Every so often I like to put together a list like this – my first one was back in 2001, then in 2015, and now here we are in 2024!
I’m 44 years old now. More than twice my age when I wrote that first list, and not so surprisingly in hindsight, a lot has changed over the years! I can’t say that I care about writing for The Simpsons or my own sitcom anymore, or even going on a Disney cruise as opposed to any of the other lines. And as much as part of boat life still intrigues me, I’ve seen enough YouTube videos of guys bumbling around engine rooms to think that maybe having a friend who has a boat might be a bit more relaxing than actually owning one myself…
I’d argue that some of the goals from nine years ago still apply, and I’ve even finished a handful of them since then – my Lego Minifig collection is kind of ridiculous these days, to the point where I don’t know where I’m going to display them if we ever move! My server rack has also grown as big as it probably will under this roof, which is good enough for now. A few years ago, we discovered the miracle of solar heating for our pool, which has truly been a game changer, and I’ve spent a surprising amount of time playing video games this year alongside my kids, which is super cool!
Nonetheless, I thought it would be fun to throw out another list here tonight and a decade or so from now, we can look back again and see how things played out…
Career
- Be very, very close to early retirement!
- Pay my mortgage exclusively with money earned from writing.
Travel
- Explore some of the castles around Europe.
- Introduce the kids to cruising, and assuming nobody falls overboard, take them frequently!
- Be able to afford a lifestyle that gets our family out of the house on a regular basis.
Health
- Get a new kidney and don’t squander it.
- Incorporate regular exercise into my life.
- …the same with meditation…
- …and also eating healthier.
- Go easier on myself when things don’t go as planned.
Parenting
- Be a part of their homeschooling journey and teach them as more than just a passerby.
- Help each of them to do something really hard.
- Always be seeking out new opportunities for quality time to spend with each of them and with the entire family all together.
Other
- Learn how to cook a really good steak.
- Build our forever home.
- Build an arcade with the kids in said home.
- Do things that are unexpected and push my own boundaries – not for the sake of other people, but for myself.
Next stop – 2035! I’ll be in my fifties, Christopher will be done with school and the twins on the cusp of graduation, and with a little luck, maybe early retirement will actually be in reach!
…or maybe I’ll have already been retired for a decade – who knows?!