By Brandon Willett of Monrovia, IN
One of the most common things I hear as a financial planner is, “I know what I want for the future, but I don’t know how to get there.” People often have goals—retiring comfortably, paying for their children’s education, buying a home, or simply feeling less stressed about money—but they don’t always have a clear strategy for achieving them.
Having goals is a great first step, but goals without a game plan are like a football team without a playbook. You may know where you want to go, but without direction, it’s hard to move the ball down the field. That’s where financial planning comes in. The key is turning broad goals into concrete steps that lead to results.
Start by Defining What You Really Want
The first step to any strategy is clarity. Too often, people set vague goals like “I want to save more money” or “I want to retire someday.” While those ideas are a good starting point, they’re too broad to be actionable.
Instead, think about what you specifically want. Do you want to retire at age 65 and spend winters in a warmer climate? Do you want to pay for half of your child’s college education without loans? Do you want to have a down payment saved for a house within five years?
The clearer your vision, the easier it becomes to build a plan. In sports, you don’t just say, “We want to win.” You map out exactly how you’re going to get there. Financial planning works the same way.
Break Goals Into Measurable Steps
Once you know what you want, the next step is breaking it into smaller, measurable actions. Big goals can feel overwhelming until you divide them into pieces you can manage.
For example, if your goal is to retire with $1 million, you don’t get there in one move. You get there by saving a certain amount each month, investing consistently, and increasing contributions as your income grows. If you want to pay off debt, you do it by creating a budget, tackling high-interest loans first, and tracking progress along the way.
When goals are broken down into steps, progress becomes tangible. Just like a football team advances yard by yard, financial success happens step by step.
Build Habits, Not Just Plans
A strategy only works if you follow through. That’s why building habits is just as important as building the plan itself. Good financial habits turn your goals into a routine part of life, not just something you think about once in a while.
Habits that make a huge difference include:
- Setting up automatic transfers into savings and investment accounts
- Treating savings like a monthly bill you must pay
- Reviewing your spending regularly so you stay on track
- Checking in on your goals each year to make adjustments
When these habits are in place, you’re not relying on motivation alone. You’re creating a system that moves you toward your goals almost automatically.
Expect Detours Along the Way
Even the best game plans need adjustments. In football, a defense may throw something unexpected at you, and you have to adapt. In life, there are job changes, health expenses, market swings, and family needs that can shift priorities.
The key isn’t to abandon your plan when these moments come up, but to make adjustments and keep moving forward. If you have a strong foundation, temporary setbacks won’t throw you completely off course. I’ve seen many clients succeed because they understood that detours are normal and that consistency matters more than perfection.
Keep the Long Game in Mind
When building a financial strategy, it’s important to remember that you’re playing the long game. Quick fixes or chasing the latest investment trend may feel exciting in the moment, but they rarely lead to lasting results.
Instead, focus on steady progress. If you save and invest consistently, review your plan regularly, and adjust when life changes, you’ll be surprised at how much ground you can cover over time. Winning financially isn’t about one big play—it’s about stringing together steady, disciplined steps that keep you moving toward your end zone.
Why Guidance Matters
Just as athletes benefit from coaches who see the big picture and hold them accountable, many people benefit from having a financial planner. My role is to help people clarify their goals, create a strategy, and stay on track when distractions or doubts creep in.
Sometimes the hardest part of financial planning is not knowing what to do, but actually doing it consistently. Having someone in your corner—reminding you of the long-term vision and adjusting the plan when life changes—can make all the difference.
Turning Vision Into Action
At the end of the day, building a financial strategy that works isn’t about creating a perfect plan. It’s about turning your vision into a set of clear, actionable steps, building habits to support those steps, and staying committed even when challenges arise.
The most rewarding part of my job is watching clients reach milestones they once thought were out of reach—whether it’s buying their dream home, sending a child to college, or retiring with confidence. Those successes don’t happen by chance. They happen because people took the time to turn their goals into game plans and stuck with them.
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, both on the football field and in financial planning, it’s this: success isn’t about hoping for the best—it’s about having a strategy, executing it consistently, and keeping your eyes on the bigger picture. That’s how you turn goals into wins.