The 3 Goal Rule

Ever since I got back on campus this semester, the inside of my mind has been caught up in a whirlwind of thoughts, ideas, goals, commitments, and general musings.  Last night, I had an “Ah-ha!” moment.  [I’ve talked about these “Ah-ha!” moments before, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with my term: my “Ah-ha!” moments are times where something just clicks in my head and I either understand something that has been confusing me or come up with a new, brilliant (to me, at least) idea.]  I’ve just recently finished up Gregory Karp’s 1-2-3 Money Plan.  In the book, Karp lays out all his advice in a 1-2-3 format that is easy to understand and just as easy to carry out in real life.  My brilliant idea: the 3 Goal Rule.

The idea is simple: for every area of my life (school, financial, and personal), I’ve decided on the 3 most important goals to focus on until I achieve them.  Going one step further, I’ve also laid out the vital steps I’ll need to take to achieve these goals.  The idea is that, by focusing my energy on just a few goals, I’ll be able to excel in these areas.  Once I accomplish one of the goals on a list, I’ll replace it with a new one.

Here’s what my lists look like:

School

1) Talk to upperclassmen in the majors I’m interested in to decide my second major

I’ve wrote down a list of upperclassmen I know in the 2 majors I’m considering to be my second major to ask them questions about classes, professors, internships, and opportunities for each respective major.

2) Research study abroad opportunities to find a program that both fits my personal wants and fits into the requirements for graduation

I would love to go abroad to Ireland for a year, but I need to find a program that will allow me to take classes that satisfy some of my requirements for graduation.  To do this, I’ll spend some time at the Office of International Programs to research different programs.

3) Develop a relationship with the professor I intend to be my faculty advisor

I already know what one of my majors will be and who I would like to ask to be my faculty advisor, so I’ll be working on developing a relationship with that professor.

Financial

1) Roth IRA

Saving for retirement is very important to me, as I want to take maximum advantage of the power of compound interest.  I devote 20% of any money I make to my Roth IRA.

2) Spending Money

I gotta have some fun on campus, so I allow myself 20% of what I make for fun money.

3) Study Abroad

Going abroad means that I’ll have to have money set aside for plane tickets, food, spending money while abroad, and any other related expenses.  Right now, this is my major savings goal and I’ll devote the remaining 60% of my paycheck to this goal until I reach it.  It means that I’ll be sacrificing some savings for my emergency fund, car fund, and house fund, but I’ll be able to focus on those goals more once I reach my study abroad goal by May (or sooner).

Personal

1) Quit procrastinating (I use a bit more colorful language to motivate myself)

This all comes down to discipline and holding myself accountable.

2) Write for 30 minutes a day

It doesn’t matter what I write about, but I want to write for at least a half an hour a day.

3) Design and create my own webpage

I’m starting to prepare myself for a career after college and, in today’s world, its essential to make a good impression online.  I want to make sure that when prospective employers Google “Kevin Touw,” they find information about me that details what I bring to the table.

In theory, this 3 Goal Rule makes perfect sense to me.  Over the next several weeks, I’ll see how it translates into practice.

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts and comments on my new rule!