We are well into 2025 and It’s the perfect opportunity to think about the importance of starting the year with goals that can truly change our lives. Of course, I’m referring to goals that will help someone to build a better financial future! Because yes, saving is great, and investing is even better, but if we don’t have specific goals, we’ll never reach the point we desire.
GOALS
What’s the point of saving and investing if we don’t have a purpose? Not only will we lack motivation, but we probably won’t do it properly, or we might even neglect it altogether. Without a clear purpose, it’s easy to say, ''It’s fine, I’ll do it next time''
So what kind of goals should we have? Well, there are many, and everyone saves and invests for different reasons, so let’s take a quick look at some common ones.
Retirement
The most common goal we hear about is retirement. Some aim for FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), while others simply want to secure a comfortable lifestyle after 60. Either way, it’s a solid goal that provides strong motivation!
Emergency Fund
This is a goal that focuses more on saving rather than investing, but it’s perhaps one of the most crucial steps to take before moving forward. Building an emergency fund with enough money to cover 6–12 months’ worth of expenses is essential because it’s the foundation that protects us from unexpected events and gives us the psychological security we need.
Personal Life Goals
Finally, we have goals related to our personal lives. For instance, for those starting a family, the expenses will be a lot! Setting up a nursery, buying everything the kids need, getting school supplies… the list goes on and on.
At some point, kids might want to pursue higher education, so we’ll need to secure funds for that too.
Then there are life’s big moments, like traveling, weddings, or experiences we want to enjoy.
So, How Do We Set Goals?
Whatever our goal is, planning is essential to help us stick to our strategy. But how do we set goals? It’s not enough to just say, “I want to do this.” Our goals need to be SMART—and no, I don’t mean just smart.
They need to be:
Specific: Clear and precise.
Measurable: Quantifiable so we can track our progress.
Achievable: Realistic and attainable.
Relevant: Aligned with our current circumstances.
Time-based: Set within a specific timeframe.
When our goals meet these criteria, we can achieve not only our financial objectives but also build a plan that brings us closer to success.
So, what are your financial goals for the year?
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