Make Your Goals Specific And Measurable... Like Batman

Batman is the quintessential problem solver. Since his inception in 1939 he has always been, first and foremost, a detective. A costumed Sherlock Holmes. More than his martial arts skills, his money, or his gadgets Batman's intellect has always proven to be his most valued asset.

Though the movies have often failed to demonstrate this aspect of the Caped Crusader, there's a great scene in "The Dark Knight Rises" that shows Batman's intellect and how victory can be achieved when you first break down your problems and tackle them one step at a time.

First, you've got to understand, that in "The Dark Knight Rises" Batman had spent the majority of the movie getting beaten to a pulp. He had grown too cocky, over-confident, and had lost his edge. As a result, when he finally comes face-to-face with the physically superior villain Bane, Batman gets pulverized and tossed into a third world dungeon with a broken back.

As his body heals, Batman considers what he did wrong, and when he finally returns to Gotham City he approaches Bane like a surgeon, dissecting the threat before they come to blows. First he recruits some allies. Then he gathers his equipment. Then he spreads hope to the citizens of Gotham and fear to the followers of Bane by announcing his return in dramatic fashion. Finally, after months of planning, Batman springs his trap and defeats the bad guy.

With a little planning, determination, and some allies, nothing is impossible to overcome.

• Don't try to tackle your problems all at the same time. No matter how much craziness you've got going on in your life, it's wise to break the issues down and take them on one by one. This is what makes Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University so effective—it breaks down the budgeting process into easily achievable goals, goals that you can't help but reach as long as you keep moving forward.


• As Batman so clearly demonstrates in "The Dark Knight Rises," your goals must be specific and measurable. When he returned to Gotham City to face Bane again, he had a detailed plan that included the use of specific allies and certain equipment. It's an example of the obvious—if your goals are too vague they are just dreams.


• Long-term thinkers are the ones who win. Batman knew that defeating Bane was essential to the survival of Gotham City. His plan took months to form, but it was for a far-reaching purpose. Today's culture doesn't think like this. We're all about immediacy and convenience, and rarely do we think beyond our needs for the day, week, or maybe even the month. But when we keep our eyes on the future instead of our immediate circumstances, the possibility of reaching our goals becomes more and more inevitable.

This is a simple formula that can be applied to any tricky life situation:

1. break your problem down into smaller goals
2. make your goals specific and measurable
3. plan around those goals with a far-reaching future in mind

You may find yourself beaten at times. You may find that there are some Banes out there who are going to catch you off guard, knock you down, and thwart all of your efforts, but you can't let your circumstances overwhelm you.

Are there any specific and measurable goals that you're currently chipping away at? Or have you been thwarted?

Keep pinchin' :-)

VIDEO BLOG: Batman versus Superman

Here's some frivolous fun for your Friday the Fourth!

The upcoming "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" movie is still a couple years away, but that doesn't mean I'm not as giddy as a face-loving puppy in a room full of toddlers. So here is the first of what I hope to be many video blogs about life's various frivolities.

Some people may call me biased on the topic of Batman versus Superman because I'm a die hard Batman fan, but it's hardly bias when my evidence comes from decades of established mythology. So there! Thbbbpppt!

In all silliness, enjoy the video!

Here's A Teaser Of Our Upcoming Video Blog

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the full video where Jake lists the top seven reasons why... well, you'll have to wait and see! :-)

Jake's Take - Money Morals from the Movies: Batman Begins

Deriving financial insights from today's blockbusters and yesteryear's classics.

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As much as I enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book movies, I need the movie to have some basis in reality in order to enjoy it. Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, though fantastical and gothic as it was, had enough reality in it to make it believable. By the time George Clooney's embarrassingly awful Batman & Robin hit screens in 1997 it became clear that the franchise had completely lost touch with reality. Granted the Batman movies have always been a bit over the top, but at least back in the early days there was some effort put into presenting a world that was recognizable.

In all fairness, part of the reason the Batman franchise began to decline was because producers were responding to what people wanted—more special effects, more gadgets, more over-the-top villains. And that’s what they delivered… a little too heavily, as was evidenced by the fact that the fourth Batman flick essentially put a proverbial gun to the head of the franchise and pulled the trigger, leaving it dead for a good 10 years.

Then came the era of Hollywood’s gritty reboots, and the film Batman Begins was one of the flicks that paved the way. Begins presented a Batman that was very believable—all of the gadgetry was based on technology the military was actually using at the time; and the new Bruce Wayne, played masterfully by Christian Bale, actually looked like a dude that could beat the snot out of you if you found yourself on the wrong side of the law. Batman Begins was just the breath of fresh air the franchise needed. It took Batman back to his roots, kept him grounded in reality, and left all that unrealistic George Clooney stuff in the past.

There’s an interesting parallel here for money management and budgeting. I think we all start off well, with plenty of good intentions, but then one of two things happens:

1. We stagnate. We lose track of our budgeting practices. We lose our motivation. We start falling short. We give up.


2. We become too extravagant. Our spending habits start spiraling out of control like a maniacal Batman villain.

In both scenarios we lose touch with reality.

When you're on the road to paying off debt, you have to hold course. If your spending starts getting too out of control or your motivation to keep up with your budget starts to deflate, you’re never going to reach your financial goals. Be realistic. Get down and dirty like a gritty reboot. If your spending habits start to feel like George Clooney’s Batman—fake, rubbery, and with sculpted nipples—it’s time to start thinking like Christian Bale—lean, efficient, and effective.

Keep pinching’ :-)

It's The Jake 'n' Dani G. Show On WLTN

Dani and I had the unique privilege of being on an hour-long radio show this past Friday to talk about our "Penny Pinching" rap video, getting out of debt, Dave Ramsey, and our faith... oh yeah, and Batman.

During the interview I butchered my explanation of Dave Ramsey's term "Gazelle Intensity," but the point remained the same even if some of my facts were wrong. Dave coined the term "Gazelle Intensity" after reading Proverbs 6:4-5, which says, "Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter..."

A Cheetah can run about 75 miles per hour, and it can hit that speed in less time than most sports cars. It is the fastest animal on earth. In a straight-line run, a Gazelle doesn't stand a chance, which is why the Gazelle has learned to bob and weave and run in circles until the Cheetah gets too tired to continue the pursuit.

FACT: The gazelle is only caught by the cheetah 1 in 19 times. (This fact is correct. Dave Ramsey says so.)

And Dave's point is this: when you're struggling to break free from the suffocating noose of credit card companies, student loans, and bills, you need Gazelle Intensity. You've got to dig down deep and find that inner determination to fight like your life depends on it. Think of all you could do if you were free from your financial burdens—save, invest, build for your children's future.

It took a while for Dani and I to find that intensity, but once we did it became a game: "How much can we save this month?" "Do you think we can come in even further under budget?" Battling debt with "Gazelle Intensity" has became fun, but it is not always easy. At times, it's still something we have to fight for.

Here are a few snippets from our radio interview on WLTN 96.7:

—Batman Shirt Friday (2:19)
—The Importance of Budgeting (2:30)
—Going to the Extreme to Save (3:24)

And if you haven't seen our rap video, here's why we're almost close to being in the vicinity of nearly famous: Penny Pinching Rap.

Keep pinchin' :-)