It’s a new year, which for many is a time to reflect on what we have accomplished over the past year and to plan where we’d like to head next. We often use the beginning of the year to set goals for our health, career, and relationships - but what about our finances? January is the perfect time to celebrate National Financial Wellness Month, because our financial health influences everything: our physical and mental well-being, our relationships, and nearly every aspect of living a happy, balanced life.
When we ignore our financial health, it can bleed into other areas of our lives and add to our anxiety or stress levels, whether we realize it or not. Improving your finances through planning and investing can give you more freedom to make decisions that support your overall well-being and help you become more resilient when life inevitably throws setbacks your way.
The challenge is that we often set resolutions that are based on vague ideas of “getting organized” or “finally figuring out my finances,” without much clarity on what those goals actually mean or how we’re going to achieve them. That lack of structure can lead many of us to abandon our goals and quickly fall back into old habits, often with a lingering sense of discouragement that we’ll ever truly get on track. There’s even a holiday to mark this phenomenon - deemed Quitter’s Day - which fell on January 10th this year.
When it comes to money, feelings like confusion, intimidation, or guilt can compound and make it easier for us to avoid tackling our financial goals altogether. Author and Certified Financial Planner® Carl Richards illustrates this dynamic beautifully with a simple sketch that might resonate with anyone who’s struggled to get on track financially:
The good news? Now that Quitter’s Day is officially behind us, we can move past the short-lived New Year’s resolutions and focus instead on setting intentions for this year that support long-term success. Ultimately, the goal is to invest our money in ways that feel like investing in our future selves.
Our behavioral finance consultant, Chris Manzione, loves using the F.A.S.T. framework to help clients create more effective goals - especially for emotionally charged topics like money:
F: Frequently Discussed
Goals are more effective when they are revisited and revised regularly, not set once and then forgotten. Frequent discussion helps to reduce avoidance and can help make goals feel less intimidating. It also allows for the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change, increasing the likelihood that we’ll keep moving forward even when setbacks occur.
A: Ambitious
Goals should inspire effort. When we set the bar too low, it can actually reduce motivation and limit our growth. It’s better to focus on progress, not perfection. Does your goal feel at least somewhat uncomfortable? Good, you’re on the right track! That discomfort means that you’re stretching in a meaningful way.
S: Specific
If we’re not clear on what we’re trying to accomplish, it’s hard to know that we’re on the right track. How do we know when the goal has been achieved? Vague intentions often lead to decision paralysis, while specificity helps to translate our intentions into actionable steps.
T: Transparent
Transparency encourages accountability. This works especially well with shared goals with a spouse or family member, but it can also be used to your advantage with individual goals when you share them with a trusted friend, mentor, or advisor. Goals are easier to achieve when we feel supported.
Putting it all together
To illustrate how this might work, consider a common goal that we hear from clients: “If something happens to me, I want my family to be protected.” If we simply stop there, many people will have a hard time describing what that means and how to take steps in the right direction.
Frequently Discussed: One common challenge we come across is that clients decide upon an estate plan once, and decades may go by without giving it a second thought. That can lead to a plan that becomes quickly outdated, adding stress to an already difficult time. Instead, a better strategy is to revisit at a regular interval (annually, for example) and after key life developments (a new child, career change, illness, or aging parents). That allows the plan to evolve as family dynamics, assets, and emotional readiness change – and avoids your family from having to work around a plan that no longer works in real life.
Ambitious: At first blush, it might seem strange to think of ambition in the context of planning for one’s demise. However, what we’re going for is the quality of the outcome. Are we just checking a box in order to accomplish a task (i.e. creating an estate plan)? Or, instead, are we seeking to provide stability during a crisis, reduce the emotional and decision-making burden for our loved ones, and help them to see money as a source of support instead of stress?
Specific: In clarifying the client’s desire that “if something happens to me, I want my family to be protected,” we may discover that to them, that means their family is financially secure, emotionally supported, and able to make confident financial decisions. A plan that involves making sure they have the appropriate resources as well as the financial skills to handle an inheritance is a gift that allows their family to feel cared for, considered, and supported long after their loved one is gone.
Transparent: It’s extremely important that everyone involved understands the “why” of the plan, and not just the “what.” That can include not just the logistics, but a deeper knowledge of how money is meant to support the family’s life and values. That helps everyone involved to understand the intent behind the plan, which can help to reduce resentment, second-guessing, and conflict. Instead, they can act with confidence rather than being afraid that they’ll get it wrong.
Using the right framework, we can go from “Do you have the right documents and accounts?” to “Would this take care of the people you love in the hardest moment of their lives?”
Reaching our goals requires conscious effort, but that doesn’t mean they’re unobtainable. It simply means that we need to structure it in ways that give you the best odds of achieving them.
Questions, or want help getting on track? Click here to schedule some time with us!
You can also download our Commitment Checklist and start your 2026 strong.