Research has determined that only 3% of all adult citizens in the United States take the time and effort to plan for the future. Yet, that 3 % accomplish five to ten times more in their lifetimes than the other 97%. 

It’s a shame, but most people spend more time planning their vacations than they do planning their lives. Individuals who take the time to determine with clarity, what they want to achieve in life are much more likely to accomplish their goals & objectives than those who leave their lives to chance. There is magic and power in planning!

I want to ask you two questions. One, Do you have a Will? Two, Do you have written goals for the next one, three, five, and ten years? If you answered yes to the first question, but no to the second, you’re planning for your death more than you are setting goals while you are here. Think about it; I want to challenge you to start setting goals. However, remember if a goal is not in writing, it is simply a conversation. It must be in writing and it must have a deadline. Here are a few guidelines created by RealSuccess for setting goals. Oh, by the way… you need a will also.

Goals Must Be Specific

I want you to be specific and include details but start rough. When you start rough for example, you want a Mercedes. You don’t have to get into the details of what color, what options, that sort of thing, just write it down. Make your list huge, what kind of home do you want, what you want for your family, college education or spend more time traveling anything you can think of. You can come back later and prioritize them in the order you wish to achieve each goal. Prioritize your list based on what you want in one month, three months, six months, twelve months, then three, five, ten, twenty, thirty-year goals. The more goals you have, the happier you will be, the longer you will live, and the more prosperous you will be in life.

Goals Must be Believable

Remember this, your goals must be believable, by you, or you will not pay the price. They must be believable, they must be just out of your reach, but you must know you can reach them if you really strive to do it. 

Goals Must be Measurable

You cannot set a goal to be financially independent. There is no way you can measure that. You need to set a goal for the amount of income you want per month, per year, the amount of equity that you want in properties one, three, five, ten, and twenty years. It must be measurable, that way you can break it down. If you know you want to earn $100,000 a year, you know that it is $8,333 per month. That’s just one deal a month where I live. One of the things I’ve learned is, successful people set their goals quickly and they make adjustments as they go along. Just like successful people make decisions quickly, they do not stagger in indecision or get mixed up in a funk of negativity. 

Goals Must be Congruent

Your goals must also be congruent with your actions. You cannot set a goal to work harder or longer hours AND a goal to spend more time with your family. This is not congruent with your objective previously stated. 

Visualize What You Want

Another good practice that will help you with your goals is visualizing what you want. If you see yourself as completing the goal, you will trick your mind into believing the goal has already been achieved. It’s called “fake it till you make it.” I used to do this all of the time. Just take a minute or two each day and think about life as it is with your goals already accomplished. It’s really easy when you get used to it.

Work Your Goals 

The next thing you want to do is work your goals, work on the priority that moves you closer to your goals every day. 

Number Your Goals

Number your goals in order of importance. Not only is the goal important but so is the reason. Sure you want a car, but why do you want the car? Sure you want more money, but why do you want money? You want to be able to spend more time with your family, you want to be able to travel, you want to buy a bigger home for your family, you want to have an oceanfront condo and send your children to the best colleges. Whatever it is, the reason must be there. The reason is more important than the goal itself. 

Review, Monitor and Make Adjustments

Another thing you need to do is review, monitor, and make adjustments to your goals. You have to be flexible. Some things are not going to happen, you have to face that, but you need to continuously strive to get better every day. If you work harder at improving yourself, then you’re always growing and increasing your possibilities. Remember that last sentence, write it down as it is worth repeating.  

The Goals Must Have a Deadline

As previously mentioned, your goals must have a deadline. A goal without a deadline is just a conversation. When beginning to set your goals, set your goals in four basic areas: 

Financial 

You will set goals based on income, equity, or net worth and cash flow. All of these are financial goals to consider when analyzing your investments.

Fitness 

This is your health. If you don’t feel good, chances are that you’re not working at your maximum capacity. So, I want you to set some fitness goals to stay healthy. Remember “an apple a day.”  What if this English proverb is true and you’re not doing it? Start small,  don’t try to tackle all of these at once. You need to be healthy not only for you but for your family as well. 

Family 

Set family goals. What is an example of a family goal? Maybe you want to take four vacations a year. Maybe you want to visit a new state, three times a year or five times a year. Maybe you want to go see your grandparents two or three times a year; but maybe not. You get the point. 

Remember, if you slip in one area of your goals, you’re probably slipping in other areas. Think about the people you associate with. It’s important to have people around you who are positive, motivating, and supportive of the goals you seek to accomplish in your life. I’m not telling you to get rid of your friends, all I’m saying is whom you associate with, is who you are likely to become, so keep that in mind. Don’t get rid of your friends, just get some more that is where YOU want to be financially.