In this 2 part post I plan to outline a plan for how you CAN reach your financial goals and maybe even live the life of your dreams without having to spend countless hours at a job you hate.

First off I do not hate my job.  I love being able to connect with customers, help them find great products and solutions for their problems. This post isn’t about quitting your job, but rather achieving your goals whatever they are.

Before we get to planning how to reach your goals you need to determine what your goals are.

Questions you need to ask yourself and your spouse.

1. What does a great life look like for us? Not necessarily a life of leisure but rather a life that you will love. Every other question will eventually flow back to this question.
2. Where is that great life lived? There are potential jobs everywhere. Is it important to you and your spouse where you will live? To some people location doesn’t matter but if it does, start there. This is the hardest to solve, so start here.
3. How important are things like travel, financial stability, time with family, enjoyment of work, family size, etc? This list could be limitless, so find out out what is most important and least important.
4. How fast do you want to get to that life? How long are you going to wait to make that move? Take that trip? Find a job that fits your goals?
5. What is your first step?  What is the plan? Develop one and start to execute it.

Only you can answer these questions for you or your family. Answers are as numerous as there are people who ask them. You and I may have the exact same situation and come to completely different answers. You can not sidestep this important step. You can work toward goals but if you are working toward someone else’s goals you may be ultimately getting nowhere.

Take some time. Sit down with your spouse. Go out on a date.Be clear on your goals and dreams. Next time, we will discuss the how of planning for your goals and dreams.