How do you do that? You start with planning and more planning. The more detailed your plan is the more likely it is that it will happen. Try doing just one year at a time and plan that year in as much detail as you can. The more time you spend on this project the more likely it is to happen.
What do you want more of? What are the things you want to do? Write it down! We cannot accomplish much without a plan! Think of it like building a house: you first draw up a plan, get quotes, finalize details and then you start to build.
I quit my job which may not have been the smartest thing to do but it was the largest obstacle to everything in my life and I will deal with it somehow. I need more time to take care of my family, plain and simple. I have two teenagers at home who do not actually require a lot of time or supervision but that is not my point. This time right now is precious to ME. My middle son graduates in June and will be moving out. I want to have the time to spend with him, to listen to him and to focus on him with my attention. He is not going to want to sit and visit with me all day but I am going to be available.
Since my husband works out of town for a week at the time I want to be here when he is home so we can spend some quality time together. He is the greatest guy in the world!
My daughter goes to University in Lethbridge and usually comes home every second weekend when her Dad is here so I am going to go to visit her the week that she does not come home. She is working hard and I am going to be available to her and to support her.
My youngest son is still at home and is an easy-going guy who is always hungry. I will cook and bake for him and he is always bringing friends home who are equally hungry. I hope he will have fond memories of his teenage years with few responsibilities and a happy Mom.
My parents are in their seventies and still in reasonably good health. I am going to take the time to spend with them now before it is too late. I will visit them weekly and offer to help them with chores or just have coffee. I will be patient and grateful to still have both of them in my life.
I have two sisters and a brother who I will visit or call on a regular basis. I enjoy spending time with all of them but they are busy too and I will be the one to make the relationships better.
I have wonderful friends that I will commit to get together with at least once a month. We email often just to keep in touch but this year I will make the effort to see them more. I will suggest and plan getting together since I have the time for the next year.
May 1st this year I will start to take golf lessons. I have resisted learning to golf for years as I really didn’t think it was my kind of thing but I can see the benefits now. It gets me outside in the summer doing something with other people. It is a game that can be done anywhere in the world and it is a great thing to do with a spouse, kids or friends which takes several hours. I will give it an honest try this year.
I am going to plan another party this summer for my family and friends and this year we will invite them to set up tents in the back yard. This will be our second annual golf tournament and BBQ. I will cook breakfast the next morning for everyone. Hopefully this will be a new family tradition for us.
Kevin and I both love to travel but this requires money that we really don’t have right now. Since we do agree that it is a high priority, we had to figure out a way to still travel, but for less money. The solution became to join my parents on a trip to Europe and cost share the expenses. My parents are not comfortable travelling alone anymore anyway. Kevin and I are traveling on points and we will be joining my parents in their rented house. We will contribute the food and we are only staying for 12 days of the total 22 days that my parents are staying. We fly in close to the rented house and will travel about on the train system. No need for expensive rental cars or fuel.
This year Kevin and I will spend time going to Farmer’s Markets and we will cook more together. We will be going for day trips during the week to Waterton National Park with a picnic and to Kananaskis Provincial Park for lunch and a hike (which is actually what we did a lot of when we were dating many years ago.) We will be home evenings and week-ends for the kids, have dinner on the deck and just be together.
I will be diligent in spending as little money as possible and I will question every expense that could be avoided to ease the strain on our finances. I will continue to look for work that fits with our family’s needs.
This is the plan for the next 12 months which is mostly about time and people. Since I don’t know how much I will earn this year, I will have to spend less to make this work.
Tell me how you would make this year THE BEST ONE EVER!
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