A Guide to Setting and Achieving Your Goals

Every once in a while, we all need a little help. You might feel like your life needs to go in a new and better direction. but may feel trapped. You might not know what needs to change or what needs to happen for this to happen. Here are four things to think about when making plans for the future.

Keep these four things in mind when deciding what goals to go after.

Think of the most complete picture you can. Set aside some time to think about yourself, write in a journal, and look at your values and who you are. Try making a list of the 10 most important things to you. After that, think about and write down the one thing in life you want more than anything else.

Don't use more than one sentence. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. You'll be amazed at how organizing your goals and figuring out which ones are most important will help you see the big picture.

Think about your budget and, if necessary, make changes. When setting goals, it's important to be realistic and know your limits. You can't save $1 million in a year if you have a 9-to-5 job that pays the average wage (probably).

Choose a more reasonable goal, like saving a few thousand dollars, and give up or postpone this one. Along with money, time and physical limitations are also important things to think about... which brings us to the following point:

Think about your health. If you have a work-related goal, like making six figures or something similar, and your doctor has told you that your health is in danger, it might be time to put your financial goals on hold and put your health first.

Maybe going for a 30-minute walk every day is more important than working a few extra hours each week. If you choose the second goal instead of the first, you might focus so much on it that you can't reach either goal.

Think about the people around you. If other people depend on you, like your family or coworkers, you may have to put some of your own goals on hold to help them.