Setting Your Goals is Half the Battle

Our favorite catchy quote this week is “A goal properly set is halfway reached”, attributed to author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar.  Imagine two boats that leave the harbor – one enters a specific island destination into their GPS and the other sets out with no plan other than to “find a beach somewhere”. Which boat would you want to be on? Making a plan and “setting your destination” ahead of time is crucial to accomplishing your goals. Zig Ziglar’s point is something we see a lot. People feel like they aren’t making progress on their goals but the biggest hurdle they’re facing is that those goals are too vague. Many people make New Year’s resolutions on a whim and never write them down or set out a plan. That’s why only 8% are successful and 88% fail by their second month! The same is true for your financial goals. Clearly defining your goal, what success looks like and putting a plan in place before taking action is a big part of the process. How do you properly set a goal? We recommend using the SMART goal system (make them Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time bound). What do each of these mean? Read the full article here for all the details.