You can’t hit a target you don’t have

I’ve had a monthly family budget in mind for a couple years.

A few clues in the previous sentence might tip you off to why that goal wasn’t accomplished:

“I” insinuates isolation when a shared commitment requires collaboration.
“In mind” demonstrates our budget was a conceptual idea that lacked clarity and measurability.
“For a couple years” communicates a lack of urgency. If the budget was important, I would have been serious about it long ago.

To sum it up, we never hit our target because we didn’t have one.

We skipped the fundamental process for creating and achieving a goal:

Give everyone responsible for achieving the goal a say in creating it.
Ensure everyone involved understands the specifics of the goal and how to measure it.
Empower each person to uncover why the goal is important to them personally.

Since Sarah and I worked through this process, we’ve enjoyed success month after month.

If you're struggling to hit a personal or professional target, be sure you put in the prep work required to strike the bulls-eye!