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Let’s Talk Financial Goals: Turning Plans Into Progress

Creating financial goals is easy to postpone, but small, intentional steps can make a big difference. That’s why we’ve simplified goal-setting into four actionable steps that help you save, plan, and build better habits—one step at a time.

 

 Step 1: Awareness  Step 2: Create Your Goals Step 3: Implement  Step 4: Evaluate 

 

Step 1: Awareness 

Before setting financial goals, you need a clear picture of where your money is going. Spend a month tracking your spending to capture everything—including recurring subscriptions, daily habits, and weekly trends. (Yes, even that daily coffee habit sneaking up on you!)

Once you have the data, reflect:

  • Which expenses are necessary?
  • What can be reduced or eliminated?
  • How much am I actually saving?
  • What small changes could make a big difference?

If you’re not sure where to start, try using a template to organize your spending and make reflection easier. Awareness is the first step to control—and control is the first step to real progress.

Free Financial Planner Template

Step 2: Create Your Goals

Now that you know where your money is going, it’s time to set a few small, manageable financial goals. Big, ambitious goals are tempting, but if they’re not realistic, they can quickly lead to frustration.

Write your goals down—whether in your phone’s notes app, a spreadsheet, or a goal-tracking app. The act of recording your goals makes them tangible and keeps them top of mind when you’re making money decisions.

Remember: start small. Each achievable goal builds confidence, creates momentum, and makes the next goal easier to tackle.

Step 3: Implement Your Habits

It’s time to put your plan into action. Build habits that make reaching your goals as easy as possible.

  • For saving: Set up automatic transfers from your paycheck to a savings account—out of sight, out of mind.

  • For cutting spending: If your goal is to drink coffee at home instead of buying Starbucks three times a week, prep your travel mug and stock your coffee supply in advance.

The key is to reduce friction. The easier a habit is to follow, the more likely you are to stick with it—and small, consistent actions compound over time.

Step 4:  Evaluate

Set a time to check in on your goals (we suggest every 3-4 months). Consider re-doing the exercise in Step 1 to see how you have changed. Are you meeting your goals most of the time?

Remember goals will need to be adjusted as your life changes and as your spending and savings habits grow. When the goal becomes too easy, add another. Continuously building small goals upon each other will make a big impact over time.

 

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