Wouldn’t it feel great to have your financial affairs sorted? The first steps are quite straightforward and relatively simple. The key is making your lifestyle and your finances fit together so they balance! This can be a little tougher but if it’s important to you, the rewards are worth it.

We’ll go through the steps one by one over the next few weeks and before you know it, you’ll be managing your money with ease and satisfaction.

The first step is defining what you want to achieve whether it is a lifestyle, a thing, no more debt or a solid start to a future goal such as a home purchase or retirement. Start with 3 goals and estimate what it will cost or what you need to do to achieve each one. For example the cost of a new vehicle or if it’s work/life balance you’re working towards (with less of the work = part time?), note what it will take to reach your goal. When do you want to be driving the new car or how long until you’d like to be retired. Measure the timeline in months  if it’s less than 2 years or years if it’s more than 2 years.

If you’ve tried this before and found challenges, barriers, hurdles or reasons that have prevented you from being successful – note them down. Your plan will work this time if you clear troublesome roadblocks at the beginning of the journey.

That’s Step #1. Step #2 next week.