Sometimes a financial goal is simply to maintain your current status or to keep your options open. The rate of return on an investment or a loan is not the most important criteria when evaluating financial solutions. Flexibility is a goal that gets overlooked, yet is essential to provide the freedom to evaluate options, explore ideas, create a plan, and find some breathing room, all so you are confident in your money’s ability to support your personal lifestyle and goals.

Why? Complacency, boredom, fear, or even “busyness” can keep us from looking to the future or from setting goals. However, when you get comfortable where you are, even if it’s not really where you want to be, there is this idea that somehow you’re doing okay. In that case, a key significant goal has been completely overlooked – maintenance. You might be comfortable where you are, or not know where you want to go with your life. I guarantee you, however, no one wants to go backwards; no one wants to downsize their lifestyle; no one wants to feel trapped or stuck because they are forced into a situation where they must change because of outside circumstances. Remember that goals don’t have to be exotic to be significant. Maintaining the status quo can be a powerful motivator too.