For years, my one goal has been to reach a place of economic stability. Not to be wealthy. Just not to panic every moment of every day. Not to stress every time a bill comes in. Not to go without car insurance for a week or two because who will ever really know...
To reach my goals, I enlisted the help of one of my bestest friends. Although I like the nice things in life, I hate math. Hate. Loathe. Detest.
There seems to be a hell of a lot of math involved in budgeting. And dieting. So I don't do either activity if I can help it.
For the first time since she took over my money matters, she ran the numbers and I have hit a plateau of financial stability.
I am not sitting in the green, mind you. I still have no retirement savings, no long term guarantees but for the first time...
Not in the red.
I am firmly in the black.
And I look around my house today and it looks the same as it did yesterday when I didn't know that I had achieved my goal. (Well, with the addition of a laser printer... See yesterdays blog to understand the massive coolness of a laser printer. Ah, to be able to print at high speed wirelessly...*sigh* authorgasm)
We still can't go out and spend like loons. (Which means I am still stalling buying a new bulb for the aquarium. I mean, the fish don't NEED to see where they are swimming, right?) But this year, I don't have to panic and stress. I can fix the stupid chuggy van. (Not saying I will, but I can.) If one of the kids has a growth spurt, there is a budget set aside to get clothes and not panic. If the zombies attack, I can afford to go grab some bottled water and ammo. Stuff like that.
I have hit my goal.
Instead of feeling like I should crack open a bottle of wine and celebrate, I am feeling a little deflated. It's like, before I had a goal and I was steadily able to work towards it. I knew exactly where I wanted to be. I wasn't shooting for castles in the air, just a nice moderate goal.
And now that I have hit it, my engine is at idle and I am looking around at the still choppy seas of life, undecided on what I want to make my next goal.
I have always wanted to go to Ireland...
What goals have you set for yourself and when you meet them, has anyone else ever felt... meh about reaching the finish line?
No one goal is ever the be-all-end-all. That's why we always need to have progressive goals. Not just a one-year or five-year plan, but a if-I-could-get-everything-I-ever-wanted-this-is-what-it-would-be MEGA LIST. Move on to the next goal, Virg - NYT Bestseller List or something equally huge with little babystep goals along the way.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting where you want to be - you will surely just keep moving forward from here.
ReplyDeleteMy goal for 2012 is to create and maintain more meaniful relationships. I've already stopped being the initiator and have seen a number of relationships fizzle out.
Good idea, Lisa. I guess even though my goal was moderate, it seemed so unreachable that I never really thought I would pull it off. Hence my surprise to stand in this position.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Anna, meaningful relationships is a great goal. I know it is cliched to say that a few really good friends is better than a horde of artificial ones but I think that saying, at least, is pretty damn accurate.
Personally, I am thrilled for the initiators in my life... as I am not one by nature, without them, I would be very lonely indeed.