How To Plan Smart?

Someone once told me that to plan your goals (both short term and long term), you have to plan SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bounded. Do any of you here plan SMART? If so, how do you guys do it? How do you make your personal goals/personal financial management SMART? Ideas? And please don’t give me cliché answers. Thanks! ^_^

 

Hi MissJmarie. Yea. you are right WE MUST PLAN FOR OURSELVES in the near future. regardless of Financial/ Personal and Emotional. But specifically WE MUST PLAN FOR OUR FINANCIAL in the near future because we are not getting younger anymore, I do save for my financial needs in the near future. So that when I get married. I can say to my parents that they are not having problem to me when i enter into married life in the aspect of financial.

 

Hello anilynbadua16,

Yeah I completely agree about planning for our future. It's a very common notion taught to us since we were children, sadly only few of us ever listened. And that we only tend to do it when we grew older, after understanding how the world works. So I just wanna ask you, since you mentioned about plans and finance, do you have have a strategy as how you're gonna get there? do you plan SMART?

 

Oh hello there Mr. Admin Great answer by the way!

I was also taught about visualizing myself in the future, who I've become and what I've been through to get there. We all know about this, we've been asked to do this a couple of times, they ask this to keep us motivated right? But I've never thought of working my way back. That way not only are we motivated but kept on track towards our goal as well. Wow, thank you for the suggestion, I'll keep this in mind.

 

Yes indeed we need SMART plans.. Do I plan SMART? I don't know how to answer this.. LOL... Well, now when I do saving, I just need to have clear amount that I want to save. Then, do weekly saving from my weekly income. That money then is allocated to buy the things I want to buy, go somewhere I want to go or do something I want to do..

I don't know if it is SMART, but in my opinion, in doing saving or to manage our own finance... we need to have clear goals and then persistence. When you are persistence, every goal is manageable.

 

Hello Skip,
Yes, I totally agree with you in visualize it complete before we do anything.. I do the same thing as you said.

When I wrote my goal for 2014, I just set my mind to it and then left it.. There were some items on my list, but I did told myself that I have to get this done no matter what.
Then I worked my way back... working, saving, and etc... and earlier this year, when I went through my old notes, I found that list of goals (I even forgot that I wrote goals for 2014..) and then I went through the list and checklist one by one..

Guess what? 3 of 5 items completed!! and it felt effortless..
Then those 2 things that didn't accomplished.. One, I have found another solution for it which to me means it is accomplished because seems like the answer/solution to that thing is much better than I thought it should be. The second thing ..... I don't want it anymore for now (with present consideration and all..)

So I guess my list is accomplished. It's exciting!

 

Hello Hesty, I have to say I'm impress with your goals/plans. You are in fact planning SMART and you didn't even know it.

Anyway, being meticulous on our finances is a very big deal, and you are doing great! Good job! Also since you allocate your money well I sure hope you allocate some to important things such as insurance or investment or to your savings. But I'm sure you're doing this already. May I know if you're using any software/program that'll help you keep up with your budgeting?

 

Hello again Miss J!!
Yes, you are right.. it is very important to have a good personal financial management.. I am still learning though.. Just doing my best for this moment, one step at a time.. hehe
Right now I am still using microsoft excel.. I do hope there's some goals and financial management software..

Not merely bookkeeping software you know.. Mostly what I found is something like that.. Only a bookkeeping software, which we cannot see clearly the goal and how we plan our way to the goals..

Do you use such program? I am looking though.. Let me know if you found it.. I'll do the same if I find it too!

Have a nice Valentine's Day!

 

I use excel too and I do have a management software. I use both, so to support each other. Mine's a goal generator, what it does is to help you keep track of your goals. Because for each goal you have, there are sub-goals or plans. Technically, what goal generators do is that, you break down Big plans into smaller plans. And when you slowly take over the small plans, it'll lead you closer to the Bigger picture which is your Aim/Goal. They're very helpful, as it also boosts your feeling of productivity and your motivation.

I'm sorry but belated Happy Valentine's Day haha