The good thing about defining short-term financial goals and not just long-term ones, is that achieving these goals will help you stay motivated and focused, as they are closer achievements that you can see and enjoy. These goals can include saving a certain amount, paying off a specific debt or reducing expenses in a particular area, or any other that you can think of, depending on your ultimate goals or current needs.

As for short-term goals, be concrete and formulate clear and achievable goals. For example, save $500 in three months or reduce your entertainment expenses by 20%. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable and time-bound. This last one is very important… you must be able to measure that achievement, so that you can consider that goal as accomplished in time and form, because if you don’t achieve it, it indicates that you must make adjustments, and the sooner you make them, the better.

In general, even if you have long-term goals, working on smaller, short-term goals will give you a sense of accomplishment and prepare you to tackle those larger financial goals. Celebrating each accomplishment will motivate you to keep moving forward with optimism toward better financial health.