Don’t let someone else, or society, decide what your financial goals “should be.” There is no such thing as “common goals.”  You must be able to articulate and write your very own unique financial goals in your own handwriting, not simply check off a list of possible goals that someone has suggested to you.

Why? This concept has been proven by study after study and we have all experienced it and know it to be true. You might not have recognized the significance of this simple concept to lifestyle and financial planning, but… have you ever gone to the grocery store without a list? Have you tried shopping when you were hungry? Have you gone to the store with a couple items in your mind to buy, then gotten home and realized you had forgotten one.  I called my husband from inside the store once and asked what else we needed besides salad.  When I got home, guess what I had forgotten to buy?

If this simple idea of writing out a shopping list has such vivid results, can you imagine how much more effective you could be if you started with a handwritten list of goals? Now, in reality, it can be quite difficult to put something on paper that you don’t have and don’t really know how you’re ever going to get. That is a key reason why ongoing support and additional resources are so necessary: to provide support that bridges the gap so it’s not so fearful, painful or unbelievable