The last time I sat down to “review my finances,” I ended up defrosting the freezer instead.
There’s just something about the pressure of goals — especially money ones — that makes me suddenly very interested in slightly more achievable tasks. Like scrubbing limescale. Or deleting apps I forgot I had.
But here’s what surprised me: I’m actually pretty on track. Without a vision board. Without a colour-coded spreadsheet.
I’ve got a few financial goals I’m quietly working on, and they’re… working. Slowly. Gently. Almost invisibly.
Here’s what I’ve been learning about setting goals that actually work — without having to overthink.
Why This Matters
If you’re a UK saver, chances are you’ve been told to “max out your ISA,” “track your net worth monthly,” or “pay yourself first” — ideally all at the same time, while somehow also buying organic lentils and contributing to your kids’ Junior ISA.
That advice isn’t always wrong. It’s just often… not built for real life.
Like: nursery fees. Variable bills. One-off council tax payments. Mental fatigue. The randomness of needing to replace your boiler and attend three weddings in the same month.
A lot of financial advice feels like it was written for someone who earns £120k, doesn’t have dependents, and thinks “tight budget” means “skipping Soho House this week.”
So instead of setting up goals that feel like a second job, I started asking:
What if I just focused on the things that actually matter right now — and let the rest wait?
Turns out, three calm, doable financial goals work better than ten aspirational ones. Especially when they match the quirks of UK life — like topping up a LISA or using round-ups to overpay a mortgage. This kind of goal setting is still “SMART” — but it’s also kind. Flexible. And a lot more effective.
What Is a SMART Goal (And Why It Can Actually Help)
For all the corporate energy it gives off, a SMART goal can be surprisingly useful — if you use it on your terms.
SMART stands for:
- Specific – it’s clearly defined.
- Measurable – you know when you’ve achieved it.
- Achievable – it fits within your current reality.
- Relevant – it actually matters to your life.
- Time-bound – there’s a natural end point.
Used well, SMART goals can give your brain just enough structure to feel motivated — without slipping into perfectionism or overwhelm.
For example, when I decided to max out my Lifetime ISA, it ticked every SMART box:
- Specific: Max the £4,000.
- Measurable: I could track progress easily.
- Achievable: I had a little margin each month.
- Relevant: I want a home.
- Time-bound: Deadline = 5 April.
It wasn’t fancy. But it worked.
The £4000 Goal That Actually Stuck
One of the few financial goals that genuinely motivated me was maxing out my Lifetime ISA (LISA).
Why? Because the structure actually worked with my brain:
- It had a clear number: £4,000.
- It had a deadline: April 5th.
- It had a built-in reward: 25% bonus.
Suddenly, the savings felt doable and kind of… satisfying? I wasn’t guessing at what “enough” looked like. I knew the number. I knew the point. It wasn’t a vague “I should be saving more” — it was, “Right, £333.33 a month or so, let’s go.”
And yes, the government bonus is partly what got me there. But what kept me going was the simplicity.
That goal taught me a lot about how I work. Vague goals like “build up emergency fund” never stuck. But concrete, time-boxed, and motivating ones? Gold.
Turns out SMART goals do actually work… when you don’t use them like a corporate performance review.
The 3-Goal Rule (and Why Christmas Is Just a Card Now)
A few years ago, I started limiting myself to three financial goals per year.
Not because I saw it on a finance blog. Because more than that made me want to curl up in a ball and do none of them.
Here’s what I’m working on this year:
- Nursery pre-funding. I’m stashing money aside to cover nursery for three months ahead. Just three. It makes everything feel more breathable. Having it pre-funded means that next year I can pick up another goal.
- Holiday fund top-up. We take several trips a year, and I want to enjoy them without guilt. So I’m slowly building a pot for that. I aim to keep it at £1,000 — this means I can go on a holiday at two months’ notice.
- Mortgage overpayments. Not massive ones. Just regular round-ups and the odd £50 here and there. I barely notice it going out — and yet it’s shaving off interest bit by bit.
To make these work, I keep everything as frictionless as possible:
- Automation handles most of it — I set it and don’t stare at it.
- Round-ups on spending help trickle extra into the mortgage overpayment pot.
- Letting go of everything else (e.g. birthday gifts, Christmas presents) helps keep the load light. I do cards, homemade things, or Secret Santa. And honestly? No one’s complained.
Less pressure = more progress. Funny how that works.
When SMART Goals Get in the Way
Let’s be honest: the acronym doesn’t always help.
“Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound.” It sounds like a project manager wrote it while mainlining black coffee.
I’ve set plenty of “SMART” goals that ended up feeling… dumb.
- “Save £10,000 in a year.” (When childcare alone is £800 a month? Yeah, okay.)
- “Track every expense.” (You know what I don’t have time for? That.)
- “Meal prep 5 days a week.” (LOL.)
What works better is SMART-ish goals — ones that flex. That leave room for bad weeks, surprise bills, or just being tired. I don’t need a shiny progress chart. I need a goal that’s real enough to stick, even when I’m not feeling my most motivated.
So if your goals aren’t working, maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s the kind of goal.
SMART can be a great framework — but only if it bends with your life.
Gentle Questions for the Road
Right now, I’m keeping it simple: mortgage overpayments, holidays topped up, and the rest… just ticking along.
Here are some questions I keep coming back to — maybe they’ll help you too:
- What’s one money goal you can let go of — just for now?
- Where would you feel freer if you trusted a system, not your willpower?
- What if your savings didn’t have to be “goals” — just quiet support for the life you’re already living?
- Where are you trying to be “good with money” — and just ending up tired?