Setting Goals And Reaching Them

Achieving your dreams and creating the future you want always begins with one important first step: a goal. Whether you're looking to help your child set goals so she achieves academically or you have your own financial or self-improvement goals, there IS a science to setting–and meeting–them.
A 2010 study in Applied Psychology followed college students who went through a multi-step goal setting program. Those who followed it completely showed significant improvement in their grades compared to those who did not.
While New Year's resolutions are notoriously short-lived, a clear process will put any objective you've set for yourself within reach. No matter what you have in mind, you can apply these steps to whatever goals are important to you, and the whole process should take less than 90 minutes.

1. Take a few minutes to write about the future you'd like to achieve. It's okay to start with a vague idea, but include as many specific details as possible.
   
2. Looking at the future you've envisioned for yourself, pick six specific and attainable goals that could help you achieve that future.
   
3. Number your goals according to their order of importance.
   
4. Look at each goal and write a paragraph about how achieving that specific step will benefit you.
   
5. For each goal, break it into smaller more manageable steps.
   
6. Identify obstacles that may get in the way and come up with a strategy for overcoming them should you need to do so.
   
7. Write about your commitment to reaching these goals.

That's it. Sound easy? Perhaps. But by taking the step of committing your goals to paper and working through these steps, you've laid the groundwork for success.
A goal is simply a dream with a deadline. May all your dreams come true!

Credit Report vs Credit Score

Despite what you may have heard or read, employers do not have access to job candidates' credit scores. That should come as a relief to cash-strapped job seekers with maxed-out credit cards or other score-busting blemishes, but your prospects for getting hired aren't immune from a poor credit history. In most states, employers are able to check a potential or current employee's credit report, which lists information such as balances on your loans and credit accounts, late payments, and debt collections.
About 13% of employers check credit reports for all candidates and 47% check for those applying to selected positions, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Employers are usually most interested in the credit backgrounds of applicants who will handle finances, hold an executive-level position or have access to other employees' confidential information (such as human-resources professionals). The black marks that might give an employer pause are ones that leave the deepest stains on your record: a loan default, a bankruptcy, a debt that's gone to collection.
An employer must obtain your permission to pull your credit report. But declining is "like saying no to a Breathalyzer test," says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education for SmartCredit.com. "The consequences are sometimes worse than just getting it over with," he says – namely, the employer could choose another applicant for the job if you are secretive.
Be honest and upfront about any problems. A potential boss may be sympathetic to the financial trauma that a layoff and long bout of unemployment have caused. And keep in mind that your credit record is only one piece of your profile. According to the SHRM, credit history ranked lowest among criteria employers used to vet candidates.



Article courtesy of Nova Home Loans