Planning. It is what adults do, right?
Okay so in trying to be an adult, planning must be a part of this. You might be thinking, where does the planning start… or end?
While it is actually impossible to plan for every possibility, it is a good idea to make a plan for certain things. So what kind of events should you be prepared for?
Money
Everyone needs a plan when it comes to money, no matter how much or little you make. A few things are included when talking about planning with money:
- A budget: This is crucial because it helps you map out how much you can spend without hurting your financial goals. Budgeting should be common practice in everyone’s life.Also, just because you are on a budget does not mean anything negative. A budget just helps you to stay on track with the plans you make for your money. A budget helps you to control your money, instead of letting your money control you.
- Retirement: I know, you are young and you plan on staying that way forever! But eventually, most of us would like to retire. Planning and saving now are very important to anybody who ever wants to retire. You should have a monetary goal and possibly a target age that you would like to retire at. Creating and following a retirement plan will help to make the future a bit less daunting.Investing is an important piece of anyone’s retirement puzzle. If you aren’t sure how to start investing stay tuned for future articles!
- Debt Repayment: If you have debt of any kind (especially if you have a lot of debt), you should create a plan for how you are going to pay it back and become debt-free. Debt can be a burden that could threaten to take over your life if you let it, but with some planning, a weight will be lifted.Living under the burden of debt is not ideal for anyone, especially adventurers who would like to be free to go and do what they please.
- Big Purchases: If you ever dream of owning a home, buying a non-coach airfare or taking an extended trip of any kind, you are going to need some money to make those things happen.By recognizing now what you might want in the future, you can start saving up for those bigger purchases so that you can afford to make them when the time comes.
- Emergency Fund: I am fairly certain that none of us can see into the future, so an emergency fund is absolutely critical. If anything were to happen, this is the fund that could save you from huge financial problems. Say your car needs a big repair or you get sick and cannot work for a while, what would you do?Hopefully, you have (or will soon start) an emergency fund so you do not have to worry so much about what might happen in the future.
Work
Making money is part of life, that doesn’t mean it has to be miserable though. If you are working on something that makes you miserable, then you should switch it up! Everyone’s career is very personal and you need to decide what you want out of your career. If you don’t like the field you are in, look into options to switch fields.
If you dream of being your own boss, then work towards that goal. If you want to move up ion the company you currently work for, then do that. The point is you have choices and you need to do what will make you happiest.
Once you decide what you want, do everything in your power to get there. If you do your absolute best with realistic goals, you will accomplish them.
Personal
- Health: Set goals to maintain a healthy body. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.This could include making plans for the gym or following a meal plan.
- Travel: Plan your trips! Look into places you want to go in the future and map out a rough itinerary of everything you would want to do there. Having this plan in mind will keep you motivated to do whatever it takes to get there.And if the opportunity to go on an adventure presents itself, you will be ready to grab it.
- Time: Make a daily (or weekly) plan of what you would like to accomplish by the end of the week. By setting and achieving goals on a regular basis, you will feel more motivated to keep getting things done and walk ever closer to your dreams.Time is your most valuable resource, so use it well.
There are so many different things you can plan for but just remember that life comes at you in real time. Planning is an amazing tool to use, however you may not always be able to plan something out before you start. And that is totally okay. Just always remember to work hard and things will usually work out for the best.
