Five Financial Goals to set in 2016

Five Financial Goals to set in 2016

Welcome to the New Year. Time really does fly. I can’t believe it’s a new year already.  The good thing about this is that it is a time to RESET. A time to start over. A time to correct past mistakes and a time for new beginnings. 

At the beginning of the year it is common for people to make New Year’s resolutions. However, a couple of weeks after these resolutions are quickly forgotten and at the end of the year you are exactly where you started off. A major reason for this is that it is more effective to set goals instead of resolutions.   

What is the difference between a resolution and a goal? 

A resolution is a dream or a wish but according to Napoleon Hill, a goal can be defined as a “dream with a deadline”. A goal should be SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound.

For example a resolution is to say “I will lose weight in 2016, however a goal is to say “I will lose 15kg by the 31stof October, 2015.

So what goals should we set in 2016? I have listed out 5 goals to set in 2016.

1.     Believe

Currently, we are going through challenges in the economy with the reduction in oil prices and also the high exchange rate. Companies in industries such as Oil and Gas, Telecoms, Banking have laid off their staff. There are a lot of people who are unemployed. Cost of living will also go up as a result of the economic challenges. Despite all these challenges, there are still opportunities to create wealth. There are people who make money during economic downturns. John D Rockefeller, one of the richest men to have ever lived, made a lot of his money during the great depression. Even in biblical times, due to Joseph’s revelation, Egypt prospered during the famine. It is important to believe that you can still achieve your financial goals even when there is an economic down turn.

2.       Pay off your debt

If you are in debt, it is important to be determined to be debt free or to start working towards paying off your debt in 2016. Being in debt is like carrying a heavy luggage on a long journey. Whilst you may reach your destination, debt hinders your progress and may delay the process significantly.  No matter how large your debt is, you can pay it off. The key thing is to start and to start small and build up.

3.       Pay yourself first

If you don’t have savings, this is a good time to start. The key thing is to save before you spend. Create a budget to determine how much you have available for savings. You may think that you don’t earn enough and that when you earn more you would start saving. Well the thing is that if you can’t save when you have little you wont be able to save when you have a lot. It is also important to create an emergency fund

4.       Invest

During economic down turns stock prices are low and this is a good time to buy in view of long term growth. An easy way to start investing is to invest in mutual funds. A mutual fund is a pool of monies managed by a professional fund manager. The fund manager invests these monies into different assets for a fee. There are mutual funds that you can invest as little as N5, 000.

5.       Increase your giving

It may not make logical sense to give when there is an economic downturn, however, one of the universal laws is that when you sow you reap. Basically you receive when you give. There are so many people who are worse off than you and need your help. There are people who can’t afford to eat one meal in a day. There are people who can’t leave hospitals because they can’t afford to pay their medical bills. We need to take our eyes off our own needs and be a blessing to others.  This year make a decision to give to God and to give your humanity.

Please note that this list is not exhaustive. There are so many other financial goals you can set in 2016. It’s important to keep these goals in front of you and to also review them periodically  to ensure you are on track and making progress.