Gooooooaaaaaaalllllll!

The writing forums almost always have a current thread going about monthly and daily money goals. How many of you actually think about having one? Do yo think "nah, that's not for me" and go on about your business? Or do you find yourself falling short every month for various reasons? Let's take a look at why it's not a bad thing to set yourself a goal for the day, the month or the week.

It's a given that there are bills that have to be paid every month. Mortgage, rent, phone, electric, what have you. We also need to have food on the table and money for gas or transportation. I ask you this. Have you ever sat down and put all the numbers onto a piece of paper? It may surprise you how much you spend on stuff every month if you haven't. And this could be why some find themselves perpetually short.

Now, not everyone is a whiz with money. That's not a criticism, just a simple statement. It's possible to learn how to control your money and not fall short all the time. Set a goal even if you're not short all the time.

Sit down with pen and paper, or monitor and keyboard, and write down everything you spent money on. Do this every day for a week. Look at where it went to, and what came in. Did you buy one too many mocha latte's, and now you're short for a utility bill? Were you aware that a daily treat can actually shortchange you in that manner?

Now that you have this information at hand, you need to start acting on it. Do you want to be able to buy your mocha latte's and keep your utilities humming? Then set a goal. You now know how much you need in order to buy your treat as well as have the basics of life. Write this number down on a Post-It note and stick it to your monitor. Look at it as a carrot-and-stick kind of thing. Work until you've made that goal for the day, at the very least.

Lastly, learn to prioritize. The bills are still going to be there, even if the work is not. Use some discipline and go without extras for a while. You'll be glad you did.