![\"Keeping](\"http:\/\/www.cultofmoney.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/lost-motivation-for-your-savings-goals-190x300.jpg\")
Most financial goals are not easily reached. It takes hard work and most of all, time, to complete them. While it\u2019s easy to start working on a financial goal with zest and ambition, after a little while it\u2019s common for that feeling to wear off.<\/p>\n
In fact, when you\u2019re doing the same things month after month to reach a goal that feels so far away it can be easy to get bored with what you\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to do when you lose steam.<\/p>\n
Take time and celebrate the progress you\u2019ve already made! This doesn\u2019t mean going out and spending a boatload of money if you\u2019re working on a financial goal. It could be having a special dinner with your significant other or simply taking the time to pause and reflect.<\/p>\n
Seeing how far you\u2019ve already come can motivate you to keep going.<\/p>\n
Burnout is a real thing. And sometimes the only remedy is a small break.<\/p>\n
If you feel like you\u2019re on the cusps of burnout it\u2019s okay to take a small time-out from your goal. Just be sure that your break won\u2019t undo any of the progress you\u2019ve made so far.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s not ALL goals you lose motivation over, just the ones that have long-term deadlines. Break down your long-term goal into a series of small goals and see if that helps.<\/p>\n
For instance if your goal is to save $50,000 in two years for a down payment you may be better off focusing on the monthly goal of saving $2,100. Putting your energy on the monthly goal can help keep your motivation high.<\/p>\n
Sometimes when the journey gets tough it\u2019s important to visualize what the destination will feel like. Think of what will happen when you finally reach your goal. Will you have a fully-funded emergency fund? Be able to buy a house? Pay off those last bit of student loans?<\/p>\n
Think of that outcome every time you feel like giving up.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s scientifically proven that those who write their goals down are far more likely to achieve them than those who don\u2019t. While you should already have your goals written out you can take it a step further by writing your goals down every morning.<\/p>\n
To do this simply get a cheap notebook or use your planner and write down your goals at the beginning of each day.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a visual person perhaps creating a vision board can help you keep motivation. You can this do by piecing together motivational pictures, creating a Pinterest board dedicated to your goal or using a site like DreamItAlive.<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s possible that your problem is not motivation but strategy. When it comes to accomplishing savings goals different strategies work for different people. Here are some things to try:<\/p>\n Automate<\/strong> \u2013 The only way I\u2019ve been able to continually achieve my savings goals is through the use of automation. I have money automatically deposited into my savings account each month. Since I don\u2019t ever see the money I don\u2019t even think about.<\/p>\n You can achieve this by having money automatically deducted from your checking to your savings each month or by having your employer take money from your paycheck and put it into savings.<\/p>\n Find More Money in Your Budget<\/strong> \u2013 Go through your budget and eliminate any unnecessary expenses. (Replacing an expensive phone plan with a cheap one, for example.) Then put the money you\u2019ve saved toward your goal each month.<\/p>\n Use an App<\/strong> \u2013 There are some pretty cool apps available that are meant to help you save. Two I like are Digit and Acorns. (Read more about them here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Save Specific Income<\/strong> Streams<\/strong> \u2013 If you have more than income stream (say, a day job and a freelance side hustle) save the smaller of the two income streams.<\/p>\n You could also start a side hustle<\/a> and save all that money to meet your goal faster.<\/p>\nMore Tips for Accomplishing Your Savings Goals<\/h2>\n