31 Day Financial Challenge, Faith, Finance, Writing

My 31 Day Financial Challenge – Day 2: Defining Your Goals from Your Values

August 30, 2010 by Bethany No Comments

Where will you be 25 years from now?

 If I thought determining my values was hard, defining my goals has proven even harder, particularly long term goals. There are so many day to day struggles that I am dealing with, it is hard to imagine what kind of goals I should set for 25 years from now. I would like to have a larger family, live in a bigger house, be debt free, but it all seems so out of reach right now. But since I challenged myself to take on this financial review, I plow ahead.

 Based on what I determined are my most important values, I set six goals. I don’t think this is by any means an exhaustive list, but for now these are the goals I’m choosing to focus on.

 In 25 years I would like to:

 Have 3 children (possibly 4)

  • Be living in a detached house with 4 bedrooms, family room, office space, 2 bathrooms, driveway and/or garage
  • Have published 3 books
  • Be debt free (the one exception to this is that we may still have a mortgage, but hopefully it will be at least half paid off).
  • Cultivate a family lifestyle of fitness
  • Develop a meaningful relationship with Jesus and be able to pass that deep faith on to my children

 What about 1 year from now?

 Put at least $1,500 toward principle of our student loan debt

  • Have finished two chapters of my novel
  • Query all potential publishers for my Advent Devotional
  • Be pregnant with our second child
  • Participate in physical activity (walking, Pilates, dancing) at least four times a week
  • Have developed a daily devotional habit and finished reading the entire bible
  • Have completed a list of no/low cost renovations and landscape projects on the house

 These goals don’t seem to cover all the things that I want to have in my life. I will admit to being unsure of where this exercise is going. Obviously there are things that have to take my time, attention and money that don’t line up with my personal values. (Taxes anyone?) Maybe I am just a person with too many goals. Narrowing them down this way seems incomplete. Does this mean that I will have to eliminate everything from my life that does not line up with these goals? I can understand trying to cut back on things that don’t fit in with your values, but in my opinion these goals serve mostly as a jumping off point, not a complete manifesto of my life ambitions.