I appreciate it is the 9th January, but as this is the first MM of the year, I feel the need to say “Happy New Year”. I hope you all had a fantastic festive break and managed to remain calm and in control, most of the time.
Our Christmas was busy, as normal, and there were times I could tell the pressure valve needed a release so I did the normal “Anyone want to go for a walk” strategy. It always blows the cobwebs away, gets the blood flowing and gives everyone time to think, whilst getting rid of a few festive calories.
On Boxing Day we did our sea swim (Quick dip, not much swimming going on at all) and Sandra braved the elements and joined us. She accidentally got in quicker than she was expecting, being knocked over by a wave, which I found funny ???? and so did she, later that day!! We are building our numbers and next year have commitments from other family members who want to join us. Let’s see how that works out!
The walks and the sea swim costs us nothing and probably created the best memories as a family. We all did things together and paid no attention to our phones, apart from taking photos and that doesn’t happen often, nowadays!
The goal setting process has a renewed energy and I have identified a few ‘new things’ to challenge myself, as I am sure you have too. Most of my goals are around enjoying life and maximising the time with my family and friends, but there are, of course, the normal DIY projects, fitness events and financial targets to strive towards. It can’t just be holidays!
After having a chat with one of my friends I have realised that I need to be a bit more serious about where the business is going and what we want to achieve with it. We talked about ‘the magical 5-year plan’, what does it look like and what do we want to be remembered for? Big questions to answer that, maybe, I’ve been putting off for a while. So, a big goal is to establish what that is and how we can make it happen. Once we’ve agreed this, I think we will see a massive difference in our focus and energy.
Those of you who are of the age where you are looking at the mortgage and thinking “How am I going to pay that off?” and also “What pension do I have and will it be enough to live off?” will know what thoughts I am having now. If only I’d have listened to my parents when they gave me financial advice, things would have been slightly more organised! These are good thoughts though, I have a home that has equity and the business is doing well so I am chipping away at the mortgage and adding to my savings, small steps.
The important things are still the memories we, as a family, create, spending good quality time with loved ones and having fun. Life should be fun. You can’t take your money, nice house, fancy car and golf clubs with you!
Here are a few tips for 2023:
- Enjoy and appreciate each day
- Do some planning but be flexible with it
- Prioritise the ‘real stuff’
- Forgive and move on
- Balance your life
Have an amazing week ahead