This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Be 100% specific
Person A: I want to earn 100k.
Person B: I desire to earn 100k by December 31, 2024, through publishing 1,000 articles (or whatever your goals might be).
Which person do you think is more likely to accomplish the goal? I think we all know the answer to this: Person B.
My First Financial Goal After College
When I graduated college, I had a goal to earn $60k. I figured if I earned three degrees, I should at least get a minimum of $20k for each degree. So when I got my first job, they gave me 70k. I was thrilled. Several years ago, 70k was a whole lot of money to me. Later, I realized I should’ve asked for more money. Whenever an employer offers you more money than you asked for, that often means you didn’t ask for enough. Mistakes come from ignorance.
For each job afterward, I continued to write down clear targets of what I wanted to earn and the benefits I desired to receive. I can proudly say that I’ve hit all my targets. But I could only do this because I had clear financial targets that I consistently wrote down and invested laser focus-ness in.
My targets for my career, debts, investments, and savings have always been clear; when they weren’t, I noticed the progress wasn’t as noticeable.
100K Goal Example
If you have a goal to save 100k, you need to do a few things:
Determine what avenue you intend to follow to earn that 100k.
Determine what actions you will take once you pursue the avenue.
Write down the goal.
Write down the exact date you intend to reach the goal.
Consistently implement actions that will help close the gap between where you are now and where you desire to be.
For most people, the first 100k you save will be the hardest money you’ve saved in your lifetime. However, once that money is saved, everything saved afterward will be as easy as cutting a slice of pie because of compound interest.
Ever wonder why the rich keep getting richer? It’s because they already have so much money. The more money you have, the harder it works for you. The less money you have, the less hard it works for you.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.