While you are setting your goals for personal fitness and finance, why not include your home in these goals.

Check out some of the homeowner’s goals that you will be glad you did:

• Extra Payment Goals: Make extra mortgage payments, even if it is just one. Extra mortgage payments will dramatically shorten the time your mortgage will take to be paid in full. Not to mention, the more payments you make in a shorter period of time the less you will end up paying in the long run!
• Second Mortgage Goals: Get rid of your second mortgage. It may be tough to get your second mortgage paid off faster but if you cut a few luxuries out, you may be able to pay off your second within the year. You will most definitely want to pay off your second mortgage if you have a variable rate.
• Refinance Goals: If your interest rate is high, consider refinancing. This will decrease your payment and lock you in at a lower fixed rate.
• Insurance Discount Goals: Find out what homeowner insurance discounts you qualify for. Major repairs or improvements you made to your home last year may get you a discount to lower your premium for this year.
• Credit Score Goals: Make your mortgage payments on time. This may sound obvious but a missed mortgage payment can have some majorly negative affects to your credit score. A high FICO score will allow you to borrow money at a lower interest rate and on better terms.

The end of the year is here and it is time to start working on your goals and financial budget for the New Year.

Whatever type of profession you have, it is important to set goals for yourself both financially and personally.

Here are some tips we would like to share to set your goals and start off your New Year right:

• Analyze your spending for 2013. Have you managed your budget through 2013? If so your expenses should be readily available.
• Set up your expenses by categories. The first category should be fixed expenses such as mortgage or rent, vehicle payments, credit card payments and household expenses like your electricity and HOA dues.
• The next category is controllable expenses. This includes eating out, coffee at Starbucks, entertainment, manicures, etc. These are all things that are not mandatory and necessary.
• Once your categories are lined up, add them up for each month and then for the entire year. When you add them up, you will most likely see spending patterns along with areas you can improve on. Set your goals to improve on those areas.

Plan your savings goals for 2014. If you didn’t save as much as you would have liked in 2013, make a commitment to save more this year.

• Set up an emergency savings fund. We recommend at least 3 months’ worth of your salary be set aside in case of an emergency such as a job layoff, health issues, or other traumatic event.
• If you just have one savings account set up that you use periodically, set your goals to set up a separate one just for emergencies.
• From your expenses list, see where you can cut corners and instead of using your money towards coffees or lunches out, use that money to put into your savings account.
• When you prepare your new budget, consider setting goals to add more money not only into an emergency fund, but saving for retirement, children’s college, or a dream vacation.

New Year’s is upon us and it is time to start thinking about the goals you’d like to set for 2013. Take a minute to reflect on last year and focus on what you’d like to make different for the new year.

Take some time to complete the goal setting tips below to start off 2013 on the best note yet:

Make sure the mood is set for goal-setting time. Build a fire and pour a glass of wine, sit in the middle of a grove of trees, put on some great music, or get snuggled up in your coziest sheets and pour a cup of tea. Create an environment that makes you feel good.

Focus on all the main areas of your life. We tend to set the most intense goals in the area where we want to effect the most change. We may set all our goals regarding better finances or fitness and forget to set goals in the other areas of our life. The suggested main life areas to consider goal-setting are the following:

• health and fitness
• finances and money
• career
• primary relationships (spouses)
• family (kids and others)
• friends
• spirituality
• education
• personal growth

Set yourself up for success. Create goals that are attainable. You can always increase your goal if you attain it before the year’s end. And remember not to get too serious; these are your goals. Don’t get analysis-paralysis. Get started and just let it flow.

In addition to your goals, create a wish list. List places you want to go, things you want to do and things you want to acquire in the New Year.

Imagine you are limitless. What would you want to do? Set your goals from your mind and your heart. Don’t only “think” what you need to do; think about how you “feel” about the goal. Does it feel good, happy or fun? Let your emotions be your guide.

Make sure you do it! Goal-setting is one of the most important things to do to transform your life. You may not know where all this “goal-setting stuff” will lead; all you need to know it that it is the next step on your journey of awakening in the New Year.

Here is a great tips to ensuring 2013 is your best New Year yet. Start a gratitude journal: Before going to bed, write down five things on that day that you are grateful for. It will enable you to float off to dreamland with the great feeling of gratitude and abundance.

The Lawhead Team wishes everyone the best year yet for 2013. Happy New Year!