When January rolls around, it’s inevitable that most of us get a little overambitious with resolutions and financial goal setting. There are so many things we want to turn over a fresh leaf on or improve, it can be hard to narrow the list down enough to be realistic. Finances and health usually end up at the top of our goals list, but the question then becomes, how do we make good on our commitments?

Laying out a plan for diet and exercise, although not easy, seems to be pretty straightforward for most. Figuring out how to get finances on track can be another story. Not only do you need to plan how you’ll pay off the credit card bills and other debt you’ve accumulated, but you also need to keep the funds flowing into savings. That’s no small task. The good news is, we have three pieces of advice to help, whether it’s with your waistline or your finances:

Tip #1: Sharing a goal with a friend makes it a lot easier to stick to.

Telling someone else about your commitment makes you accountable, and it gives you at least one other conscience to listen to. Think of it as having another angel on your shoulder when you struggle over whether you really feel like going to the gym, or when you debate whether you might just be able to afford the killer boots you’ve been eyeing which are now on clearance. (Note to self: Just because they’ve been marked down from $249 to $149 does not mean you’ll save $100. It means you’ll spend $149.)

Tip #2: Record & track your intentions and progress.

Use an app, a journal or a calendar — it doesn’t matter as long as you’ll stick with and use whatever you choose. There’s something about having a visual to motivate and reward you. State your intentions. Use it to guide you, and stay the course. See how you’re doing toward your goals — track your progress. Who doesn’t love making check marks on a to-do list or seeing the downward moving chart on a weight-tracking app? Whether it’s to visualize your progress on your physical or financial fitness, seeing that you’re making a difference keeps you going in the right direction.

Tip #3: Set your timing.

There are two parts to this one. The first is, once you’ve identified your goals & intentions, start working on them right away. You know the sayings. There’s no time like the present. Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can start today. The second part is, don’t make this for an indefinite time period — meaning, you’ll do better if you break up your goal into “bit-sized chunks.” Keep goals manageable, measurable and don’t make the gratification of meeting those goals too delayed. After you hit one small milestone, move onto the next. In the bigger picture, what you really want to do is to turn your short term goals into long term lifestyle habits. Until the changes you make to your eating, exercising, spending and saving become second nature, it’s more effective to have shorter timing to work toward.

None of this is rocket science, but if you’re like us, it’s helpful to hear what works best for others. We’ve all been there — more than once. Our physical and financial fitness are constant works-in-progress. For ideas on how to save as much as $300 in just a few weeks, be sure to see our 14 Day Financial Fitness Calendar.

If you need help consolidating debt and paying off credit card bills, LendingPoint can be a trusted financial fitness partner. Our installment loans make life simpler when you only have to keep track of one, consistent monthly payment designed to fit your budget rather than multiple credit card bills and due dates.

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