Proper planning is the key to success. In the earlier workbook, you’ve mapped out your financial philosophy, spending plan, debt reduction, children and money, and are firmly on the path to reach your long term goal of financial freedom. Now you’re ready to establish some landmarks on your roadmap so you can be sure to stay on course. These landmarks are short-term goals you’ll set for yourself.

Making a Game Plan

Everyone plays in the “Game of Life.” The players who are in control of their finances are people who have a plan. They plan ahead for needed cash. They put money aside for unplanned events and emergencies. Just like businesses plan their financial strategy, successful individuals have a financial plan.

Sadly, most people whose finances are out of control don’t plan. They may have a general idea or vague dream of where they’re headed, but they’re traveling without a roadmap. They easily stray off course and may become completely lost and financially overwhelmed.

What, Why, How, When, Where, and Who?

Every good plan must answer the questions: what, why, how, when, where, and who. The answers will help give you a basis for your strategies for success and the boundaries of your playing field.

1. What is the most important thing you want that will be easier to achieve by enhancing your productivity and increasing your income? Put it in writing and remember this is your top priority!

2. Why do you want to achieve this goal? Write it in one sentence like a mission statement. The statement needs to describe the reason why it’s your top priority.

3. How will you achieve your goal? List each step you’ll need to take in order to achieve your goal. Like planning a cross-country trip, make a roadmap to your goal—one step at a time.

4. When will you achieve your goal? Set time tables for each step along the way and include deadlines.

5. Where will you work toward your goal? Many steps in a journey actually require you to physically move toward your goal. You may need to go to a new place of employment, potential buyer, school or training seminar, materials supplier, etc. Write where your steps will take you.

6. Who do you need to help you along the way? Other people may be vital to the success for your plan. Maybe you need family members, advisors, counselors, mentors, co-workers, teachers, customers, etc. Consider how to enlist their help in reaching your goals. It’s not always what you know—but who you know—and two heads really are better than one!

Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll be ready to complete even more of the specifics of your successful plan. First you need to remind yourself what’s most important to you. Then you’ll develop a plan you can follow—and want to follow.

More to Life than Money

Your financial freedom will largely depend on how well you control your own finances. However, if your monetary goals are in conflict with other things in your life, you’ll never be completely free. You’ll recall how important it was to keep your values, goals, and needs in mind when you first developed your financial philosophy.

Remember your financial philosophy is the rule that affects how you think about and use money. You must also remain true to those guidelines when making plans to increase your productivity and income. Then you’ll not only be more successful, but also happy and fulfilled when achieving your goals.

• Decide what level of independence in your work is important to you.
• If you have too little freedom you may feel manipulated and controlled.
• Too much freedom may leave you feeling lost and out of control.

Be prepared to correct your course if you swerve off the planned path. Since your most important product is you—be willing to learn from your mistakes and your efforts. You need to be open and flexible enough to make changes when necessary; it’s vital for any self-improvement.

Your Super Highway

Be ready and willing to raise your expectations, and deal with the challenges and opportunities that come with success. Increased productivity brings new benefits, skills, friends, and opportunities into your life—sometimes new problems too. The challenges of maintaining a super highway are quite different from those of keeping up a bumpy country road.

v With increased productivity, you’ll improve your own road to financial freedom and be able to travel faster and farther than ever before. Be watchful for speed traps and detours that can catch you off guard. Follow your roadmap wisely; only make changes to your route after careful thought and planning. Then as you progress toward your goal, just think of the new sights and experiences that will open up through your hard work!

Secrets to Making Goals

Without clearly defined goals, your roadmap to financial freedom will not be clear enough to follow. Specific goals guide you from landmark to landmark so you’ll know where your efforts are leading you. Then you’ll have successes to celebrate all along the way—sustaining your motivation and encouraging you toward greater financial fitness. It’s just like plans for winning the matches are needed to claim victory over the entire tournament!

Basics of Goal Setting:

When setting your goals, keep these basic principles in mind:

1. Goals must be in writing. Goals not written down are merely dreams or wishes, and easily forgotten. Put your goals in writing and update them if they change and grow. Writing down a goal makes it real.

2. Goals have to be your own. If you’re only persuaded to make a goal—and you don’t fully adopt it yourself—it will lack the power of true commitment. Like the commitments you’ve made to yourself at the end of each workbook section, if you don’t embrace and own them, you’ll likely find yourself sidetracked or stalled on your path to financial freedom. Make goals you honestly believe in, and you’ll find yourself more motivated and less frustrated as you work to achieve them.

3. Goals must benefit you. Goals must have a real benefit for you or your family. If goals are only for fleeting enjoyment or acclaim—you’re likely to lose interest if the going gets tough. Goals must have real value or mark a positive step or improvement. Then the journey feels worthwhile and continues to motivate you.

4. Goals need to allow for change. Goals need to be flexible, allowing you to fine-tune them or reach even further. Your priorities may change or become clearer as you progress farther down your path. As this happens, be ready to make course adjustments and recommit yourself in writing to your newly fine-tuned goal.

5. Goals need deadlines. Without a deadline, you really don’t have a goal. If your journey has no planned “time of arrival,” what are you aiming for? If you do need to adjust your deadline as difficulties arise, be sure to commit yourself to a new one. Without a deadline, you may wander off track or lack the momentum to ever accomplish what you’ve set out to do. It brings a great sense of accomplishment to achieve your goal on time or even early!

Making Your Goals 

In order to enhance your personal productivity and income, you’ll need to make both short and long-term goals to lead you toward your ultimate goal. Use the top-priority of the most important thing you want to achieve as your guide.