If you do not know where you are going on your life journey, how will you know when you arrive? This is very true about the importance of having financial goals. You need to set financial goals to help you make wise financial decisions, and also as a reward for your efforts. Goals should be clear, concise, detailed and written down. Remember, an unwritten goal is just a wish.

Establishing your financial and lifestyle goals is a fundamental part of your total wealth solution process. Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound (SMART).

Specific

Your financial and lifestyle goals need to be as specific as possible, because otherwise they won’t give you enough direction to follow through. Look at your goals like a lamp lighting the way – the brighter the light, the clearer the journey ahead. If you don’t have clearly defined goal, it can be easy to procrastinate. Think about your life and what you want to achieve, and what action you need to take to achieve the outcomes you want.

Measurable

Measurable goals are essential for evaluating the progress of your journey. It’s important to give yourself realistic deadlines, to make them action-orientated, but ensure they are realistic with an appropriate timeline. Adding specific dates and values will make your progress quantifiable, enabling you to complete your goals and visualise your destination.

Attainable

Be honest with yourself and set realistic financial and lifestyle goals. Decide what you want to accomplish. So, start with the highest on your priority list. We know it’s easy to be overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done, so we’ll help out with the process. By reviewing your financial and lifestyle goals annually with us, it gives you an opportunity to formally review them, update them and review your progress since last year.

Relevant

It’s essential to align your financial and lifestyle goals with the direction you want to take. Balancing the alignment will give you the focus you’ll need. If you think about it, a goal is defined as ‘a desired result’. And a resolution is ‘a firm decision to do something’. So they are really very similar. When setting any financial and lifestyle goals, ask yourself what each goal means to you.

Time-bound

Having a destination point will mean you’ll get to celebrate when you accomplish your goal. Having set deadlines gives you a sense of urgency that is lacking when goals are open-ended. In other words your financial and lifestyle goals should be time-based, time-bound, timely, tangible and trackable.

Making additional investments

Do you have the means to make additional investments necessary to accumulate the required assets to achieve your goals? Don’t neglect to consider the effects of taxes on your savings and investments. After considering the foregoing, you might determine that you can achieve some goals in less time. Or you might find that it could take longer. The time horizon is important to setting realistic goals.

Speak to an IFA

For more information and support please contact one of our independent financial advisers for a no cost, no obligation initial consultation.