The new year is well under way and while this is the time when resolutions start to trickle off, it can also be a time to start making new ones! Setting goals doesn't always have to happen at the beginning of the new year, it can be anytime.

Maybe you realized that your goal was overly ambitious, or your situation has changed so it's no longer relevant, take some time to reassess and reevaluate. Changing your timeline or setting smaller check points along the way can help keep you on track — and some progress is better than no progress. Letting go of the fear of failure if you don't meet that goal on time is hard, but you will still be further ahead than if you hadn't saved anything at all and that is an accomplishment!

An illustration about goal setting. From left to right: 2 pieces of paper with Budget as the heading, a mobile phone showing a dollar sign inside a target, a tablet computer showing 2 pie charts and some goals, an indoor plant.

Having one or two attainable goals is often easier to wrap our heads around than one BIG goal or a dozen scattered ones. As you look at your goals throughout the year, decide what is really important — is it saving for a house? Going on your dream trip? Buying a new car? And then look at your budget to help you determine how you can achieve it without breaking the bank.

Using a digital saving tool like MyGoals can help take some of the guess work and stress out of goal setting. It can help you calculate how much you need to save monthly but also set up pre-authorized contributions so you can set it and forget it; meaning you don't have to worry about manually transferring money into your savings account every month. The visual reminder of the goal can be helpful too, keeping it labelled and separate from the rest of your daily banking can reduce the temptation of using it for something else.

When it comes to goals, less really is more because you can stay focused and prioritize your time, energy and money. So, whether you're a seasoned saver or starting out for the first time, using tools like MyGoals can make goal setting easier and more attainable for the short and long term.

What are you waiting for? It's time to get those goals all year round!

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