3 Secrets to Reaching Your Financial Goals in 2020

Now that December is here (by golly, half over…), it’s time for me to solidify my goals for 2020. I always balance my goals in all areas to maximize my growth both as a person and as a professional .I have goals for health that include a targeted lifetime eating plan (vegetable based); goals for my business that emphasize professional growth; goals for creative expression that include writing and photography; goals for relaxation that include 3-day weekends and some Pickleball trips!When it comes to setting and reaching these goals, I use a simple and proven 3 step process that has worked for over 30 years. I’m going to use a financial goal as an example but recognize that this method applies to the success of reaching ANY goal.

Here’s what to do:

Secret #1: The first step is to be absolutely precise on the desired goal. While you may have heard this before, it’s still amazing that many people I work with don’t practice this. For example, when I ask people what their financial goal is, they tell me, “Earn more money than I made last year.”Here’s the problem with that: If you earn $1.50 more in 2020, then you will have reached your goal, won’t you?Instead, define the exact amount. In determining that number, I always look at each month and factor in vacations, holidays, projects, etc., and then I add up each month and come up with an EXACT figure.And then I add 20% more!Once I have that “stretch goal,” I break it down again per month and write each month’s specific dollar goal everywhere so I’m looking at it each day of every month. I post it on my desk, in my car, in the bathroom; I know exactly what I’m going to accomplish each and every day.I’ve found that doing so turns each day into a magnet for that amount. If I don’t make that daily goal one day, I simply carry it over to the next day. And boy, what a day that will be!If you haven’t done this yet, then do it before January 1, 2020. You’ll be amazed how much this will keep you motivated and into action. And you’ll love your increased production! Secret #2: Get clear on where every dollar of that income is going to go. Ask yourself: “What am I going to do with all the money I’m going to earn this year?” How much are you going to save by the end of the year? How much debt are you going to pay off? Are you going to buy a new car? Pay for your kid’s education? How much do you have budgeted for vacation? How about taxes? How about retirement?These are just some of the questions you should get in the habit of asking yourself this month here in December. Having this kind of clarity and purpose helps keep you focused and disciplined, and it has a magical effect on how the Universe helps you accomplish your specific financial goal. Secret #3: Once you are clear on your exact financial goal and know what you are going to get as a result of it, you can now practice one of the most important parts of any goal accomplishment: Acting as if you’ve already attained your goal.If you’ve ever read any book on the Law of Attraction, then you know all about the importance of accepting and believing on a subconscious level that you already have what it is you’re trying to accomplish.The Law is simple: The Universe responds to what you feel and believe to be true.If you think you’re broke or that your territory is poor or that you can’t do something, then you’ll find evidence to support your belief and you’ll act (or not act!) accordingly. If you believe the opposite, then you’ll find a way to keep taking actions to accomplish what you believe is possible, and the Universe will provide you with the opportunities to confirm what you believe.But the key is to believe it has already happened. By acting as if you are already the top producer at your company, or by going to sleep at night already feeling the feelings of having accomplished your goal, you’ll act like a magnet for the success you’ve already determined is yours.I have found that this ALWAYS works. Whether I believe I can or I can’t, I’m always right.I encourage you to use this month to put these secrets into your goal planningfor 2020. If you do, then next year at this time you will be reaching for even more aggressive goals because you’ll have discovered the real secrets to performance in life.All the best for the new decade!Related: Avoid this Ghost of Christmas Future