Now that you’ve determined your biggest financial challenge and classified it as a short- or long-term goal, it’s time to start putting together a plan.

• Writing down your goal means you see it, making that goal feel tangible and important.
• The act of writing down your goal helps you focus in on it.
• See that stat above? It’s like giving your goal a head start!

Start by writing down your goal and be specific as possible. The more specific you are, the easier it is to define the steps you need to get there.

Speaking of steps, let’s talk measuring. Think through meaningful actions you can take to prove you’re making progress toward your goal.

We love a good reach goal, but sometimes we reach too far and get discouraged. Take a moment to review your goal and consider what preliminary steps you can take to help achieve it.

In the last section, we asked you to consider your financial challenges and what causes you stress. This is the starting point to establish relevance. Ask yourself why this goal is important to you.

It’s easy to set a goal and forget about it. Putting a “due date” on it helps motivate and gives you a reason to prioritize it.