Change up Your Future this Summer
Summer’s here, and if the living is too easy, it might be time for a change. Set yourself some goals now to make 2019 your springboard to transformation.
Summer Dream Home
Finding the perfect house can be like meeting the love of your life…you just know! Finalising the purchase, however, is slightly less magical. You need to figure out if the house is in your league, or whether it is looking for someone with deeper pockets. And then you have to persuade a potentially reluctant bank to give you a mortgage so that you can seal the deal. Make it easier on yourself by setting some financial planning goals in advance, such as saving for the deposit, cleaning up your credit rating and arranging the financing. Then make sure you only look at houses in your price bracket – because unrequited love hurts. Lastly, make sure the house will still work for you if your circumstances change, such as getting a job in a different location, having a litter of new puppies, or, you know, finding out you are having a baby…
Summer Dream Job
When your job is turning into more of a 9-to-5-nightmare and you are dreading getting to work in the morning, perhaps a career change is calling. The days are long gone when someone qualified as an accountant, then kept that job until they retired or died of boredom. These days, having experience in several different sectors can be a distinct asset; employers like the fact that their marketing guru can also balance the books. To make your new life happen, think about the industries that excite you, pin down your career options, research what you need to do to get into that business and then write a plan to make it happen. Challenge yourself to do one thing every day towards your career goal … progress might be slow, but you’ll get there.
Summer Dream Body
If your midriff is more ‘sack of potatoes’ than six pack, you’re in luck. Summer is the perfect time to get the motivation for a new physique. The key is to set some fitness goals that harmonise with your life, so that you avoid a spurt of frantic gym-going activity, followed by an unused gym pass sitting in the back of a drawer. Whether your goal is to look like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor or you just want to be able to fit in your jeans, having clear goals will help you to push through the waning motivation that finds us on the couch with a packet of Twistees, rather than doing burpees down the gym. Write down how your life will improve if you get fitter; then start with the easy wins. Park a few blocks away from work and walk the rest; go to the beach and actually swim across the bay – keep upping the laps every visit; bike to the supermarket with a backpack to get your shopping; or sign up for a half marathon and train towards it. Your blood pressure will thank you for it.
Summer Dream Partner
2018 could be your year of love – but romance takes some planning too. Like all our goals, this starts with working out what you want (from a hot fling to a long-term partner) and then focusing on finding that by being upfront about it with the people you are dating. If your previous strategy hasn’t been working, then change it up; try a blind date or set up a meeting with someone in London or Rome rather than Sliema. Push yourself outside your comfort zone by joining a new club (think rock climbing, open water swimming, or a voluntary theatre group) where you’re more likely to come across like-minded people… then just let love rule.
Take some time this summer to plan where you want to be in 2019 and go for it! The future is yours – make it happen!
