Planning for the Future: Life Considerations to Ponder On
Planning for the Future: Life Considerations to Ponder On
When we think of the future, we usually think of the immediate future—usually no more than a few days. We think about who we’re going to meet up with on the weekend. What film will we watch when we get home? What kind of dinner do we want to cook? We plan our lives around the unpredictable future because we want to have things to look forward to.
Unfortunately, it will inevitably cross our minds that we also need to be planning ahead for a couple of years and not just days. In fact, many people have already started Retirement Planning despite only being in their mid-20s—now that’s dedication! However, starting young and preparing for the future is never a bad idea.
Yes, it’s true that even the best-laid plans can go to waste, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth consideration in the first place. So who cares if your future plan isn’t playing out 100%? The point is that you need to get thinking because there are things, such as your health, that are irreversible. If you’re smoking and you’ve ever wanted to stop, then perhaps you need to get an early head start before it does permanent damage to your body.
Marriage and Children
Getting married, having a wedding and then raising children is the most common stereotype for the average person. In fact, some people have it ingrained in their minds and they want to get married as early as possible to start preparing for their retirement as soon as they can. They want to have children, they want their children to grow, and then they’ll kick their children out and let them fend for themselves once they’re old enough to work and pay rent.
However, it’s becoming increasingly more acceptable to never get married and never have children. While passing on the bloodline is a huge deal to some families, other parents will support their children no matter what decision they make. Many people realize that there are very few advantages to getting married, and the prospect of raising a child could lead to financial problems that not every couple can stomach.
Careers
We’ve all been stuck in a boring job that we never wanted in the first place. We do it just for the money and we swear that we’ll leave at the first opportunity. Sadly, that opportunity never comes and several years later, we find ourselves sitting at the same job and cursing everything around us because we don’t want to take risks.
Unfortunately, the reality is that it’s not easy to find a dream job. Opportunities don’t just come to you—you need to go and find them.
Housing
You should consider what your preferred type of accommodation is because buying a house and taking out a mortgage is a long-term investment. Do you see yourself living in the same city for years to come, or do you prefer to move around? Your accommodation strategy will depend on how much you want to travel and where you want to work.
For example, if you’ve landed a job at a secure company and can expect job security for many years to come, then there’s nothing wrong with buying a home now and preparing it for when you have a family. However, if you work from home and you like to travel, then taking out a mortgage for a home makes little sense.
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