While it's common to focus on personal well-being and healthful habits, perhaps this is the year to shift focus to goals concerning your financial health. Here are seven tips to help you become more financially fit this new year.

1. Create a budget. It’s easy to get into financial trouble if you spend more than you earn. By watching your budget more carefully, you might be surprised by how much you spend in certain areas of your life. Many banks and credit unions offer budgeting tools directly on their websites.

2. Get a free credit report. You can obtain a free copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies every 12 months. Reviewing your reports regularly can help ensure the data in your report is accurate and allows you to contact creditors to dispute any errors.

3. Pay down debt. Start chipping away at your debts through a series of regular payments using a methodology of some kind. Begin with bills that have the highest interest rates to save the most money, or start by eliminating debt balances smallest to largest to gain momentum. Research whether it makes sense to consolidate debts at a more reasonable interest rate.

4. Review your investments. With recent changes in Washington, D.C. and market volatility, reviewing your investments is more important than ever. Protect yourself against risks by diversifying across different classes of investments. If you have not developed an asset allocation plan, do so. If you have, adjust your portfolio to ensure it is still meeting your objectives.

5. Plan ahead for retirement. Take advantage of tax-favored retirement plans such as a 401(k) at work. Both the contributions and earnings are tax-deferred and can compound over time. The 401(k) limit for 2021 is $19,500 ($26,000 if you’re age 50 or over). Also consider contributing to an IRA, which has a contribution limit of $6,000 ($7,000 if you're age 50 or older).

6. Check your insurance coverage. Things can change over time, so don’t assume the coverage you acquired years ago still provides adequate protection for your family or business. Take a look at your policies to determine if adjustments are needed.

7. Save for emergencies. And finally, would you be financially prepared if your business failed or you lost your job? The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us the importance of establishing an emergency fund that can last for several months if you lost your salary or business revenue dramatically declines.

While acting on all these tips can be overwhelming, start with a goal to tackle one of these tasks each month. Automate payments for savings and debt for an instant healthy habit that you don't have to remember. By focusing on each one systematically, before you know it, your financial wellness will greatly improve over the course of the new year.