Some people say that we can’t alter our own course of life – but I disagree. Money – love it or hate it – controls where we go, what we do and how we live… in other words, money controls a great deal of our lives.

So, simple as it sounds, by managing your money… you can manage your future. You can choose the path you take, plan how you’re going to take it and start achieving your goals.

The very first thing you should do is set yourself a financial goal of where you want to be this time next year – or in 3 years, 5 years or 10 years.

Now comes the important part – acting on your goal. As a simple rule of thumb, you can’t achieve your goals by not actively working towards them. So draw up a plan and write down exactly how you are going to achieve your goal.

Let’s assume you’re in debt, and your goal is to become debt free. Here is an example of what your plan could look like:

1. Assess my situation and work out how much I actually owe.
2. Work out if I can afford all my repayments.
3. If I can afford my repayments each month, create a budget to double check if I could afford to repay a little more each month.
4. If I can’t afford to repay my debts, seek IVA advice (Individual Voluntary Arrangement – an IVA can allow people to “make one agreed, affordable, lower monthly payment” – source).
5. Either repay my debts by myself, or find out if I need the help of an IVA (which will – in general – take 5 years).

So, don’t let your money manage you! Regain control of your finances and achieve your goals!