Own Your
Future
How to start your New Years on the right foot
How to start your New Years on the right foot
If you’re like me, the start of the new year brings about optimism and boundless opportunity. With this comes to the excitement of planning out the objectives you wish to achieve for the year ahead:
- Plan that overdue escape to Europe
- Get in shape for summer
- Eat more veggies, drink less, lose weight
- Pay off your credit cards
- Get 8 hours of sleep each night
- Enroll in that free online course
- Take up surfing
Before you know it’s September, you’re still sleeping less than 6 hours a night, somehow put on more weight than during COVID, and dry July has come and gone.
So what went wrong?
Chances are, you’ve bitten off more than you can chew and did not prioritise the goals that are most important to you.
So what can you do?
Firstly, give priority to the things that mean the most to you and don’t be afraid to cull the things that are just fluffy nice-to-have things. This will help you focus your attention to a few key areas and stop you from being too distracted.
Secondly, start small and make incremental steps towards your goals. Want to pay off that pesky $5,000 credit card? Start by chipping away at an extra $100 per week and snowball that over time. Don’t forget, compounding works both ways!
Thirdly, begin with the easy tasks and the rest of the tasks don’t feel as daunting. I have a rule: anything that can be done in 5 minutes, should be completed immediately. Been meaning to consolidate the half-a-dozen super funds you’ve had since you were 15 years old? Start by logging into your MyGov account and see what accounts are still active. While you’re there, why not nominate a beneficiary, review your superannuation investments, and email payroll to start making some extra contributions to super (your future self will thank you).
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Do you want to stop renting and own your own home but don’t know where to start? Want to start an account for your kid’s education? Want to get a better handle on your finances a build your future?