When it comes to financial planning, some goals can take decades to come to fruition. Retirement. Paying off a bond. Funding education. Leaving a legacy.

Long-term goals matter; they guide our decisions and give us direction. But here's the catch: they’re also really far away. And without smaller wins along the way, it’s easy to lose motivation, second-guess our plan, or drift into inaction!

That’s why short-term wins aren’t just nice to have. In fact… they’re essential!

Short-term wins help us maintain momentum, they build confidence, and they remind us that progress is indeed happening, even when the big goal still feels far off.

You see, big goals take time. But our brains are wired for reward and reinforcement. When we only measure success by distant milestones, it’s easy to feel like we’re failing, even when we’re doing everything right.

Think about it:

- Saving for a 20-year retirement? That’s abstract.

- Finally reaching 3 months of emergency savings? That’s tangible.

- Changing the way you talk and feel about money? That’s a win.

- Getting your will in place? That’s a win.

- Tracking your spending for one month and noticing a pattern? That’s a win.

- Aligning your goals with your spending? That’s a win.

Micro-goals support the macro vision. They’re like trail markers on a hike, signs you’re going in the right direction, even when the summit is still out of sight.

Now, there’s no universal checklist. It depends on your life, your goals, and your starting point. But here are some examples that tend to work well across different situations:

• Setting up (and sticking to) an automatic debit into a savings or investment account
• Cancelling an unused debit order or subscription
• Having one difficult financial conversation with a partner or family member
• Meeting with your planner to review or refresh your goals
• Downloading and using a budgeting app for one full month
• Committing to a hobby that brings in a small extra income and a whole ton of joy

The win doesn’t need to be big. It just needs to feel real and reinforce that you’re moving.

Choose one area of your finances that feels stuck and define a small, clear win that you could realistically achieve in the next 2–4 weeks. Then… celebrate it when it happens! Not with champagne necessarily, but by creating space to acknowledge it.

This is how long-term planning becomes part of everyday life. Not through pressure, but through progress.

If you’re feeling stuck in the big picture, maybe it’s time to zoom in. Let’s work together to create a few short-term wins that energise your long-term vision.

Because sometimes, the fastest way forward isn’t by setting a bigger goal, it’s by completing a smaller one today.