When you’re planning a cross-country road trip, one of the first steps is determining your route. Without a roadmap — physical or digital — you have a higher chance of following an inefficient course or even getting lost. Plus, you might end up missing some of the sights you wanted to see most.

Your financial journey is very similar to taking a long road trip in the sense that it’s best to proceed with a plan. A little foresight can help you hit your goals while avoiding major missteps.

Here’s more on how to put together your financial plan.

Check Your Credit Reports Annually

Start by making it a point to check your credit reports regularly. Everyone in the U.S. is entitled to one free credit report every year from each of the three major reporting bureaus — TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Each of those reports will contain slightly different information, which is why it’s wise to keep tabs on all of them.

Requesting one free report every four months on a rotation will help you spot any errors that may have made their way into your credit history, as well as track your financial trajectory. The more you know about your spending habits and history, the more relevant goals you’ll be able to set for yourself.

Set Short- and Long-Term Goals

Your financial plan should contain a mix of short- and long-term financial goals.

Common examples include:

• Building your emergency fund up to a certain threshold
• Saving a down payment for a home or vehicle
• Opening a 401(k)/IRA or contribute more to your existing retirement account
• Starting a business
• Saving $100, $500, $1,000, $10,000, etc.
• Getting out of debt

Short-term goals, like saving for your next vacation or padding your emergency fund, helps you avoid taking on debt in the near future — which in turn helps you free up more money for long-term goals, like saving for retirement or buying your dream home.

The goals you set should motivate you rather than intimidate you. Think about small, money-related actions you can take right now or tomorrow to get you closer to your bigger aims in life. Be sure to write those goals down, rather than just thinking them.

Deal with Debts Strategically

Debts tend to be a drag on your finances and your mental health. So, it’s time to deal with them systematically.

Prioritize your efforts if you tackle debt repayment on your own. Pay the minimum amount due on every balance. Choose an order in which to tackle your balances: lowest balance to highest balance (snowball) or highest interest rate to lowest interest rate (avalanche). Once you’ve done so, hit that debt with every available dollar you have left after your other expenses are covered to pay it in full. Repeat the process with each succeeding obligation until they’re all paid off.

If your debts are significant enough to warrant help, look into various solutions like:

• A debt consolidation loan through a bank, credit union or online lender
• A debt management program through a credit counseling agency
• A debt settlement program through a firm like Freedom Debt Relief
• Bankruptcy as an absolute last resort for crushing debt

The sooner you decide how to tackle your debts, the less you’ll pay in total interest and the quicker you’ll be able to focus on your positive financial goals.

Create a Realistic Spending Plan

In some regards, budgets are like fad diets; it’s easy to start out with the best intentions, only to trail off soon after or realize it just isn’t working for you. That’s why it’s often more helpful to put together a spending plan — or a straightforward spreadsheet tracking all sources of income vs. all sources of expense.

Nowadays, you can even take advantage of an expense-tracking app to log and categorize your purchases. This makes it even easier to analyze your habits and make positive changes.

A solid financial plan will contain a spending plan, goals for the short and long term, strategies for addressing debts and up-to-date credit information.