The beginning of the year is a good time to hit the reset button in general, and on where you are with your money.
This includes taking stock of your financial picture, regardless of where you stand at the moment. And, in fact, if you’re feeling uncertain or worried about your financial picture, this step becomes even more important. Think of now as a time to step back, reflect, and reassess where you are financially – to take in the bigger picture – so you can make thoughtful, confident decisions about how to move forward in the coming months.
Here are three steps everyone should take to put yourself on-track financially:
- Update your financial plan. If you don’t have one yet, create one. (A good financial adviser can help.) The simple exercise of creating a comprehensive financial plan will give you a clear sense of your financial situation. It will also give you an idea of how decisions you made (or didn’t make) throughout the year have affected your bottom line. Armed with this information, you’ll be in a stronger position to make adjustments this year and next.
- Determine your most important, immediate next steps when it comes to your money, and commit to tackling them in the New Year. Think of this as the financial equivalent of clearing your desk and writing your next day’s to-dos before heading home at the end of the workday. When you return the next morning to a clean desk and a focused plan of attack, you have a much easier time getting started, right? It’s similar with financial planning. Reviewing your financial picture and identifying just a few next steps will give you a head start on dealing with your money in the coming months.
- Ask yourself: Are there aspects of your life you could or should downsize? As you look back on the past year, you may be able to identify ways to “right size” your expenses. For some of us, this could mean making a big change, such as finally moving to a smaller home (with a smaller mortgage). Or it could be smaller changes to your lifestyle, like purchasing a smaller car or cutting back on overall entertainment expenses. Imagine yourself feeling more secure and comfortable in the new year when it comes to your finances. Making the right changes to your spending has the power make that happen. You can change the trajectory of your financial journey, and you can make the change starting now.