GOING FOR GOAL: how to always get what you want

Freida Pinto went from slumdog in that fabbo movie Slumdog Millionaire ...

Working towards a financial goal sounds about as much fun as doing a tax return. DULL. But creating money goals helps you envision the future you really want, detail the resources and time you need to make it happen ... and squeeze in all that glorious lifestyle no-one wants to miss out on.

Creating a financial goal is all about deciding what you want - which can actually be half the battle. Most of us spend our time thinking we want stuff but let our finances go haywire instead of implementing plans to make sure all the lovely things we've been dreaming of actually happen.

... to glamour girl who gets the guy. It's GOAL, GOAL, GOAL!

How To Go For Goal:

1. Waddaya want?
   Start thinking big and write down everything you want. Easy peasy. Now it gets harder because you have to work out how long you think it will take to achieve them. Place goals that can be accomplished in under six months under Short-Term, goals that can be accomplished in six months to a year under Medium-Term and goals that will take more than a year to accomplish under Long Term.

2. What's it worth?
   How much money will it take to reach each goal? Create an estimate, and write the resulting figure under a new Estimated Cost category. Now write down what it's really worth to you. What will each goal bring to your life, lifestyle, loves and dreams.
   

3. Set a target date.
   When do you hope or need to meet your goals? Set a target date for each goal on your list, and use this as your deadline to meet or beat.

4. What's the wish tax?
   Divide the estimated cost of your first goal by the number of weeks until your target date. This shows how much money you need to save each week- also called The Wish Tax. Enter the resulting figure in a"My Wishes" column, and repeat for all of the other goals that you've listed.

Be realistic about how much time and money it will take to accomplish each goal – an estimate that is too low will only frustrate you. Keep your motivation by revisiting your list frequently. Next time you're tempted to splurge on a non-wish-list item, get out the list for revision purposes.

SO WHAT'S ON YOUR GOAL WISHLIST?