“Begin with the end in mind” is a famous quote by Stephen Covey. It can mean different things to different people. For instance, to a sales man or woman, it can mean calculating how many sales one needs to make their monthly quota. Then follow the path of process by dividing that number by how many calls needed to make a sale and the time period involved to achieve that goal. In other words, it’s a means to an end. You will find the same is true if you are saving money for a large purchase, a vacation or to build your own tiny home.

Let’s say you have an ambitious goal of starting to build a tiny home for $10,000, and you want to start construction in a one-year time frame. It will be necessary to put aside $834 per month. Then determine how much of your income can be put aside each week towards your monthly goal. You can also plan for saving additional funds with fewer meals at restaurants, collecting coupons to cut the food bills, selling some of your possessions and perhaps getting a part-time job. This may be a good time to practice downsizing by moving into a smaller space that will, in turn, save money on housing, utilities and possibly even transportation, if you can find a place closer to where you work.

Follow your own path of process as strictly as you can to accomplish your goal, and if you do need to stretch out the time a little, you will still be ahead and have a great feeling of achievement and a lighter load to bear in the end.