With the new year approaching, it’s time to think about your finances What do you want to accomplish in 2011? Whatever you want to accomplish, you need to have a goal.

Remember that a goal needs to be specific, with a timeframe and measurable You wouldn’t write “I want to save more” because that isn’t specific enough You would write “I want to save (amount) per (timeframe)” or “I want to reduce my expenses by (percentage or dollar amount) per (timeframe).” Write down your financial goals this week, so that you are ready for the start of 2011.

You can’t achieve your goal without knowing where you are now It’s like starting a diet You need to know where you are today and where you want to be at the end (the goal) Next, you need to make a plan to get from today to the goal What steps do you have to do? Make your list now Then start working towards your goal, by making the changes on your list.

Periodically, you need to check your progress to see how you are doing If your goal is to save $25 per week, then you need to go back and check how you are doing Did you do this every week? If so, you did it and continue the great work If not, then you need to review your goal and why it didn’t work Do you need to make adjustments to your goal to make it work? Then implement those changes Remember that anything is possible if you put your mind to it and follow your plan.