What’s your primary focus right now when it comes to financial goals? Are you getting out of debt, saving for a house, or building your career? Or maybe you’re gearing up for a leap out on your own into a small business.

Regardless of your goal, identifying your primary focus is the first step. It’s an important one, but it’s still only the first one.

After that, you have to prove that your financial goal matters to you if you want to achieve it.

Why you’ve got to prove it

It’s easy to say that you want to do certain things, but as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Beyond identifying a desire and fleshing it out, talk doesn’t really get you anywhere.

You have to do the things that will take you in the right direction.

Check your actions

So take a look at your actions over the past week. Did they bring you closer toward your goals? And what about today — have you done something today that was a step in the right direction?

Even a small one can make a difference — if you keep going and make it one of many.

Don’t put it off

You don’t have to focus non-stop on a financial goal, but if you’re not regularly doing something to make your goal a reality — even if that’s a small-but-frequent something — chances are your goal is either not something that you truly want to achieve, or it’s more of a wish or a dream.

Goals are easy to put off, because life gets in the way. We’re busy, or we’re tired, or we don’t have the money right now. The thing is, tomorrow won’t change unless we do. So if your goal matters to you, prove it.

Don’t just dream it. Live it.