I find that when I first set a goal I am totally commited for a while. However, after a while I have trouble staying focussed. Does anyone have any tips on how I can keep my focus?

I have a goal board... like in the secret (only without the bullshit) it reminds me of my end goal. I also have in big letters. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING DIFFERENTLY TO GET THERE?" and then it says "WORK HARD AND OFTEN"...but have fun too.

What do you think of this concept?

I will assume that you're suffering from one of two common problems with goals, either you're not reviewing them often enough, or you're forgetting what motivated you to set them in the first place. Thankfully both are easy to resolve.

Firstly, are you reviewing your short term goals daily? Personally I've found that I like to review them at the beginning of the day and the end, the beginning to remind me to focus on them during the day and the end so I can ask myself how well I did and improve my plan accordingly. This exercise never takes more then 2 minutes a day since I'm basically just reading a short list.

Secondly, why did you set your goal? I find that when I write a goal, I'm really excited about them and can't wait to get started, yet after a while I tend to lose that energy. So I take some time every week to reconnect with the "why" of my goal. I start by writing down all the reasons I have to commit to these goals immediately. Then for each reason I write down all the good feelings I'll get from achieving my goal, then all the negative consequences I'll suffer from leaving things the way they are. Here's an example of how I might structure this.

Goal: Get out of debt

Why am I committed to achieving this goal right now?
To make sure that my money is working for me and my family, not someone else. To prove something about my self-discipline and character to my friends and family. To simplify my bills every month and free up my time which is precious to me. Because it's a smart thing to do,and I'm a smart guy!

How will I feel when I've completed this goal?
Fantastic! I'll have a lot of freedom that I didn't have before, and I'll be more confident. I'll be very excited about getting to watch my wealth grow rather then dwindle and that passion will translate into all areas of my life. My relationship with my wife will be more loving and peaceful, which will feel amazing. I'll feel very focused as well, knowing how much I've accomplished will only drive me to greater heights. I'll feel more loving because I'll be able to support my kids through college and afford them every opportunity they deserve, all the while teach them about responsible money management.

What will it cost me to not change today?
I'll be losing money hand over fist every single day I delay this. The strain on our finances will also strain my marriage, and it pains me to argue with the woman I love and not be able to buy her the things I want because we're broke all the time. I won't be able to send my children through college and I'll feel awful watching them struggle under the burden of huge student loans or worse, never going to college at all because they can't afford it. If I don't make this change, I'll also be teaching my kids all the wrong things about money and I owe them more then that. I'd lose a lot of the passion I have for life the longer that I go on like this knowing that I could be doing better but choosing not to. I'd be ashamed of my finances and that would likely lead to lying about it to my loved ones, and that's not the kind of man I want to be.

I'd then repeat this for every short term goal, and review my long term goals as well and i do my "why" review with the long term goals monthly. I'd then file this sheet, and next week I'd take a look at my goal and do the same thing before I review my previous weeks work. You'll be surprised at the new reasons you come up with for the first few weeks. After a while though, you'll notice that you're repeating the same reasons over and over again, because you no longer need to remind yourself why you just know why. Keep the exercise going even when you reach this point, and I think you'll find that your motivation lasts a lot longer. It may seem like it's a lot of time, however I think you'll find it's a fun exercise and you'll walk away with a lot of excitement about your goals.

I've developed this system for myself based on the work of Anthony Robbins and if you'd like more of the same I recommend picking up his books or audio series.

Great advice, thank you. I will make sure that I write my goals down and the reasons for achieving them in order to keep motivated. I also think it is important to review the goal if you become demotivated - work out why you are demotivated and see if you need to change your goal.

I think that u need to write down your goals .... and then u need to take action to achieve them each and every day.

Then you need to surround yourself with like minded people ... and mentors who can keep you on track and inspire you and more importantly keep you accountable.

There is nothing worse then writing out a goal and then forgetting about it.Because then you think that you can not achieve them.

Also when you make a goal ... make it achievable and believable for you. Never leave the site of a goal .. without taking ACTION.

Thats the key

This makes the biggest difference for me personally.

I find when I read GRS and other money sites more often I tend to stay motivated to save. However, when I visit the truck sites too much (I'm a car guy) I end up with a long list of parts that I "need" to buy, which is not the case.

I also have two close friends who are very dedicated savers and sharing our progress with each other keeps me motivated.

If possible, break it down into smaller goals. Trying to save $1,000? You have to save 100 first... and 200... 500, etc.

I find this most helpful with task based things, like to-do lists and such. If I have "clean out the basement" on the list, it'll never get done like, so I break it down into managable chunks. First, clean out all the trash of the basement. Next, organize the outdoor tools, then the indoor tools... etc. Cleaning the whole basement would take all day, setting aside a day on the weekend. But just cleaning out the trash only takes half an hour or so, and it's a lot easier to find a spare half hour than it is to find an uninterrupted day.

I've become a big fan of David Allen's "Getting Things Done" book and website: http://www.davidco.com/ to help me with this very issue. The book he authored has really helped me stay on track and stay motivated with my current goal and/or inspiration, but also helps me capture all of my good thoughts that I would have but then 'forget' by the time I needed them later on. You can easily find a copy cheap online or at a used bookshop. Read it through and take notes and then give it a try for a month or so and see what happens. He teaches you to get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper, and then from paper into specific, smaller steps that you take toward completing your major goal. Sometimes not breaking things down seems so overwhelming and that steals the focus and love we once had for a project. It sounds a bit structured until you try it and I still don't follow it as well as I should, but even some of his most minor tips (and those from other readers on his website forum) have helped me so much...such as planning and consolidating trips to the store in specific steps or going out of town to coordinate with other things, ticklers for important projects, etc. I hope you're not as 'all over the place' as I am (which makes me lose focus and momentum in no time, as I start a new project continuously, or so it seems), but this is a great aid. And you'll find some really good and supportive people out there (again, check out his site's forum) doing the same thing, too, and having some success in making their goals actually happen.