What's the Key to Financial Success?
A wise man once said “success is goals, and all else is commentary.” I believe that success in personal finances is all about setting goals and achieving goals. Truly, goal setters are goal getters!
Mark McCormack in his book, . The graduates of the MBA program at Harvard were asked:
“Have you set clear, written goals for your future and made plans to accomplish them?” It turned out that only 3% of the graduates had written goals and plans. 13% had goals, but they were not in writing. A Full 84% had no specific goals at all, aside from getting out of school and enjoying the summer.
Ten years later, in 1989, they interviewed the members of that class again. They found that the 13% who had goals, but which were not in writing were earning on average twice as much as the 84% of students who had had no goals at all. But most surprisingly, they found that the 3% of graduates who had clear, written goals when they left Harvard were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97% of graduates all together.
The only difference between the groups was the clarity of the goals they had for themselves when they started out.
Now, I’m not suggesting that you can’t become rich without goals or that you will automatically become rich if you have goals. Goal setting will certainly enhance your pursuit of financial freedom.
Setting financial goals, working toward them day-by-day, and ultimately achieving them is the key to a life of financial abundance.
The year is just taking off and what a time to sit down and set financial goals for the year. You must be very clear about what you want to achieve financially in this New Year.
Your greatest responsibility to yourself is to invest the whatever time is required to become absolutely clear about how much money you want to make, and how youcan best achieve it.
You must have financial target that you’re out to hit this year.
“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Hab2:1-3
A goal is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it, or not.
The word of God admonishes that we should write down our goals, make it plain (let it be clear), so that we can easily pursue the realization of it. A goal that is not written down is a wish – A daydream. When you commit your goals to paper and read them regularly, you energize your commitment.
“Realize what you really want. It stops you from chasing butterflies and puts you to work digging gold.”- William Moulton Marsden
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Pro 29:18
Writing down your goals, creating plans to achieve them, and working on your plans every single day are the greatest financial wisdom you should embrace throughout your financial journey this year.
What Setting Financial Goals Will Do For You
1. Setting financial goals will give you direction, without it, you simply drift financially.
2. They will make you financially accountable.
3. They will inculcate into you, the much needed discipline in your wealth building process.
4. They will give you reasons to want to achieve.
5. Financial goals will make you feel internally motivated.
6. They will give you something to look forward to and your expectation will become your reality.
Now let me ask you, have you set clear, written goals for your financial journey this year and made plans to accomplish them? Are you off to a good start toward financial freedom in 2012? What challenges are you facing and how are you hurdling them? Share your thoughts below.
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About the Author
Sharon Akinoluwa is a professional blogger, internet marketer, speaker, and gifted teacher of biblical principles of economics. He blogs regularly at Wealth and Riches; a Christian blog that is committed to solving business and financial problems.
