Non-Financial Goals

Non-financial goals are every bit as important as financial goals, possibly even more important, no, definitely more important. Here's why: Happiness is a non-financial goal. No amount of money or any other external thing will "make" you happy. Happiness is a choice to create a feeling from within yourself and to share that with everyone and everything around you. You do it not because you have a particular reason to but simply because you can. That is genuine personal power. Money cannot buy that.

But money can buy the power to make the world a better place, and provides a fine path to realize your other non-financial goals. For example, even small amounts of money can make huge differences in the lives of others, either directly or indirectly. You could endow a scholarship, even a modest one, for a meritorious child in your town. You could donate food and/or money to the local soup kitchen. Closer to home, you could decide to become more educated or learn to play music, maybe write a book.

There are any number of non-financial goals you could set that will improve your life, your family members' lives, the well-being of the community and make the world a better place. And as a bonus, your happiness will increase with each one. Choose happiness as your first and foremost non-financial goal and take it from there.