What Are You Doing To Make Your Money Dreams A Reality?

Many of us have money dreams. Often, these dreams focus on some point in the future, when you have more money. We think about the things that we’ll do when we have more money: Go on vacation, set up a charitable foundation, get rid of debt, pay off the mortgage, or accomplish some other feat.

Unfortunately, while dreaming about what we’ll do when we have more money, we often overlook the intervening step of planning to make those dreams a reality. We dream of a financially sound future, but we neglect to make any provisions for actually getting there. As a result, having more money in the future remains a dream — and the future we dream about is never realized.

What Money Realities Do You Face?

First of all, you need to recognize where you are in terms of money. Honestly look at the money realities that you face. Look into the future and consider what’s next. Just as you need to consider the financial implications of marriage, having children, and other milestones, you also need to consider your current situation. Figure out how where you are right now relates to where you want to be.

Next, you need to make a list of the steps that you need to take in order to get from where you are to where you want to be. This is where many of us trip and fall. We find ourselves unhappy with the current situation, and dream of what it would be like to have more money. We use phrases like “When I have more money” and “When I get that promotion” to describe what we hope will be a profitable future. But these types of wishes skip over the realities that we face now, and the actions that need to be taken in order to achieve your financial goals.

Create a Plan to Reach Your Money Dreams

Once you know where you are, and what needs to happen in order for you to achieve your money dreams, it’s time to create a plan. You can look for ways to develop multiple streams of income, you can improve your skills so that you qualify for better pay, and you can also find ways to cut the unimportant spending from your life and save more money. There are a number of ways that you can work toward your goals, and they differ according to your situation and your preferred outcome.

The common factor, though, is that you have to take action. You need to consciously set out to achieve your financial goals in a way that renders them achievable. While you might have set backs, breaking down your goals into achievable financial resolutions that you can work on each year can help. Indeed, creating a plan for your money is one of the best ways to help you finally achieve those dreams.

Eventually, if you create and stick to a plan, you won’t be saying, “When I have the money…” anymore. Instead, you will have the money. But it doesn’t just happen, and you can’t get to that point on mere wishes.

This article was written by Miranda Marquit. Miranda is a freelance writer and professional blogger. She writes for a number of personal finance blogs, including Planting Money Seeds. She has a M.A. in journalism, and is the coauthor of Community 101. Miranda lives Utah, where she enjoys spending her free time reading, traveling and playing with her son and husband.