New Year, New Me…Out with the old, in with the new…Bring On 2024!

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You get the idea. Every year, we all do the same thing, whether it’s with our exercise habits or our spending splurges, we love to set some new shiny goals for the year ahead. However, the question always remains, how do you set realistic goals and stick to them throughout the entire year?

It can be really tricky to keep up the motivation as the months go by, so hopefully, these tips will help you do just that. 

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Decide On Your Personal Goals

Don’t compare your goals to other people’s or to what you see on social media - you do what you can and make sure it aligns with what you want to achieve in the upcoming year. This could be anything from saving, whether that be for a house, holiday, wedding, travel or the future in general, to becoming financially independent. You could also be aiming to clear your debt, start investing or step up your side hustle game. 

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Be Specific

Try not to set your main goal as something general like ‘save money’, especially if you’re aiming towards a certain goal. Try to figure out a specific number that you want to put aside as this will make things much more clear and easier for you to achieve. Here are some examples to help you out: ‘Save £10,000 towards a house deposit’, ‘Earn £200 a month from side hustles’ or ‘Sell 10 pieces of clothing per month’. 

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Create a Vision Board

I did this last year and it completely changed my mindset - I created a simple design online and set it as my laptop screensaver so that I could see it every day and having that constant reminder of my goals and seeing them written down really kept them at the forefront of my mind. I’d recommend everyone to try this and I’ll definitely be creating a new one for next year. 

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Plan Out The Year

Try making a calendar of birthdays, events (social and financial) and trips so that nothing comes as a surprise when it rolls around. Using this, you can then set up any sinking funds to set aside money each month and focus on your bigger goals. 

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Have Someone Keep You Accountable

If you know that by February, your New Year's goals have gone out the window, then find an accountability partner that you can communicate with regularly and talk about your goals with no reservations and complete honesty. 

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Keep Track and Celebrate The Small Wins

Create a spreadsheet or get a designated notebook so that each month or so, you can update how far you have come and how much you have left to reach your targets. This can be a great way of keeping your spirits up - financial goals can be intimidating but you should be proud of yourself for committing to them and seeing your progress.