Life Circle Week 2: Looking Forward

Week 2 of The Life Circle is all about looking at where we would like to be in 5 years time and counting backwards 2 years, 1 year and 6 months. This is part of the The Life Circle hosted at the Five F's blog.
I had to set it out like I have below as that is how I have worked everything out on paper and I found I just kept going back to this to make sure I was correct on my time frames and goals! I have also based my Looking Forward challenge on the Life Circle which has the 8 categories we looked at in the first task here.

5 YEARS - AGE 27- YEAR 2016
2 YEARS - AGE 24- YEAR 2013
1 YEAR   - AGE 23 -YEAR 2012
6 MONTHS - APRIL - 2012

Health- In 5 years I would like my body to be more like the temple it should be! Hopefully I would have been able to maintain a good body weight over these next few years and with that have a good exercise and meal routine.
It could also be a possibility to either be carrying or planning to have another little monkey to add the clan. But as my Little Man is only 10 months it is still to fresh in my mind for serious consideration!! I hope by this time in life I will have developed a good love for cooking all sorts of meals and treats. I hope to be free or almost free from anxiety and low confidence.


Finance-In 5 years both the children will be in school with Little Miss in primary (!) and Little Man in the nursery school (!!) so i suppose I see myself in a part time job earning some extra money and fighting the boredom of being a stay at home mum (not that I find it boring but we looking to the future here with the house empty most of the day). I also hope Little Miss can be attending school clubs and outside clubs without us having to scrimp and save for those extra activities. 
I hope to have a regular savings account set up before 5 years but at this time for it to be looking pretty good for holidays and future funds. 


Environment-Hopefully in 5 years we will have a bigger house (3 bed) whether we have a 3rd child or not as we are bound to in the future! The ideal house is a 3 bed with a bigger lounge and kitchen, a bigger garden with a lawn and not bark! If we do happen to be here still that's fine as long as the neighbours stay nice and the street stays about the same (it'll never be quiet after all) then at least we can turn our house into a really nice place if we're luckily enough to be long term renting.


Career-I hope to be a fully qualified massage therapist possibly at a higher level needed in 5 years and qualified perhaps in some other subjects I could study at the Open University. I will also like to have a higher qualification in maths as I failed in my GCSEs. Maths scares the hell out of me but It's important for my children so I can help them. I would also like to be a volunteer. Guide to Career Education is a good source in finding schools and classes for your chosen career so I shall have a good look at this.


Fun-I hope we could have been on at least one family holiday together by this time. I also hope the children to be in clubs, me helping out with them and and at school. I hope to have established me time and by good money management to have pennies for half term trips and summer holiday fun.


Personal Development-If I can achieve even half of this then it is a massive achievement in itself. I hope to not be bothered by other peoples thoughts, opinions or looks. I aim to be more sociable and have developed good money managing skills.


Family and Friends-My goal is to see family on a regular basis and my Dads family every year as a holiday as they live furthest away. I hope to still be in touch with my penfriends and maybe even meet them by this time. I aim to have new friends and not look back anymore at being let down in the past. 


Love-I hope to still be freshly and happily married to my wonderful partner. I hope we stay a close and loving couple talking together on a regular basis, having date nights as both children will be older. 
In 3 years I will be 24 and I hope to have the exercise and meal routine I mentioned above in place. I hope that I will not be or have been pregnant just at this time but that I have introduced a healthy way of living into my family home. I hope that i love cooking and baking and maybe even own a dog as way of getting more active as the children will be older.


I hope Little Miss is in school/out of school groups and that I have some qualifications under my belt should I wish to seek work to boost our financial situation. I hope we have a regular savings account coming on nicely and the children also have a savings account and receive pocket money.


I would imagine that this house would still be our home if we're lucky to rent so long privately but that we have done it up nicely and it feels like home at the same time keeping our options open and saving for future decisions. I hope to make use of my local environment (libraries, parks,walks,history and to do things locally).


I hope I am qualified in 3 years to do body massage and if i am not then to be studying it (preferably at the end of studying) and possibly have a part time job although I am not entirely sure as Little Man will only be in nursery.
For fun I hope I am more relaxed and making use of family time. I hope i can get to grips with some real hobbies of my own and make use of local facilities for half terms and holidays.


I aim to be seeing my family regularly organised and arranged and already be seeing my Dads side at least yearly. I aim to make more effort with friends, attending more groups to meet new peolpe and organise meet ups for days and/or evenings.


In 3 years I will be married 2 years so still happily newlywed I hope. I hope we are still very much in love, appreciating each other and having 'Date Nights'.


Finally, I hope following groups with the children and taking part in school activities will boost my confidence. I hope to have mastered my anxiety and confidence issues but if not consider returning for CBT. I hope that I can do my maths qualification as this actually means a lot to my personal development.
In One Years time it will obviously be October 2012. I hope health wise I have adapted the meal and exercise routine that I mention in the future years and will mention again at 6 months as this is something to start asap. I hope by next year to be a bit more toned and to cook more home meals, be less stressed and less anxious.

I think financially we will be in the same comfortable place we are now (hopefully). I want to be a this point having more self control over money, distinguishing between 'want' and 'need'. I want the children to have a regular savings account and ourselves which could be hard after a wedding. At least have one opened. I also hope Little Miss is in Rainbows with no financial worries on our part so she can get out and enjoy.

Unless otherwise we should still be in our current home and probably still making it perfect (as perfect as rentals can be). I would like to aim for a mass re-decoration next summer re painting and re doing the garden to create a lawn and play items for the children. Perhaps I could find a way of escaping the town at least monthly to get some respite.

I don't think I'll be working but possibly aim to be volunteering as Little Man will only be 1 so I will still be a stay at home mummy. Hopefully my partner will still be doing well in work and I can be studying various subjects of interest with the O.U and re taking my maths GCSE. An OU course I have been eyeing starts this time next year.

My goal is by this time next year we will go out more, explore our local areas signing up at various places (Net Mums, National Trust etc) to find out fun goings on locally. I aim to have done Race For Life in July 2012 with a bit more effort and fun involved and get others joining in too. I also want a hobby I enjoy and have fun doing giving me the 'me time' I really need.

I hope I have seen closer family at least once a month and to set up monthly roast dinners at mine with my parents. I love hosting dinners. I want to be writing to family who live further away, perhaps my cousin. Reception starts for Little Miss and Rainbows (hopefully) so maybe I will meet new people through these events. I want to see more of friends, at least once a month.

We would have been 2 months newly married and I hope our relationship is blossoming and happy. I aim to be planning our honeymoon as a family affair for the following year, perhaps in the summer holidays.

Getting married will be a huge milestone in my personal development confidence wise. If i still find my anxiety a problem in a year I will re think counselling. Studying will give me a sense of achievement. I hope to be off my antidepressants in a year of possible.

Finally, (sorry it's so long I hope I'm not the only one) in 6 months it will be April 2012. I aim to be eating from a monthly/weekly meal planner and be exercising 3 times a week. Twice at home and once more strenuous like Pilate's/yoga or swimming. I would think I would still be on antidepressants but on a lower dose and after a year off them completely.

I want to have a book solely for budgeting, keep track of all my Direct Debits and Standing Orders, withdraw money for cash bills and then withdraw left over money with a bit to spare in my account 'just in case'. We will most likely be in the same position, maybe a tad under because of a wedding in 2 months time!!

We should still be living here but hopefully making the house nicer room by room. I would like a new fridge/freezer, that would make me feel better so there's an aim! I want to get out of the town monthly back to an old park I went to and did photography as a change of scenery.

I won't be working in 6 months but hopefully volunteering whilst Little Miss is in school in the mornings. Plus it will be good for my C.V. I hope I will be studying or ready to study my massage course.

I want to take Little Man to baby groups, introduce Little Miss to Rainbows when she turns 4. I want to have learnt a craft I enjoy. I want us to have a once a month family day out costing minimal/nothing/or a little (Seal Life Sanctuary, Paradise Park). I will be ready to take part in Race For Life in July 2012.

I don't see much change in the friends and family department in 6 months but I will make more effort to see some people at least monthly, I don't feel ready right now to make big changes to this category but hopefully I can let go of things that hold me back. I want family to step up and make more effort before I come to them over the next few months.

I will still be engaged and 2 months away from being married!! I bet there will be lots of posts about my budget wedding to endure! I want us to still be having 'Date Nights' and for my partner to be actively involved in the wedding planning.

And finally, at last, I want to be assertive so I get what I want for this wedding day as I usually let others take over. I hope to feel good about signing up for studying at the Open University and not pull out (for the 3rd time) because of a change of mind.

It is very long and I hope I'm not alone in the length but I just couldn't bullet point this post or keep it short and sweet. It felt right for me to explain each section in detail. Thanks for taking time to read this if you do! I think I have some great ideas spinning around in my head and feel positive about the future.

Cupcake Mummax





9 comments:

  1. Wow, this is a well detailed, thought out plan. I found the exercise extremely powerful and useful. Wishing you every future happiness as you get closer to your wedding! You sound like a very happy family and I admire the goals you have in mind. I feel your pain with anxiety. I have had bouts of mild depression for the past 10 years and am currently on a mild dose of anti-depressents. I need to make more time for me to exercise and get stronger to balance my mental health.

    Well done again on sharing and all the best, Sarah

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  2. This is a really fascinating life plan. I never thought about things like volunteering in mine! I think you have some great aspirations and many of them are achievable. Good luck with the wedding and the maths GCSE - looking forward to seeing how you get on in the months to come.

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  3. You've got some marvellous targets to aim for there. I have studied with the Open University and found it to be very rewarding (if hard work at times!). I think focussing on the eating habits and a bit of exercise is a great start, not just for your physical health but because it should be a great boost to your mood.

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  4. Wonderful! I completely agree about wanting to go through it in detail (it's up to us how much we share of that) - I can see where you're coming from and where you hope to be going really clearly - well done! It sounds very good - and next week's goal-setting will help us to turn this back round into a plan- great stuff. I salute you. And my little girl likes your background so she's requested some baking - I'm going to sneak some carrots into the cakes but don't tell her!

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  5. Wow! Good luck with all that! I'm doing OU courses - it's good fun - come on in the water's lovely!

    dbaskls

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  6. Mon, thanks for popping over, means alot people can see where i'm going! Thank-you for your support def gives a boost! And im glad to have inspired some baking!

    Thanks dbaskis..cant wait to study, i wont flake out this time!

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  7. Wow. You've got a very clear idea of where you're going now, I hope. Keep that vision in your head if you can. You can always change it a bit if fate intervenes.

    Thanks for joining in.

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  8. Um... wow! I love how clear your plan is and how many aims you have - as well as getting a plan in place to carry them out. I've never tried an OU course before but really wanted to so good luck with that.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  9. sounds like you know exactly what you want and how to get it! Best of luck with all of it and congrats on the wedding :-)

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