I have been inspired by a friend, Paul Hudson to think about the setting some new goals for the next 10 years, going forward upto 2020. It’s very easy to just simply drift through life taking chances as they arise. But, I don’t believe I’m that kind of person. For me, life needs to be structured, if you want to get somewhere significant. I have every intention of retiring from normal working environments reasonably early – moving into less physically demanding work as a get older. To do this I need to plan ahead now. So, what does this entail? I have created a list of goals for myself.

Financial
Most people in the UK probably live beyond their income each month. Stacking expenditure on credit cards and store cards, they have little to show for their hard earned money but clothes, toys and beer-bellies. I try to buck the trend and keep as tight a reign as possible on my expenses. I would like to achieve to following;

• Pay off my mortgage over the next 5 years and become mortgage-free
• Start contributing to my pension on a regular basis to hit the pension aged target of 55
• Continue to invest in the stock market to spread my portfolio across a greater number of companies
• Re-evaluate my monthly expenses, looking for cheaper insurances and service providers
• Work towards becoming more energy efficient in the house and garden. Research solar energy and PV
• To continue contracting and running my own company for as long as possible
• Start investing in myself again, ie; purchase the photographic equipment for my Portrait Photography
• Continue to sell items which I no longer use or need

Leisure
I think leisure time is extremely important and everyone should set aside time in their lives to enjoy the countryside, friends, family and hobbies. Working all the hours for someone else, while they’re at home with their families doesn’t seem right to me. So, I try to schedule time for myself each day or weekend to do the things I want to do. I’m in a lucky situation where my hobby (photography) is an income stream. So, most activities involve me taking photos when I’m out and about. So where can I improve?

• Participate in more photographic holidays building up my portfolio. There are plenty of small companies offering to take small groups of ‘togs out, around an area to show them the highlights. I should investigate this.
• Visit more UK and European cities and towns on the weekends with my family
  York, Edinburgh, Oxford, Scottish Highlands, Lake District, Peak District and Cumbria
  Barcelona, Venice, Florence, Swiss Alps and Berlin
• Start offering portrait photography to my friends and family.

Mind body and Soul
I’m not a spiritual person but I think some downtime can be helpful for one’s mental health. Relaxation is something I don’t spend enough time doing. My mind races with ideas all the time, some time out is required.

• Doing some more aggressive exercise. I walk alot but clearly not enough due to my ‘grab handles’. I could do with losing a stone or two.
• I think I should read more. I spend way too much time on this computer. Picking up a book now and then wouldn’t kill me.