Getting started

 I've been good at setting goals, especially money target goals, always in the beginning of the year. Last year I achieved 90% of my target. Other than money goals, the other targets I set for myself is usually less successful. 

This year I want to be different. I first thought of having no money goal at all, but after concluding my first sale, I decided to up my target by 30%. This time around I want to achieve my financial goal with less stress and less worries about where the moneys / commissions will come from, and to rather focus on being happy and enjoy the things I keep myself busy with.

In my plan for my life going forward, I cannot realistically imagine what it is like to retire. I've been enjoying my work, except for the stress part of it. Getting rid of the stress part - which is usually feeling scared about running out of money - will surely change my life for the better.

Talking about changing my life for the better, this is what I hope to achieve once I have a goal and a plan going forward; this time a '5 year goal', and a '10 year goal'.

Bloomberg Radio has a saying, 'Perspective changes everything'. CNN before used, 'You are the first to know'. These sayings changes with time. It is the 'perspective' from Bloomberg that reminded me of a long-standing outlook I have on my life and my work; taking regular holidays as this will help to give you a new perspective on life, and your work.

It is this regular holiday that switched off when COVID started, and because of the financial impact it had, my holidays where either spent at home or not far away from home. To really get away is what I need to assess my perspective, to inspire me, and to make me feel that life is worth living.

Now, after almost 4 years, maybe even longer, I had the break I needed to get back on track. It started off with me doing this course at Cambridge for 6 weeks. They say, 'a change is as good as a holiday', and this was a fantastic break from work - seriously intensive study for 6 weeks. I had to just stick to it as I paid a small fortune - 1800 pounds - and it was worth every moment of it. After all this study - it felt as if my brain was frying - I decided that I needed to get out of my office and away from my computer. 

With summer arriving in Cape Town, I came up with the idea of a road trip that took me and a friend to Matjiesfontein, Prins Albert, the Swartberg-pass, Oudtshoorn, Ladysmith and the road back to Cape Town via the R62. But, whereas this was a holiday envisioned to share with a friend, I needed more and not long after, we set off to Brazil, Rio de Janeiro for another visit to the city that I love. It is almost like the passionate version of Cape Town. Now, with a three and a half month holiday gone, I'm ready to take on the world.

Part of my medium and long term plan is to extend the time I take off each year. I'm now at 2 months, and would like to keep it like this until I can manage 3 months off, and then 4 months away until say 6 months away in a year, which is what I imagine can be called retirement; let's see.

To make this journey exciting is to plan on where to go next, and which other places you still like to visit. 

I need new clothes, and as I love Italian made garments, Italy is next on my list.

My mother gave me a sign that is still up above my office door; "HAPPINESS is a journey, not a destination". Even the famous Robin Sharma from 'The 5 AM Club' sent out an email two days ago; 

Yep. There is a way to become the happiest person you know Werner. It’s grounded in a fairly simple principle though the daily execution is where you need to put in the sweat equity.The easy principle can be stated in a single line: trade the pursuit of money for the far higher aim of being happy. 

I think I got the point already, and I'm on that journey. It may not be easy, and the results may not be immediate, but I'm happy to sweat away and make it work.