For the brief amount of posts we have published so far, the recurring theme has been about using planning as a means to become organized. Anything from the to-do list to wedding planning can help you to become an overall more organized person. I truely believe that these same organization skills can be applied to the larger picture, your future. There are 3 areas of goal setting that I feel can really help you to organize your future and accomplish anything you can put your mind to:
- Financial
- Career
- Life
Financial
I know you have heard enough about the financial meltdown and how your retirement funds no longer exist, so I think we can spare the details here. Regardless of what financial situation you are in right now, you need to THINK about where you want to be in the future and set some goals to make it happen.
Do you want to retire when you are 45? How do you plan to do that? How much do you need to save now? How about retiring at 65 or 75? What is that going to take?
I really do believe that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to so if you have a goal to retire early or a goal to go and take an expensive vacation or a goal to buy a new house, you need to think about what it will take to get you there, how you can start to plan and save for it now, and how you can also plan for the unexpected financial problems in the future. Maybe that means to not have all your money in the stock market, maybe it means to diversify yourself to try to stay away from these large scale meltdowns. Do your research and plan for your financial well-being.
I am preparing some posts for the upcoming weeks about ways to plan your savings and also to analyze your current spending habits to try to solve problems you might have with money. Some people think that if you are the type of person who is always broke that you will be broke all the time, regardless of how much money you have. Just take a look at what you are spending money on and talk with your family about what is really important to you to see where that money should be going.
Career
Do you like your job? Do you have a job right now? (sorry for people who answered no to that 2nd question) Do you have a plan for what you want to do for a job in the next 2, 5, 10, 20 years?
Clearly, if you answered that you want to retire when you are 45, I know what you plan to do for a job in the next 20 years (drink margaritas on the beach), but what you do for income until that age is what is going to help make sure your financial goals stay on track. Sadly, we cannot just print money, so you have to find a way to make income and it just makes sense to me that whatever you do, you enjoy it, receive satisfaction from it, and are able to teach others at the same time.
So, what are the steps to make sure you feel fulfilled from your career and that it will help you to succeed financially to achieve those goals as well? Most people would say that right now is not the best time to be thinking about a career change, but you can still think about your 2-5 year plan to make sure you pick up any skills you will need and start networking to help achieve that goal. There are also plenty of resources online to help you determine your personality type and give you information about what careers you might enjoy that you did not even know existed (http://careerplanning.about.com). Good luck on your search.
Life
How often do you meet someone and you think “that person is just a mess”? I know you mean it with the best intentions but still, this is someone who always seems to have something negative going on. They lost their job, got kicked out of their apartment, had a flat tire on their car, overdrafted their bank account, etc. I really do hate to see people going through things like that because I think there are simple things you can do to help keep your life on track.
Just a few really simple suggestions:
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Create your daily to-do list. This is a key to keep everything on track. This simple to-do list will help you to do some key things that you need to do to avoid being a mess. Remember to pay rent, get the car checked out, call mom on her birthday, etc.
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Be aware of your current financial situation. If you find that you are always overdrafting your bank account, keep a better eye on your money situation. If your bank offers you online banking, use it to see how much money you have before you overspend it. If you really feel like you are having major problems, try to not spend money for a week, let your bank account catch up with any spending you have done, and start to really keep track of your spending in that helpful checking account journal that they give you with your checks (or just on a piece or paper or a spreadsheet on your computer)
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Keep your eyes and ears open about your career situation. Do you show up late to work a few times but think your boss is just joking when they say “you might get fired if you do that a few more times”? Maybe you should take them seriously. Be proactive and talk with your boss about where you stand in the company, places for improvement, ways to achieve your career goals. If you are not happy with your current job, keep your ears open for other opportunities. Start to network and meet people who do what you want to do so you can learn about them, their carrers, and their achievements and how you can get there. For example, if you have interests to run a non-profit organization, go and find one that catches your attention and offer to take the director out for coffee. Talk with them about how they got started and some steps you can take now and skills you will need to do the same thing.
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Relax. This is the easiest one. Slow down for a little while. Try to have a calm weekend to just collect yourself, clean your home, and get things in order in your mind.
I hope these brief suggestions can help you to be on your way to setting goals and achieving your dreams so you can organize your life. Leave some feedback about your goals or ways that you have made sure to complete your personal challenges.
