Setting money goals for the year might seem simple enough, but achieving those goals isn’t as easy as it sounds.
Knowing how you can stay motivated to reach your saving money goals is an essential step in actually achieving them.
I struggle with remaining motivated, and in the middle of summer, I’d much rather be laying by the beach instead of working on my motivation to get debt-free money goals.
When other people are vacationing or buying new cars, it can be tough to stay motivated to stick with your financial goals.
But you can easily regain your motivation for the new year goals by using these tips.
And while your saving money goals may seem simple now, you’ll need these easy tricks to trick your brain to stay motivated.
Plus, your motivation to get debt-free money goals will still be intact by the end of the year when you break your plan up into doable chunks.
If you need a little motivation help, here are a few things you can do to stay motivated throughout the year for your money goals.
Make It About More Than Money
When your money goals are related to saving money, it’s easy to assume that the money saved will be a big enough motivator to keep you on track.
Initially, this might be the case. However, it’s hard to keep that motivation up in the day to day when you are in the midst of trying to save (and you’re sick of cooking meals at home… or tight for time and want to run through a drive-thru).
When everyone else is going out to eat, and you have to cook at home, it might not be so much fun anymore. After a few months, you’ll start to feel that the money saved just isn’t worth it anymore.
In the long run, money doesn’t end up being enough to keep you on track.
But you know what is? Rewards!
Yep, simply giving yourself rewards triggers something in your brain that makes you want to achieve MORE goals. It’s a win-win!
Even better is when you build in the reward to your goal. If you’ve decided to eat at home every night then make a plan to eat out once every other week. It doesn’t even have to be an entire meal, maybe just go get an ice cream treat.
Make them fun rewards! A day out in nature on a hike (or geocaching hunt) doesn’t cost a lot. Or even an evening at the beach to collect shells and watch the sunset.
Plan something every month or every two weeks so that as you make progress towards your goals you’ll look forward to your reward.
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Create A Plan For Your Money
These FREE Budgeting Spreadsheets will help you keep a pulse on your money (from the palm of your hand).
Get Extremely Specific
For years my husband and I would write out our money goals for the year and he’d write a list of the most generic things I’ve ever seen:
- Get out of debt
- Stay on budget each month
- Save up for vacation
While those ARE great goals, it wasn’t until we made them suuuuuuuper specific that we started achieving them each year. Here’s how we’d rewrite them:
- Pay off Chase credit card ($3,500) balance by December – that’s $300 per month extra payment.
- On the first Thursday of the month, review the spending from the month before to make sure we’re sticking with the budget or where we have issues. Identify one bill to negotiate each month in order to reduce the budget overall.
- The beach vacation will cost $3,000, if we want to go next summer then we need to set aside $167 per month to make sure we have enough.
And equally important is that when you are setting money goals, make sure to divide those big goals into small bite-sized chunks. This will help make a big goal seem more manageable and help keep you on track when you start to lose motivation.
Maybe you could start with a Money Saving Challenge to keep you motivated this year as you see the jar fill with coins and identify a goal to do with the money you save.
Do It For Yourself
One of the biggest reasons most people fail to stick to their goals is because they don’t make their goals uber personal.
If your goals are not something you want to achieve; then you are even less likely actually to stick with it.
I know we always choose goals that will benefit our family in general, but don’t add the expectations of setting your goals around keeping up with friends or even what your spouse wants, they should light YOUR heart on fire.
You can, of course, have marriage and family goals, but your goals should be things you fully believe in and want to achieve.
If it’s important enough to you, then you can stick with it.
Write down your What’s, Why’s and How’s:
- What is my goal?
- Why do I want to do this?
- Why do I feel this is important?
- What are steps I can make to accomplish this goal?
- How would I feel accomplishing this goal?
It’s easy to say you want to accomplish the goal, but writing down the reasons help you explain it to yourself why your money goals are so important to you. Plus, you’ll have those easy answers to explain it to others too.
Do you want to see the results? You will if you work towards your goal.
Always Choose Positive Goals
This was a HARD lesson for me to learn. Especially because I’m such an optimist in real life. But when I write something down all of a sudden I become a ninny pooper. Seriously!
It’s easy for me to think about the things I need to cut or avoid in order to reach my goals:
- Stop eating out.
- Cut up the credit cards.
- Reduce the grocery budget.
As opposed to spinning it in a positive light so that it makes it achievable:
- Eat at home 6 nights a week.
- Freeze the credit cards in water so they aren’t completely gone, but still not with me when I shop.
- Find 3 cheaper substitutions each week on the grocery list. (here are some tips for how to achieve that)
It is a lot harder to stop doing something than to tweak your habits and move towards something more positive.
Always make your goals the positive version so that you’re always aiming towards ACHIEVING something, rather than avoiding something you already do.
Keep It Visual
If you are sticking with a goal that will take multiple months, it can be challenging to stay the course. This is why having something to visualize will keep your dream in mind.
Make a chart to put on your fridge and track your debt progress, or have a jar someplace prominent where you keep your savings.
When you are feeling the burn of all your frugal efforts, you’ll be able to look at something that shows real progress toward your goal.
Put a reminder on your phone that helps keep your progress in plain view.
Add a note in sharpie on your debit or credit card.
Keep a sticky note reminder on the dashbaord of your car.
The key” to keep your motivation to get debt-free money goals in plain sight so you see everyday and often.
BONUS FREE DOWNLOAD
Create A Plan For Your Money
These FREE Budgeting Spreadsheets will help you keep a pulse on your money (from the palm of your hand).
Stay Organized
Take the time early on to sit down and organize all of your thoughts and steps you’ll take toward your money goals. Keep a notebook with all of your thoughts and ideas to keep them all in one place.
When you are working on a big project (such as a big goal), it’s best to start by decluttering your mind and your workspace.
Sit down and make a list of action steps, set up systems to help make it easier, and find ways to check in on your progress.
I usually set up reminders in my phone to remind myself to check in on my goals. Then I write down all my thoughts and progress in my notebook. If I need to adjust my goal sheet or my goal tally, I do that then.
By setting these up early on, you are ensuring that you start off your goals on the right foot.
Check In Regularly
It doesn’t matter what money goals you have set for yourself, setting it and forgetting it won’t get you any closer to your money goals. You have to be doing something to work toward those goals to make them a reality.
Setup monthly or even weekly check-ins to review your goals and make sure that you are working towards them or reevaluate what you need to do to get back on track.
If you find yourself off track, find a way to make up for lost time and get back on it!
You can easily regain your motivation for the new year goals by using these tips.
Plus, won’t it feel great when your motivation to get debt-free money goals are almost accomplished at the end of the year?
