How to Set Financial Goals: 5 Tips

Struggling to set financial goals?

Don’t get discouraged. The important things in life tend to take some time. Did you get your perfect job right away? Lose those last 10 pounds without a little sacrifice? Find your dream home the first time you went looking? (And, if by any chance you can answer yes to any of those, lucky you!).

Here are five tips that can help you check those goals off your to-do list.

Tip 1: Write it down—and make it specific.

Most experts agree: You’re more likely to follow through when you put a goal in writing and spell out the details. Doing this gives you something to measure against and tells your head and heart: “Hey, pay attention! This is important.”

Tip 2: Embrace the power of “yet.”

Think about when you were a kid. At that point there were many things you couldn’t do. But most of us didn’t think we’d never be able to tie our shoes or ride a bike—we believed we just couldn’t do those things yet. Carol Dweck, a psychologist at Stanford University, has found that building the idea of “yet” into your goals teaches your brain you can learn and change. Sure, it’s a bit subtle, but thinking something’s possible is a big step toward making it happen. So reframe your goal: I want to save $500; I just haven’t done it yet. .

Tip 3: Pre-commit to your goal.

You might not know this term, but you’ve probably already tried something like this in the past. With this tip you have to commit to a goal and hold yourself accountable if you don’t achieve it. Here’s an example: You set a goal of putting $100 into a rainy day fund by the first of next month. If you don’t, you have to give up your regular latte for two weeks after that. Bonus points if you tell a friend about your pre-commitment and ask them to hold you to it.

Tip 4: Keep your goal visible.

Remind yourself of your goal each and every day. How you do this is up to you. Maybe you check in with a friend or a family member. Or put Post-It notes on your fridge. Better yet, use the goal-setting feature in . You can customize every element of your goal—including the type, time to achieve and which account to tie it to—then add it to your dashboard to keep it front and center.