Top Three Financial Goals
Reduce financial overload by focusing on only three visible goals
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
The Top Three Financial Goals method replaces a long resolution list with three quantified outcomes. Begin by listing all desired financial changes, then select only the three that matter most now. Give each one a number, such as a debt reduction, retirement contribution, or vacation fund. Put the short list somewhere you will see it morning and night so attention repeatedly returns to the same targets. Next calculate how much income is required to achieve those amounts and examine the available ways to earn it. The mechanism is constraint: fewer goals remove distractions, visible numbers clarify the gap, and recurring prompts keep daily choices aligned with the priorities.
Origin
Derrick Kinney presented this focus method as part of his Good Money Framework for simplifying financial planning.
Core principles
- 01Too many goals dilute attention
- 02Specific amounts make progress actionable
- 03Repeated visibility protects focus
- 04Income requirements follow from chosen outcomes
How to run it
- 1
Empty the goal list
Write down every savings, debt, purchase, and investment goal competing for attention.
- 2
Choose the top three
Select the three outcomes that would create the greatest near-term value. Defer the rest rather than pretending they are all priorities.
Pro tip Include exact target amounts.
Watch out Do not turn the shortlist back into ten to fifteen resolutions.
- 3
Make them visible
Put the three goals on a sticky note or card where you encounter them every day.
Pro tip Use a bathroom mirror or nightstand for morning and evening exposure.
- 4
Price the plan
Calculate the income and monthly allocation needed to reach each goal on schedule.
- 5
Review earning options
Identify whether saving, a raise, increased sales, or another income stream can close the gap.
Pro tip Favor actions that add measurable value for an employer or customer.
In the wild
A person chooses to save ten thousand dollars for retirement, pay off five thousand dollars of credit-card debt, and save two thousand dollars for a vacation. They display those three numbers on the bathroom mirror and use them to calculate the extra income and allocation needed each month.
→ Daily financial decisions are filtered through three explicit priorities instead of a sprawling resolution list.
Common mistakes
Over-goaling
Treating every wish as a current priority divides attention and makes the plan too complicated to follow.
Using vague outcomes
A goal without a target amount cannot reveal how much income or saving is required.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone who has several savings and debt priorities but struggles to make visible progress.
Not ideal for
People facing an immediate financial emergency that requires one overriding stabilization goal.
From the transcript
“just set three simple financial goals on a sticky note on a note card right out your top three goals”
“the goal is to stay laser focused and then going down the framework the goal is to determine how much money do you need to…”
From the episode
YAPLive: Good Money Revolution with Derrick Kinney
YAPLive