The most important question you will ever ask is “what does Heavenly Father want me to do or become?” Answering this question is the key to setting “real” goals. If you know what He wants you to do or become and you become that, you can achieve no higher goal, for the Lord Himself has said:

For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man (Moses 1:39).

His goal is to help us to become like Him. Remember the following counsel from the Lord as you proceed through this series:

Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich (D&C 6:7).

We discussed nine principles of effective goal setting. They were:

1. Strive to learn what Heavenly Father wants you to do.
2. Seek Heavenly Father’s help in setting goals.
3. Start with the end in mind.
4. Write down your goals.
5. Keep your goals SMART.
6. Review your goals often.
7. Remember your goals will change.
8. Set some fun goals.
9. Remember success is not measured by achievement, but by striving.

As you develop your personal financial plan, think about your future. I want you to think about what you want to accomplish in every aspect of your life—not just the financial aspects. Put thought and prayer into it. Write your goals out in detail and then include those as part of your personal financial plan. While it may not seem very important, determining what you want to accomplish in life will probably be one of the most important exercises you will do in this series.

Don’t shortchange yourself by not spending adequate time on this assignment. Think through your goals. Think about what it will take to accomplish them. Determine the intermediate steps you must take, and begin to work toward them. List your major goals for each of the areas you identified as important: school, family, work, and so on. Then develop short-, medium-, and long-term goals in each area.

Next, I want you to pick your three most important goals and explain them in detail. Spend a lot of time and effort describing these goals. Remember, you are building a plan for your future; don’t just make a sketch—make a real plan.

The purpose of this section was to share with you a few suggestions to help you think through and articulate your personal goals.

1. Do you understand how wise financial planning can help you achieve your goals?
2. Can you identify what you want to accomplish in life?
3. Can you understand and apply the principles of effective goal setting?

By setting good personal and family goals and striving to attain them, you can attain the true riches of this life and eternal life in the life to come. “Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich” (D&C 6:7).