NFA Finance

Absolutely. A million percent.

For years, I had a tradition around New Year’s. I’d sit down, write out my goals, and put them away somewhere. Then the following year, I’d pull them out and read them.

That was always interesting. You’re looking at something you wrote a whole year earlier, remembering what you were thinking and what you wanted to accomplish. Then you get to compare that with where you actually ended up.

Honestly, I should do that again. We used to do it year in and year out, and I liked that moment of sitting down with the old list.

But I don’t think goals should only come around once a year.

I believe in short-term goals. Long-term goals. Goals that are so far out you haven’t figured out all the steps yet.

And daily goals, too. Even if it’s just one thing.

What do you want to get done today?

Some days, that answer might be pretty small. Make the call. Finish something you’ve been putting off. Get your workout in. Whatever it is, give yourself something you can actually follow through on.

I have big things I want to build. Business goals. Personal goals. Things I want to experience. And there are ways I want to keep growing as a person, too.

Those things need some attention. It’s easy to spend an entire day being busy and never touch anything that matters to you. Then another day goes by. Then a month.

Having a goal gives me a reason to stop and ask, “Am I actually moving toward what I want?”

I won’t hit every goal exactly when I think I will. Sometimes things take longer. Sometimes I learn something along the way and change direction. I can live with that. I still want something out there to work toward.

Thinking about that old New Year’s tradition makes me want to grab a piece of paper again. Write down what I want this next year to look like. Give myself something to open and think about a year from now.

Then pick one thing I can do today to move it forward.

— Nicholas Francis