People can use the SMART criteria—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—to set financial goals in an efficient manner. For example, rather than just sayidifferent types of slotsng that you want to "save money," you could say that you want to save $10,000 for a down payment on a house within three years. This clarity not only helps to better track progress but also makes the goal more concrete. A sense of accomplishment and motivation can also be sustained by segmenting more ambitious objectives into smaller benchmarks.