Are you a planner? I absolutely love dreaming up future plans and putting them on the calendar for the coming year – seeing all I have to look forward to. I break down my ambitions quarterly and try to be realistic about what can actually be achieved in that timeframe.
In looking ahead, I don’t just confine myself to a year. There are five, ten and even twenty-year goals. Currently it is difficult to think beyond my pup and whatever time we have left together. He is only seven and in good health, but I know that in ten or fifteen years I will most likely be on my own again. Breaks my heart.
Nonetheless, part of life is preparing for the inevitable. And so I do have a loose plan to slow travel the world once I am again untethered. That option will require quite a bit of advanced preparation I can begin even now.
Researching potential destinations to visit is fun, investigating potential second citizenship and passports, learning new languages to help me integrate more quickly. Dipping a toe into the future pool without taking too much focus away from the present.
I am also always in a quandary over whether to buy another house. I have been renting for all the years since I moved to Washington state. 16 years now. I have owned a home previously and am torn. It is a love/hate relationship for sure.
My first house was lovely – custom built. But somehow, I always felt it owned me instead of the other way round. Never ending chores and projects and maintenance. It was a ball and chain. And yet, investment-wise, I realized renting is not always optimal. I also love the thought of settling in and not having to pack up and move again. (I’ve moved 8 times in those 16 years here.) So, I keep my eyes open and never say never on home-buying possibly in the future.
In the shorter term, I set quarterly goals for things I wish to learn, to launch, to create, to savor, etc. Self-study, semester-style curriculum works best for me, as I love being a student of life. My fairly flexible work schedule lends itself nicely.
2025 will be my 55th birthday. A big milestone year! And my plans reflect that celebratory moment.
What are you lining up for the new year? It’s just around the corner.
