Taking the time to plan for short-term or long-term goals such as retirement is an investment that will ALWAYS pay off. Unfortunately, your goals can be impacted by multiple factors that can make accomplishing them more difficult even when times are not challenging. Following these three simple steps below can make achieving your big, amazing goals a little easier.
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Know where your achievement lives
Goals can be set for very short term to the very long term. When creating your S.M.A.R.T. Goals, consider what must be done to achieve them then decide whether it is a short-term, near-term, or long-term goal. Nothing puts a damper on enthusiasm and reduces momentum quicker than expecting a short-term achievement that realistically takes longer to achieve.
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Short-Term: Within 12 months
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Near-Term: 3-5 years
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Long-Term: Future
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Define the path for your goal Achievement
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Make your tasks realistic – Create a progress habit you can do consistently and “live with”, toward achieving your goal.
Reduce your tasks into smaller steps and include them in your monthly or quarterly To Do’s. Planning smaller achievement steps gives you more control to adjust when the unexpected happens and can help make progress easier.
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Annual progress checks – In the fall (4th quarter) of the year During the 4th quarter or at the start of a new year are great times to revisit and review your long-term plans, make goal achievement adjustments or create new plans for the next year.
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Include your goals in your regular decision-making process
When making your end of the year tax decisions such as claiming a large deduction or making taxable contributions, talk with (me or us) about options to achieve your goals quicker with your regular and annual contributions.
You will have one less concern with an annual assessment from Accolade Accounting. Strategy Planning, Tax Assessments, and Goal Planning can help you reduce the stress of achieving big, audacious, and sometimes scary goals. Accolade Accounting has got your back! That’s the Accolade Advantage. Call for an end of the year strategy planning session or an existing plan review. Better still yet, schedule your assessment today!
