How a Community can Help you Achieve your Financial Goals
Setting any goals requires dedication and support. Financial goals are twice as hard as any other goal because the temptation to spend money is everywhere. If your financial goals are steep or long-term, it may feel like you’ll never reach them, which makes it easy to give up.
That’s why a community of support is important. When you don’t feel like you’re in this alone, you’re more likely to achieve your goals. Working with people that carry similar goals or care about their finances changes your mindset too.
How can a community help you? Here are a few ways.
Set Achievable Goals
Sure, we all want to be millionaires, but is it feasible? When you have a community of support, you can bounce ideas off others. Just hearing yourself say ‘I want to be a millionaire’ sounds unrealistic. Sometimes we have to verbalize our thoughts to see reality. You may also set goals that others think are a great idea, which helps motivate you further.
When you work closely with others on your finances, you get ideas from one another. Maybe someone else’s goals will inspire you, especially if you see him or her making progress. Together you can set short and long-term goals, tracking and motivating one another along the way.
You’ll Have Accountability
It’s easy to spend extra money when no one is watching. Even married people get away with spending extra money when one person handles the bills. With a financial community, you know you have to answer to someone.
What reasons will you give for your overspending? How will you feel telling them you paid your bills late? Having that sense of accountability is like having a coach on your shoulder telling you ‘no.’ You’ll think twice about your financial decisions, which forces you back on track or lets you see where you need help.
You’ll Have Support for your Habit Changes
Setting financial goals often requires habit changes. Friends that don’t understand or don’t agree with your financial goals may balk at your changes. For example, if you stop going out to eat all the time, or you don’t want to go shopping because you know you’ll overspend, friends may get frustrated or even poke fun. This makes it easy to give up your goals to avoid losing your friends.
When you work with a community with similar goals, you’ll get support for your changes. You’ll also see others making the same changes, giving you more motivation to keep going. It’s easy to give up when it seems tough or when no one supports you, but a financial community should have the same or similar goals.
If you have big financial goals or even small ones, find a supportive community. Work with people with like-minded goals and similar motivation to achieve them. When you work together, it feels less overwhelming and more achievable. Together you can motivate one another, making the most of your finances.
Leonard Greenfeld
Based in Sydney, Leo is a financial writer who cares about debt and financial independence. His posts explore Fintech, current events and impacts on individuals, families and their finances.