Remember the days when you had an adrenaline rush of blood because you are excited over something? Don’t you simply love those moments and wish you could repeat those feelings? Life seems to be such a wonderful gift that you continuously thank your lucky star for having you to be here on this very moment.
I know we are only at the beginning of the new year and everyone is as excited as how they want to start the year with some spectacular things to begin with. This is why I’ve chosen to write this piece at this juncture in time when everyone’s attention is still up high on their head.
The new year is just starting and I know everyone is wishing for a smooth year ahead. However, no matter what, life is always going to come at us in waves, peaks and troughs at different days of the year without giving you a heads up.
Having something to look forward to keeps one motivated throughout one’s life journey. They do not have to be big things like achieving financial freedom or climbing the Mt. Everest. They can come in the form of small things that you genuinely look forward to. For example, I recall my time when I was visiting the Santiago Bernabeu stadium at Madrid and watching a live football match at Barcelona as one of those events that I had an adrenaline rush running over me. You can view my experience here if you are interested.
Having something to look forward to takes time to plan and effort because you have to think and orchestrate these events in your head while you are living your current life. Some pessimistic people called it day dreaming but to us they are simply thrill of anticipation. Those thrill of anticipations are what that are going to push us through difficult times and negates anxiety. Our body have compartments that are able to release chemicals when we are at our happiest moments and those anticipations make us feel great all around.
Since we are only at the beginning of the year, I would encourage everyone to set at least a few perennial short and long term goals. Keep them as real and practical as close as possible and try to hit as many of them as much as possible along the way. If you are one of those who likes to travel, plan for your holidays a couple of months in advance. During this time, you’ll find yourselves reading all the travel guides and books working out on the details what to experience during the trip. The anticipation itself is what that makes it special.
There’s no easy way to achieving self-satisfaction by giving ourselves enough self-motivation. It takes time and effort and a lot of planning to achieve that. Take some time off to think about what activities make you excited, record them in your blog or diary and review them regularly, especially when you are having an off field day.
What about you? Did you plan for anything to look forward to? Do you think this methodology would work?
Hello B,
To answer your question, I plan to look forward to my performance bonus.
But I don't plan to look forward to paying the income tax with a portion of my performance bonus. Haha.
Hi SRSI
As much as I plan to look forward receiving my bonus, the feeling is somehow isnt entirely similar to when I am feeling genuinely ecstatic and having that adrenaline rush running over me.
Maybe different people feels differently towards each situation 🙂
2015 is like a blank canvas for me. I have nothing major planned so far. Can I turn the tables on you and ask what you have lined up in 2015 that you are looking forward to? 😉
Hi RetailTrader
I do not hv one line up yet but if I hv to choose one it would be an extended family trip together for about a week where everyone hv laughter and bonding time together. We hvnt really had that quiet time together in a while now.
I am still awaiting for my little one to grow slightly bigger too so we can bring him out with more ease.
Hi B,
I understand what you mean! I look forward to a few things in 2015:
1. A day or two where all my students cancelled their lessons (maybe during the flu seasons), and I get to enjoy a leisurely afternoon dim sum lunch with my wife 🙂
2. High chance of me gng overseas or a staycation during CNY period…I've not had a holiday for close to 1 yr + or perhaps longer?
3. Bought a backpack from kickstarter crowdfunding…will arrive in May. It's the greatest bag ever invented, esp for tutors like me! I hope it's as good as it looks on the site lol
4. looking forward to a mini-crash or correction in the market. My war chest is building up very nicely now
5. Looking forward to reading some of the books in my list. One of the book I'm anticipating is e-cubed…the sequel to e-square. Transformative mind flipping books
6. Looking forward to upgarding my aging desktop! I so so so wanted to upgrade my motherboard and chipset to a i7 (mine is duo-core!)..so just researching a little and reading up makes me a little dizzy LOL
Okay lah, enough…otherwise like hijacking your post haha!
Hi LP
Simple things bring greater joy in life isnt it.
The first one made me smile. I think you enjoyed the teaching process but perhaps due to your 50k goal.this year you might be pushing too hard? I might miss your rationale but why are you stretching your target in 2015? I remember that you rather enjoyed the journey and early retirement is not really what you are seeking.
Hi B,
Haha, I don't think I'm stretching my targets…it's been there all along. 2015 should be a great year for me (based on my students forecast), but 2016 is a big unknown. I might as well make hay while the sun shines and earn while I can, knowing that this is only temporary. In my kind of work, there's seldom years of constant earnings..it's just one big wave up and one big wave down.
I'm also working towards the goal of getting my investment capital big enough to have 1k/month dividends. Perhaps when it comes, I can walk at a slower pace.
Hmm.. interesting to know what will happen to 2016 that it will have such a drastic impact to your life. Maybe we can sit down and kopi 2nd round another day to discuss this.
I wish you all the best in reaching your goal of 1k/month dividends. I think you will reach it by this year since you have more than 200k in equity portfolio this year already.
Haha I rmb u don't drink coffee 🙂
It's nothing drastic lah, except that my earnings is a wildcard when it comes to 2016. I've been handling this volatility in income since forever, so it's nothing new 🙂
And I don't have 200k on equity! Total investible is about 100k+. To reach 250k, I need about 2 to 3 yrs time, if I can maintain my savings of 50k per yr.
Quite impossible to hit 250k this yr 🙂
B,
"The anticipation itself is what that makes it special."
Hey, if that give you happiness and joy, rather than the actual deed itself, who can say otherwise? 😉
Let's use the travel example. My most memorable trips were those where I met interesting people I didn't know, or when unexpected events happened – both good and bad.
Have you noticed if we take trips and everything when according to the itinerary, all we have are tons of "I were there" photos? Were they memorable?
My little question to you is: Was the live match in Barcelona planned from day 1 before you left Singapore?
SMOL, very deep as usual. I guess you imply live the moment?
B, I look forward to my goals but also to the randomness that occurs.
Derek,
LP explained it better – it's to get into the zone 😉
Read LP's comment at my latest post. Did I planned that?
And by the way, I am not deep, I am just fat 🙁
Was going to say I am light as feather… but I just looked into the mirror…
Reality is a bitch!
LOL!
Hi SMOL
Thanks for your wise comments as always. It gets me thinking the opposite end of the spectrum.
To answer your question, I've experienced that magical feeling for both planned and impromptu events so either one could work for me.
My character makes me a planner rather than not. Maybe its due to my professional habit or me being a virgo, but I prefer planned things generally than surprises, either good or bad.
I hear what you are saying and I am open to the unexpected but if I were to be the one organizing its usually planned things. Boring boring me I guess that's me. Hahaha
Hi Derek
It's more than just goals actually.
I am actually referring to the small little thrills in life that makes my day happy maybe for a short term period. For instance, I remember in the past placing a bet in the thousands in a soccer match, I generally get that feeling of staying up to watch the match, even if theyare screened at 5am in the morning and it's not even a big match.
This sounds like a bad example but I think we get the idea of what Iam referring about.
I think Derek need to blog jump to read the comments to see the full story lol! Reminds me of the freq hopping ability of radio sets in my army days 🙂
If we can live in the zone all the time, we'll have no fear! No future to worry about, no past to reminiscence in. Some say that's where happiness lies…somewhere between the worries of tomorrow and the glories of yesterday.
Hi LP
Strange enough, I can never just focus solely on the moment today. There is always a bit of me who thinks about yesterday, majority of me who acts about today and thinking about tomorrow.
Maybe its my personality.
Hi B,
Speaking of looking forward, reminds me that at different stage we look forward to diff things. When I was late teens, traveling to theme park overseas, I look forward to roller coaster and even say I will do sky diving n bungees! Did I do it… Nah… Now… Never!
As undergrad, I always look forward to graduating and do backpacking around the world. Did I do it… Nah… Now… Lazy n not interesting!
Time flies and will never be back. Do it while you can if you really look forward to something. There are rivers to cross and mountain to climb than to just stay put!
There is this writer Mark Manson. What happen is he turned 30 and sent an email out to readers and asked those of age 37 and older what advice they would give their 30-year-old selves. He received more than 600 responses, many was from the quality of insight people sent. What surprised him was just how consistent some of the advice was. It seems there really are a few core pieces of advice that are particularly relevant to this decade of your life.
I compile what the write had to say before. It's quite interesting!
http://www.rolfsuey.com/2014/04/10-lessons-that-will-help-you-excel-in.html?m=1
Hi Rolf
Thanks for your comments as always. They hv been very helpful.
I remember in the past I used to do activities like.bungee jumping and sky diving. Luckily I did that in my teens so now that's past and we move on in life. If it were to be today, I wouldnt hv done it given my family commitments and responsibility. Or maybe because my balls shrinked smaller. Ouch.
Thanks for the article. Interestingly there are always more regrets about things when we look back at our younger days thinking if only we did this and that in the past. Then again people are focusing too much on the past that affects their present life today.
Hi B,
Indeed our balls had shrinked! hahaha….I still have not done bungee jumping, and do not think i will do that ever in my life time.
Rolf
Too risky now.
Risk-return profile has shifted 😉
Rolf: Nice article there.
B: After reading your article, I am reminded of those days that I really get the adrenaline rush, that excitement in games and competitions that pushes me and shakes me up. Now, probably because I've got older, the 'rush' I get is very much toned-down. I guess I need to find more exciting things to do for 2015!
Hey, it's just another day in paradise.
Hi Henry
The most optimistic thinking is to think that living everyday is a paradise and to thank everything that we hv today.
Simple and precise. If one could set the mind thinking like that everyday it would be perfect.
I typically don't plan or look forward to things that are too far out. Quite frankly, I feel having a horizon of 3 to 6 months works for me. It's a perfect amount of time to see how far you have come and mark your progress without losing sight of a longer term goal. I feel that if you plan or anticipate something that is way out in the future you can easily lose your aim.
Hi Divhut
Ah, so you would belong to the type that try to live in the moment.
A short term goal is always good to hit early. Someone who sets a target of achieving a $1m networth will hv to undergo $300k or $500k target first. Setting too long a goal will at times make us lose focus over what we need to achieve first and foremost.
Excellent point B!
Unfortunately, I am one of those pessimistic people who always find something bad in life. However, I am looking forward to start investing in real estate this year and to finally move out of my parent's house.
I just realized too that to have something to look forward doesn't even have to be something to do with finances but could be in other areas in life. Happy new year!
Hi Jeff
Do try to focus on the positive side of things while taking care of matters for the negative side which you foresee.
Moving out to live on your own is a big matter to look forward to. You should feel very proud of it.
Hoping to see that materialize for you this year. Keep it going.
I do love having things to look forward to and work towards, but I'm always trying to balance this with being more 'present' and spending time appreciating the moment where I am now. I think if you can combine these two things it's pretty hard not to be happy about life!
Hi Jason
I can see why you are doing that with your lovely family at your beautiful islands. Having the best of both sides is what we should be aiming towards, it's hard to achieve those though.
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