2022. My goal is to lose 15-20 pounds that I gained.
To achieve this goal, I’m working with my doctor and using Weight Watchers for nutrition and the Peloton bike for exercise.
You can also use High Carb Hannah’s weight loss guides that are very affordable and informative. Her guides include weight loss recipes, exercises, and have helped a lot of people reach their weight loss goals.
Final Thoughts
I am one of those people who love setting goals and I achieve them. This years goal was to pay off about $20,000 in student loan debt, and we managed to pay off almost twice that. Another goal of mine was to spend more time on hobbies, and I did exactly that with pottery, crocheting, and reading over 100 books.
Related articles:
- How To Create A Debt-Free Plan In 2022
- Financial Goals You Should Make In Your Twenties
- 10 New Years Goals To Make For The Best Year
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What are your goals this year?
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