Creating Goals and Reflecting Upon Them

A few days ago I detailed the steps my husband and I take to stay on the same page with our finances. Number four among the steps I discussed was the importance of writing down and sharing our goals. We started documenting our goals back in 2006 and I thought it would be fun to pull up that original list to see what we’ve accomplished over the last six years.

Here’s what we wrote down in March of 2006 (updates shown in red below):

Short Term Goals:
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– Refinish kitchen floor – DONE
– Replace/Redo the bar in the basement – Knocked down didn’t replace
– Replace the front door – DONE
– Replace the dining room chandelier
– Install a scanner antenna in roof or attic – No longer relevant
– Buy bikes for Beach House
– Clean out the garage. Remove bench. Add pegboard. – Added shelving only
– Create & Maintain 6 month emergency fund (*completed) – DONE
– Repair Bathroom at Beach House (*in progress) – DONE

Mid-Term Goals
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— Add grass around Beach House & complete grill area – Grass DONE
— Replace the upstairs windows in primary home – DONE
— Replace the downstairs windows in our primary home – DONE
— Install drain in driveway near garage
— Create larger master bathroom at primary home
— Refinish kitchen counter

Long Term Goals
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— Retire by age 50 (at the latest) – Changed to semi-retire
— Pay off both homes as soon as possible (free up $5400 a mo.) – In progress
— Replace my car (*completed) – DONE
— Replace living room furniture at beach house – DONE
— Replace living room furniture at primary home
— Have a kid/ Buy a 4 door car for my husband – We had a baby. Didn’t replace car
— Work part time after having a kid for 1 – 2 years – Not currently working

We revisit our goals often. The key is to make certain they are still relevant and important to both of us. It also helps to keep a visual reminder of them. Tape them to the refrigerator or office door. Write stickies and put them on your computer monitor. Do whatever you have to do to keep them in your mind. The more you concentrate on achieving your goals the less you’ll find yourself wasting money on things that won’t help you meet them.