How to achieve goals with a personal Goal Setting strategy

In this Toolbox are the mental and physical tools that I have found effective for achieving personal finance success. This package is now presented to help you put your life together. The first ones you will need are at the top of the list. As you become familiar with each tool and use it to help you address your personal and financial future, you will find the need to move down the list and use the more advanced tools. To repair and/or build your personal finances is a step by step process that will take years.

The first tool in the box is the Goal Setting Table. As Yogi Berra says, "You've got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, 'cause you might not get there." You need to know what you want from life so that you manage your money to get what you want. This is important for your finances as they are (a) only a part of your life and (b) usually a means to an end for the other facets of your life. It is your life so make sure you know what you want from it.

Then get into the hardware. For personal finances that is the Budgets and the Balance Sheets. You must fill them out and fill them out honestly. You have to understand how they give you a snapshot of your finances. You have to understand the relationship between the two tools and how you can use it to empower you to manage your personal finances. Learn how to make manageable budgets and read the messages that you get as you fill out your budgets and balance sheets. Plan your personal life and finances. Act to make the changes necessary (a) so that your budgets and balance sheets are viable and (b) so that they help you achieve the goals in the other facets of your life.

The first 3 tools help you define yourself as you head out into the world each day. The rest of the tools in the toolbox are offered by businesses to help you achieve your personal and financial goals. These are all useful tools, and like all tools it is he who masters the tools who benefits. Don't let the tools be your master. To that end we will offer you coaching on the advantages and the dangers inherent in the character of each of these tools.

For a successful outcome you need to provide the blood, sweat, tears, brains, perseverance and courage to see yourself through to a lifestyle that you have designed and earned. It should be a custom fit. The journey is a process that is fulfilling and rewarding. It will not happen overnight. The important thing is to see your plans through. Others will try to distract, confuse or even undermine you in your goal to make your life fulfilling. To get through all of this you will need motivation and coaching. To help you with this challenge we have provided the book “THINK YOUR MONEY” plus we will aim you at the best books and people in the motivational business in our bookstore (coming soon).

The core tools of financial therapy are the Big 3...your life plan, your budget and your balance sheet. There are a few versions of the budget and the balance sheet so they are all offered here in the toolbox for you to choose which one fits your income schedule.

The Life Plan Table
Budget Spreadsheet
Bi Weekly Budget
Monthly Budget Spreadsheet
Net Worth Spreadsheet
Quick Net Worth Spreadsheet

In addition to the Big 3 you need to save as in put money in savings and then use the tool of compound interest to grow your savings. You need to know how to save as in get the most value when you spend money and you need to know about personal bank accounts to manage your income and savings.

Questions? Financial Therapist Contact Ask us - We will reply and if it is a really good one we will publish it and its answer in our weekly blog entry. If a lot of folks have the same question we will build an FAQ url or urls on the site.

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