Staying motivated with money goals is easy when you are just starting your journey.
Setting a budget and committing to a better financial future can help you live without stress and even achieve financial freedom.
However, after a month or two of cutting back and following your strict budget, it is easy to lose motivation. After all, it is not always so fun to deny yourself treats – even if you can see the savings building up in the bank.
Staying on track requires mental focus; luckily, most people can build up this resilience over time. Below, we have listed five ways to rebuild financial goal motivation so you don’t fall behind with your personal finances.
1. Break the Big Goals Into Small Chunks
When it comes to financial goal-setting strategies, dreaming big can be very inspiring at first. However, lofty goals take longer to reach and you might burn out on the way.
While we agree with setting big goals, we would also suggest cutting these into manageable chunks with more realistic timelines.
For example, a yearly savings goal is exciting. However, you may also want to use quarterly savings goals to keep you motivated throughout the year. Each time you hit one, you can treat yourself to a movie marathon evening, games night or a budget-friendly purchase.
2. Write an Inspirational Letter To Yourself
We all have our personal reasons for saving, which are nearly always tied to emotional needs.
Emotions can be an extremely powerful motivator, so write down why the goal matters to you.
Whether it is family security, a dream vacation or the chance to retire with ease, revisiting your “why” can reignite motivation – and a letter or a Word doc is the perfect way to store this.
3. Create a Visual Reminder
Alongside an inspirational letter, you might want to put your financial dreams into a vision board.
Vision boards are collages of images and affirmations designed to motivate you. You can create these via printed out images or through websites like Pinterest.
Don’t brush these off as woo-woo! Studies have shown that vision boards genuinely boost confidence and inner strength.
4. Use a Tracking App
Tracking each individual expense will be very tedious, especially if you are doing it by hand.
If you haven’t already, consider a budgeting app or software to simplify the job. There are plenty of different options available, and even the free ones are a reliable way to reach your financial goals faster.
5. Be Kind to Yourself
Most personal finance motivation tips focus on practical ways to save. These are helpful, no doubt about it. But you also need to be aware that you are not a machine – sometimes the journey won’t be fun and you will feel financial FOMO.
So, if you notice that you are feeling down, remember to cut yourself some slack. Saving takes time and you are making these decisions for your future self. Give yourself a pat on the back now and then and remind yourself why you started this project in the first place.
Last Thoughts
Knowing how to achieve your financial goals is one thing, but staying the course is another. We hope this blog has given you an extra spark of motivation. Bookmark this page so you can revisit these tips when you are feeling down.
Or keep learning about personal finance today via the Cash Asap blog.