Organizing Your Way » Resolutions

Free Online Tools for Tracking Your Goals

Mandi Ehman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:12:52 +0000

source: lululemon athletica

I appreciate your patience over the last couple of days as we’ve been working through some server issues. Everything should be up and running smoothly now! My monthly column is up at Simple Mom, and we’re talking about tools to help you track your goals:

This month at Simple Mom, Tsh is focusing on reviewing — and renewing — our goals. I’ve heard it said that New Year’s resolutions shouldn’t be made in January but rather in September, and it’s true: there is something about the end of summer and the start of the school year that leaves me refreshed and ready to tackle the goals I’ve set for myself!

Today, I want to share with you some free online tools that are available to help you track and achieve your goals. I haven’t used all of these myself, but I’ve read tons of reviews on them, and I think they represent the best of the best. Please feel free to share your experiences – and other services you use to track your goals – in the comments.

Tracking your goals — whether on paper, online, on your phone or on your desktop — is an important part of staying motivated and on track. The cliche “out of sight, out of mind” was coined for a reason, and it’s important to keep any new habit or goal front and center where you can practice thinking about it and making the changes necessary to achieve it.

Question of the Day: Resolution Check In

Mandi Ehman — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:58:43 +0000

source: Tom Kulbowski

It’s been a while since we’ve had a resolution check in, and today I want to know…

Are you making progress with your New Years’ goals and resolutions?

Which goals have you accomplished so far in 2010?

Which goals have you intentionally set aside?

Which goals have been forgotten in the busyness of life?

What new goals have you added to your list?

What goals are you thinking about taking on but not quite ready to declare?

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Question of the Day: Resolution Check In is a post from Organizing Your Way

Improve Your Diet Without Dieting

Guest — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:53:30 +0000

source: Shaina Olmanson

The following is a guest post from Shaina of Food for My Family:

It’s February. The New Year’s diet resolution fad is fading in the distance. Valentine’s Day brings boxes of chocolates and delicious, high-caloric meals like steaks covered in cream sauce and sinfully rich desserts. If you find yourself struggling to stay on course as the year pushes forward, here are a few tips to keep you healthy and improve your diet without doing a complete overhaul.

Start cooking your own food

And I’m not talking about a box of macaroni and cheese. While cooking your own food doesn’t automatically mean fewer calories and less fat, it does eliminate so many of the preservatives found in prepackaged and preprocessed food.

Cooking from scratch from real ingredients – flour, fruits, vegetables, meat – ensures you know what’s going into your meals. Rather than eating acetate this and bicarbonate that, you’re eating carrots, peppers, nuts and strawberries – food that was grown in the ground and not in a lab.

Consider a CSA box

If you have trouble spending the money on fruits and vegetables, or if you just fall short when it comes to searching them out, deciding what you want and purchasing them, a CSA box may push your hand into eating more of the food that’s grown around you. Provided by local farmers, the boxes come filled with whatever happens to be in season.

Take the guesswork out of shopping and just use what comes in the box, which will give you access to those fresh vegetables and fruits weekly.

Plan a menu

It may seem simple, but planning a menu is a surefire way to control how often you’re running to the nearest McDonald’s when you just don’t have time/ingredients/ideas. Choose the meals you want to eat, make a list of what you need and then shop for them.

Knowing what’s for dinner can often be half the battle as you drive home from work or run errands and cart kids between school and activities. Having a menu in place can eliminate the “What’s for dinner?” conundrum.

Focus on variety in your diet

Growing up, my family ate nearly the same seven meals every week. By the time I moved out of the house, I never wanted to see another plate of spaghetti and meatballs or a tater tot casserole again.

Because I was bored with the meals, I often found myself snacking in between them on things I would have rather been eating. By incorporating a bit of creativity and diversity in your menu, you’ll find that you end up craving the meal more than the candy bar and chips as a snack.

Exercise portion control

The amount of what you’re eating can be the determining factor in your diet. Even people who eat perfectly healthy and make good food choices can still be overweight because of the portion size they’re allowing themselves to eat. Sure, chicken and rice with steamed vegetables may be a sensible option, but if your portions are out of whack, it’s not going to keep the bathroom scale from inching higher.

One way to control your portions is by using a smaller plate. You can fill most small plates clear to the edge and still end up with only a fraction of the amount of food were you to dish yourself up on a large plate. The idea is simple, but it works. A ½ cup of rice looks teeny tiny on giant plate, but it looks like much more and fills a third of a small plate.

Look at what you’re drinking

Without even realizing it, many people are drinking entire meals’ worth of calories before they’ve even lifted the fork to their mouth. Soda and sweet tea, juices, lattes and cappuccinos — they all pack quite the caloric punch.

:: Not big on guzzling water? Try adding lemons, cucumbers or fresh fruit to your water glass for a splash of flavor. Just that little bit of oomph can make it go down easy and make it more refreshing and enjoyable.

:: Switch out your soda for unsweetened iced tea or sparkling water. One can of soda packs as many as 260 calories. That adds up instantly, especially if you’re not restricting your diet in other places.

:: Limit your alcohol intake. If you’re accustomed to a few drinks after work with friends or on the couch at the end of the day, try limiting yourself to one drink paired with dinner and not on a daily basis. Beer and wine are best when paired with food, so focus on enjoying a little here and there. Sip slowly and have a glass of water to rehydrate when you’re done.

:: Cut the fat where you can. Even if you prefer your milk thicker when it’s just a tall glass with a meal, start ordering your lattes, mochas and cappuccinos nonfat. With all the frothing and steaming going on, you’ll hardly notice the difference with skim milk, and you definitely won’t miss the fat.

This is only a short list of small ways that add up to improve your diet without dieting. What changes do you make to eat healthier without dieting?

Shaina Olmanson is the home cook and photographer behind Food for My Family, where she shares recipes, tips, opinions and her philosophy on food as she wades through the process of feeding her family, her friends and anyone else who will let her. She strives to teach her four children how to eat well: seasonally, locally, organically, deliciously and balanced.

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Improve Your Diet Without Dieting is a post from Organizing Your Way

Question of the Day: February “More Than Resolutions” Check In

Mandi Ehman — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:13:47 +0000

source: lism.

(I’m writing this from the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Hotel as we get ready for BlissDom ’10!)

Although we just finished the 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series, I am planning to dedicate the first Question of the Day each month to see how you’re doing with your goals and resolutions, and I didn’t want to wait for March for the first one!

What goals and resolutions have you made for 2010?

Are there any you made just for the sake of making a resolution and not because you really want to pursue them right now?

Have you set measurable, concrete goals rather than just broad, vague resolutions?

Is perfection holding you back from working toward your goal?

Let’s make 2010′s goals more than resolutions. Let’s make them a reality!

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Plan to Eat - Monthly meal planner, shopping list maker.
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Question of the Day: February “More Than Resolutions” Check In is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Wrap-Up

Mandi Ehman — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:44:56 +0000

Did y’all notice I didn’t post yesterday?

After 31 days of posting every day (sometimes more than once!), it was strange and refreshing not to sit down and write a post yesterday morning. However, I really enjoyed the 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010, and I’m excited to tell you that I am in the process of putting together a free ebook based on the series — including each of the posts along with extra resources, worksheets and more. Watch for that very soon!

I did want to take just a few minutes today to wrap up the series with some final thoughts.

What is your word?

You may have heard about the popular one-word alternative to resolutions, where instead of setting resolutions, people choose one word to represent their goals for the year.

Although I still think it’s important to write down actual goals to work toward in order to see change in your life, I love this idea. As I was writing the series, it became abundantly clear to me that my word for this year is intentional.

I want to be:

:: an intentional wife

:: an intentional mother

:: an intentional blogger

:: intentional about our family’s TV time

:: intentional about what we eat

:: intentional about our finances

:: intentional about making time for family & friends

Really, the list could go on and on, but intentional sums it up. I want to live an intentional life, making the most of every moment I’m given (which happens to be the tagline on my personal blog).

Set MICRO Goals

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a guest post for the Space Savers blog about setting goals and getting organized. As part of that post, I came up with this acronym about the importance of setting MICRO goals that are:

:: measurable

:: inspirational

:: concrete

:: realistic

:: obtainable

It doesn’t matter what your goals are — whether they’re related to home or work, your physical environment or your relationships — they should have these five characteristics.

I hope the 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series has given you the tools you need to set and achieve your goals, whether it was on our list or not, and I look forward to hearing about your progress throughout the year!

What are your 2010 resolutions/goals? If you had to choose one word to sum up what you hope to achieve in 2010, what would it be?

The 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series is sponsored by Get Organized Wizard. Make 2010 the year you get organized and achieve your goals with the Life & Goal Organizer, the ideal system for organizing your goals, plans and life!

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31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Wrap-Up is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Enjoy Life to the Fullest

Mandi Ehman — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:41:54 +0000

Join us all month for 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010!

I tend to be a fairly positive person. Oh, those that know me best know that I can get overwhelmed sometimes and slip into negativity, but I try to consciously find the funny or the good in bad situations rather than complaining my way through them. I also believe that life is what you make of it. Sure, there are plenty of people who have the cards stacked against them, but there are also plenty who have overcome more adversity than most of us could even imagine to live a life that the rest of us could only dream of.

Please know that if you’re facing a really bad situation — the loss of a spouse or child, the betrayal of your marriage covenant or even extended unemployment — I’m not making light of your pain. Not at all. I’m talking about choosing to be happy even while living on a budget, while working two jobs or when the baby is keeping you up half the night.

As we end the 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series, I want to share my tips for making the most of the life you’ve been given, and Jeff — an obvious choice to collaborate with on today’s resolution — is sharing the three ways he chooses to enjoy life to the fullest at My Super-Charged Life as well.

1. Be content with what you have.

It’s hard to enjoy life when you’re always wishing things were different or better. Last summer I read these words from Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, and they continue to have an impact on me today:

:: Never allow yourself to compain about anything — not even the weather.
:: Never picture yourself in any other circumstance or someplace else.
:: Never compare your lot with another’s.
:: Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.
:: Never dwell on tomorrow — remember that tomorrow is God’s, not ours.

It is so easy to get caught up in “what coulda been” or “what shoulda been” or to wish we had the success/money/talent/beauty of somebody else, but really, what good does that do? None. It just leaves you unhappy and jealous. Choose contentment instead!

2. Set goals.

That said, I don’t think we should sit back and watch life pass us by. Work towards being the person you want to be and having the life you want to have by setting concrete goals and striving to achieve them. Resolutions get a bad rap, but setting measurable, concrete goals for the New Year (or at any time, really) is a much better alternative to accepting the status quo just because that’s the way it’s always been.

3. Pursue your passions.

What are you passionate about? Rather than working a job simply because you don’t know what else to do or volunteering in a certain area just because you always have, figure out what you’re passionate about and pursue those things instead. You might feel stuck in your current situation, but chances are you could change them if you really invested the time and energy. Only you can decide if it’s worth it.

4. Count your blessings.

Jeff mentions this in his post as well, but it’s important, so I’m going to reiterate his point. If you are reading this post on your computer right now, you have blessings to count. One look at the pictures from Haiti should be enough to convince any of us of that. Take time regularly to thank God for the blessings He’s given you and focus on those rather than the hardships you face.

For example, my babies never sleep through the night until they’re one. I’m no good at training them to sleep and I don’t let them cry it out anymore because I’ve decided it’s not the right thing for us (after letting my oldest cry). I was hoping this time would be different, but I’m not surprised that our 4.5 month old is still waking up 2 to 3 times each night.

I have three choices when she wakes up in the middle of the night — I can grumble and complain, I can beg and plead with God to please make her sleep or I can consciously pull myself out of the fog of sleep (which gets thicker night after night) to stare at her profile in the dark, feel the weight of her body on my chest and the softness of her hand on my face.

Would I love it if she’d sleep through the night? Yes, absolutely. But she’s only going to be this tiny once, and I don’t want to waste a single moment with her wishing things were different.

That’s one somewhat trivial example, but in any situation you can choose to either focus on your blessings or your complaints.

5. Think the best of others

Honestly, thinking the best of others does not come easily for me. I tend to be cynical and automatically question other people’s motives and intentions. But cynicism can stand in the way of developing deep, meaningful relationships and enjoying everyday interactions with acquaintances. Sure, our cynicism might seem justified, but it’s possible to be prudent and wise while still giving people the benefit of the doubt, and life is more enjoyable when you think the best of the people around you.

Are you a positive person? Do you choose contement?

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31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Enjoy Life to the Fullest is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Drink More Water

Mandi Ehman — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 12:37:22 +0000

Join us all month for 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010!

How much water do you drink each day? How much “other stuff”? In our home, my girls drink water about 99% of the time. They drink when they’re thirsty and refill their cups often. On the other hand, sometimes I struggle with drinking enough water, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the Cherry Pepsi calling my name or my laziness when I don’t want to refill my glass. But I feel better, have more energy and eat less when I drink enough water, so it’s definitely something I’m working on improving.

Here are my tips to make it happen:

1. Set a reasonable goal.

According to Snopes, the ultimate fact-or-fiction resource, the accepted advice to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day has no scientific basis. It’s also important to remember that even if your goal is 64 ounces of water in a day, you meet some of your water needs through other foods and drinks, especially fruits and vegetables.

If the thought of drinking 8 glasses of water each day in order to be healthy discourages you, start with an easier goal, such as a 12-ounce glass of water with every meal. It’s fine to ultimately shoot for 64 ounces or more a day, of course, but do it in steps rather than trying to force yourself to drink that much from the start.

It may be that a better goal is simply replacing the things you’re currently drinking with water in order to cut the calories and sugar that are found in soda and coffee.

2. Figure out how you like your water.

I think this is actually the most step to increasing your water intake. Have you ever thought about how you prefer to drink your water?

:: Bottle or glass or plastic cup?
:: Ice cold or cool or room temperature?
:: Flavored or unflavored?
:: Gulp or sip?

I prefer my water to be room temperature in my large Kleen Kanteen bottle, and I usually drink 8 to 12 ounces at a time (even though I know it’s said that your body can only absorb 8 ounces every half hour) rather than sip throughout the day. I also love cucumber water, which sounds strange but is amazingly refreshing. Figuring out how I like my water has made it much easier for me to drink more throughout the day.

3. Identify what stops you from drinking more water.

What is your biggest obstacle to drinking water? Is it that you don’t remember until after you’ve eaten and so you’re full already? Is it that you don’t like to take the time to fill up your glass or water bottle? Or is it that you crave the sugar or flavor of soda? Figure out what’s stopping you from drinking water and look for ways to overcome those specific obstacles.

4. Give yourself a visual reminder.

With any goal, it’s easier to stay on track if we have regular reminders and can see our progress along the way. Some people like to fill up several glasses or bottles at the beginning of the day as a visual reminder of how much they need to drink. But there are other ways to remind yourself to drink more water, such as on your daily to-do list. The LobotoME weekly planner features an area for you to check off how many glasses of water you drink each day.

5. Keep drinking your soda…or try flavored water.

Just like many of the other resolutions, we tend to undermine ourselves by giving up if we can’t keep it perfectly. While it’s certainly a good goal to replace your afternoon soda/coke/pop with water, it’s better to drink water the rest of the day and still enjoy that afternoon soda than it is to simply give up on your goal of drinking more water altogether.

Or it may be that you’re just tired of plain water by mid-afternoon and looking for something with a little more flavor. Try juice or flavored water (either artificial flavoring or a few slices of fruit) as a compromise!

How much water do you drink in a typical day? How do you prefer your water?

The 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series is sponsored by Get Organized Wizard.Restore order and harmony in your home with The Ultimate To-Do List Pack, Home & Family Edition.

Support our sponsors:

Stripped Down - 13 keys for unlocking intimacy in your marriage.
Healthy Snacks on the Go - Easy snacks you can make at home and feel good about.
Simplify - 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life.
From Procrastination to Action - Prompts and ideas to help you focus and achieve your goals.
Plan to Eat - Monthly meal planner, shopping list maker.
List Plan It - Lists to put your world in order.

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Drink More Water is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Connect More with Family and Friends

Mandi Ehman — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:33:40 +0000

Join us all month for 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010!

Rarely in life do we end up regretting the time we spent connecting with family and friends. If you’re a task-oriented person like me, though, it may sometimes get pushed to the side in favor of checking things off your to-do list.

Today, Marci at Overcoming Busy is talking about evaluating why you want to have an organized home and schedule. Do the time you spend organizing and cleaning reflect your priorities? Whether you struggle to get organized or struggle to put people first, it’s a great reminder to focus on what’s most important!

If your to-do list is full and you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, how do you make time for connecting with family and friends? Let’s look at a few ways to get started:

1. Reassess your schedule and your commitments.

This is probably an obvious step, but if you’re overcommited and struggling to find time for the people you love, take a step back and reassess your commitments. Do your kids each need to be in three activities? Do you need to work overtime every week? Is volunteering in four different ministries at church really the right thing for your family? There are so many opportunities for good things in life, but it’s important to evaluate them and make sure we’re leaving time for the best.

2. Take advantage of the moments you have.

Sometimes circumstances leave us no choice but to work hard or stay busy, which leaves us less time for those we love. How do you make sure you connect with family and friends when you’re time is limited?

:: Make eye contact. This is something I am trying to get better at with my own girls. Sometimes I’m so focused on getting the laundry done or finishing the dishes or completing a work task that I try to hold a conversation with them while doing something else, and they’re smart enough to know I’m not really focusing on them when I do that. It’s amazing how much difference taking a second to get down on their level and make eye contact makes in the rest of our day.

:: Take advantage of car rides. Because we live 30-45 minutes outside of “town”, we spend at least an hour in the car together every week, and I especially love to use that time to connect with my husband after a busy week. We talk about important things, silly things and everything in between. Sometimes, when we have a longer drive, we’ll make up icebreaker questions to ask each other, such as, “What was your most embarrassing moment in high school?” It’s a fun way to connect and make the most of our time in the car.

:: Go somewhere. During the warmer months, simply going outside where there are less things to distract me is a great way to focus on my girls without the distraction of chores and work and my to-do list. Similarly, going somewhere like a museum or the zoo is a way to get out of your everyday rut and just enjoy time together.

3. Turn off the technology.

This one deserves its own category. If you’ve fallen into the routine of constantly checking your email on your computer or iPhone, take some time to think about how that makes the people around you feel. This is a huge trap of technology — and one that I personally struggle with — and I’m trying to do better about closing my laptop during certain parts of our day to just focus on my family without the distraction of email or IM.

Technology is good. I love it, and I’m thankful for the role it plays in our lives today. But balance is key, and a question that I often think about is this: Do my children think my laptop/email/work are more important than them? Although saving all computer work for times when my girls are sleeping isn’t possible, I want to make sure my attention is focused on them when it should be so that the times when I have to work don’t make them feel less important or less loved.

4. Add it to your calendar.

When it comes to connecting with friends and extended family, sometimes the hardest part is simply getting a get together on the calendar. Make plans to spend time together, even if you’re planning a month or two in advance, to make sure that it doesn’t get put off by the busyness of life. It doesn’t matter if you plan a play date, invite a friend over for coffee or sign up for a small group — just make sure you actually schedule a time and a date so that it actually happens.

Are you a people-oriented person or a task-oriented person? What ways can you focus on connecting more with your family and friends in 2010?

The 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series is sponsored by Get Organized Wizard. Find ideas, prompts and suggestions to motivate you to change in the Life & Goal Organizer.

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Stripped Down - 13 keys for unlocking intimacy in your marriage.
Healthy Snacks on the Go - Easy snacks you can make at home and feel good about.
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Plan to Eat - Monthly meal planner, shopping list maker.
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31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Connect More with Family and Friends is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Create Daily Routines and Schedules

Mandi Ehman — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:32:56 +0000

Join us all month for 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010!

Sometimes routines and schedules get a bad rap, and I suppose if you’re so tied to your schedule that you can’t handle when things don’t go quite right, that’s probably a valid concern. But for me, routines and schedules are the foundation of my day. We might get off track — and the baby often changes our plans — but we always come back to our basic routine.

Today, Jamie at Steady Mom (and the author of Steady Days, my new favorite parenting book) is talking about the importance of steady routines and the benefits you might not have thought of. Maybe you already agree that a routine or schedule is important but you’re just not sure how to actually put one in place. Here are some steps to help you get started:

1. Look at what you’re already doing.

We’re creatures of habit, and chances are you already have some routines in place even if you didn’t consciously develop them. Some of them are probably good routines that will continue to be the foundation for your day, and some of them might not be so great — like sitting down “for just a second” to check your email, knowing it will probably turn into an hour or more in front of the computer. Think through your day and identify any routines that happen day after day.

2. Make a list of the tasks you need/want to get done.

Next, ceate a list of the things you want to get done each day, including your chores, crafts, snuggles, etc. Then, break your list down by the time of day you’d ideally like to get each thing done.

For us, our basic list looks like this:

:: First thing (get dressed, breakfast, mak beds, etc.)

:: Morning (school, snack, play time, arts & crafts)

:: Lunch (clean up, a little bit of TV, lunch)

:: Nap (get as much done as possible while the girls are at nap)

:: Afternoon (snack, outside play, a video/computer game, household projects)

:: Dinner (dinner, clean up)

:: Evening (PJs on, clean up upstairs, bedtime snuggles, relax)

3. Schedule any important activities.

Although I live by my routines, I also have a flexible schedule in place. To make a schedule work without being stuck in a rigid plan, identify the most important points in your day.

For example, in our home, the girls get up at 7:30, snack time is at 10:30, naptime is at 1 and we start the bedtime routine at 7. The rest of our routine tends to happen at close to the same time every day, but those four things provide the backbone of our schedule. I’m not sure why that morning snack plays such an important part in our day, rather than breakfast or lunch, but it really does.

If you have children in school or extracurricular activities or you work outside the home, those things will probably play a bigger part in your day. Start by writing down the most important parts of your schedule and then craft your routines around them.

4. Prioritize your routines.

We all have days when things don’t go as planned. Little ones want to be cuddled, the plumbing backs up or sickness invades. It’s impossible to maintain your everyday schedules and routines on days like this, and it’s important to take the time to identify which parts of your routine are most important. On days when nothing goes right, just stick to the basics and let the rest slide so that you don’t become frustrated by everything that’s not getting done.

5. Write it all down.

If it isn’t yet obvious, I’m a big believer in writing things down. Not only does writing lists and notes clear your head and give you more brain power for other things, but it also gives you something concrete as a reminder of your goals and priorities. For me, writing lists, routines and goals helps me prioritize and holds me accountable for doing the things I intend to do.

6. Tweak your routines and schedules over time.

If you’re developing a routine or schedule for the first time, be prepared to adjust and tweak it over the next couple of weeks to figure out what works best for you. And keep in mind that even once you get it set, you’ll have to adjust it regularly to fit your changing needs, schedules and seasons. In general, the younger your kids are, the more often you’ll need to make adjustments to your daily routines and schedules.

The 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010 series is sponsored by Get Organized Wizard. Restore order and harmony in your home with The Ultimate To-Do List Pack, Home & Family Edition.

Support our sponsors:

Stripped Down - 13 keys for unlocking intimacy in your marriage.
Healthy Snacks on the Go - Easy snacks you can make at home and feel good about.
Simplify - 7 guiding principles to help anyone declutter their home and life.
From Procrastination to Action - Prompts and ideas to help you focus and achieve your goals.
Plan to Eat - Monthly meal planner, shopping list maker.
List Plan It - Lists to put your world in order.

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Create Daily Routines and Schedules is a post from Organizing Your Way

31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Meet a Financial Goal

Mandi Ehman — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:47:48 +0000

Join us all month for 31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010!

As I mentioned before, financial goals are some of the most popular resolutions that people make every year. We’ve talked about getting out of debt and building your savings, but what about other financial goals, such as saving up to buy a home, working on your retirement fund or enjoying a nice vacation? It doesn’t matter whether your goals are big or small, setting goals is an important part of financial planning. Today, Crystal from Money Saving Mom is sharing three reasons we should all be setting financial goals.

Our family’s goals this year are to fully fund our emergency fund, save up for the addition of a screened-in porch and go on a cross-country adventure. We all have different financial goals, but the steps each of us can take today to achieve them are the same:

1. Write down your goals and timeline.

Calculate the exact amount you need for each of your financial goals and write those numbers down. Remember that it’s better to overestimate and have extra money than to underestimate and end up using debt to bridge that gap. Include a timeline of when you’d like to achieve each goal by, break it down into monthly amounts and add it to your budget.

It can be tempting to simply name a goal without taking the time to see if it’s even possible, but you’re much more likely to achieve it if you think it through.

For example, if you want to take a vacation to Disney World, you need to first calculate how much the trip will cost you, being realistic about the expenses for food, park entrance, accomodations, souvenirs and so on. Let’s say you set a budget of $3,000.

Next, set a timeline for achieving your goal. If your trip is planned for March of ’11, that gives you 13 months to achieve your goal, but you probably want to be sure it’s fully funded by February so that you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Divide your goal by your timeline to calculate your monthly goal amount. Based on the numbers above, you need to save up $250 a month. At this point, you need to decide if your goal and timeline is reasonable based on your budget .

It’s okay to set a goal that stretches you, but be realistic or you’ll just end up discouraged.

2. Share the vision.

If you’re married, it’s so much easier to achieve a financial goal if you and your spouse are on the same page. It’s hard to scrimp and save if only one of you has a vision for your goals.

Finances are one of the biggest sources of marital conflict, but they don’t have to be. Commit to working through your differences and finding common ground. Figure out what your overarching goals are — to live debt free, to live below your means, etc. — and then what your short- and long-term financial goals are. Make sure you approach your goals as a team and dream together! Crystal has also been sharing how she and her husband met their goal of saving up to pay cash for their first home, and I’m sure she’d agree that it would have been a lot harder, if not impossible, if they didn’t share that vision!

3. Put money toward your goal first.

Just as you should set up automatic transfers to your savings account, you should figure out how much money is in your budget for a specific goal and set up those transfers automatically as well. If you have variable income and can’t set these transfers up automatically, pay your basic bills and then immediately transfer whatever you can to savings. If you leave money in your account for a rainy day, you will most likely spend it. Get it out of your account as quickly as possible!

4. Check your progress monthly.

Monthly check-ins are a critical part of achieving any financial goal. Take time to check and write down your progress so that you stay motivated to keep moving forward. It can be tempting — especially when you’re unable to meet your monthly goal — to simply ignore it and pretend it’ll all work out in the end, but it doesn’t usually work that way. Evaluate your progress (with your spouse if possible) and be realistic about the status of each goal.

5. Adjust as needed.

It may be that the $250 a month from our Disney World example above is too much for your budget right now, and sitting down to evaluate it on a monthly basis gives you time to either change your goal or consider other income opportunities to help you achieve your goal. Too often we ignore problems with our finances with the hope that the problems will just go away if we don’t acknowledge them. Instead of approaching your budget and financial goals that way this year, tackle them head on and be proactive as you look for ways to achieve your goals.

What are your financial goals is 2010? Have you written your goals down and set monthly goals to help you achieve them?

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31 Days of Organizing for a Better 2010: Meet a Financial Goal is a post from Organizing Your Way