Planning our big adventure

Last week we reflected on 2023—what went well and what obstacles we faced, what we were grateful for and what we would have liked to do differently. Now it's time to look ahead and think about what comes next. This may sound daunting to some, but how about we view it as our planning our next big adventure? 😃 After all, what is life if not one big adventure?

In looking ahead, I kept things very simple. Step one was visualizing what my next decade may be like—I gave myself permission to dream a bit, generate ideas and put them to paper. I focused on health, mission (which at the moment for me is my content creation) and relationships, but also left room for additional adventures such as traveling or learning a new language, and other important things like personal finance management. Step two was reviewing that list and writing a tentative timeframe next to each goal—how many years it could take me to achieve or at least start working towards that goal.

I ended up up with a rather long list for the next three years. Therefore, step three was about adding a much needed dose of realism. Time is limited and at the moment I also have very limited energy because of my ongoing health issues, so I need to prioritize, otherwise I'll end up achieving nothing. I went over the list once more and listed the goals in order of importance. Finally, I picked three max for each category (for every timeframe).

My list may still be too ambitious. If I realize it's too much and I'm overwhelmed, I'm going to have to prioritize further—better to aim for less, but be consistent. In fact, I'm going to review and adjust my goals every three months. I'm also going to break them all down into smaller manageable steps, as some of them are still pretty vague at the moment, but I'll share more on that in a future post.

Obviously, stuff will happen; life is nothing but unpredictable, and I'll probably change a lot as well during my personal growth journey. So these goals, especially the long-term ones, aren't set in stone, and in ten years' time my life will probably look different from what I'm envisioning now. You'll be the judge of that as well, as I will be sharing my vision here at the beginning of each year 🙂 However, my present vision is a good indicator and reminder of the direction I'd like to start taking now. So here goes.

Six months

Health: work on gut, hair and skin health (do course on hair health and a course on nervous system regulation, work with a functional doctor); daily yoga + 7500 steps (minimum); trip to Tabiano for thermal water treatments.

Mission: start growing my blog (start using social media to post about it? word of mouth? look for collaborations?); open YT account and film/edit at least five videos.

Relationships: see my mom at least once a month; attend an in-person meetup once a month; date night once a month.

Other: start cooking (try a new recipe every week); learn the basics of personal finance (books and webinars); theatre courses.

One year

Health: same as previous semester, maybe there's room to add some hiking/at-home cardio workouts?; see the surgeon to remove an old suture from my knee operation + ppr injections.

Mission: get into the routine of posting every week on YT; create online self-care challenge.

Relationships: same as previous semester.

Other: make my first investments on my own; improve my Spanish (Duolingo every day, classes with Tomás every week/every two weeks).

Two years

Health: start adding gentle strength workouts (reformer pilates?); get treatments for all the spots/acne scars on my face; Yoga Teacher Training.

Mission: grow YT channel; learn to coach/mentor people through their issues; join a public speaking group and work on my voice (weak vocal cords).

Relationships: meet up with old friends from Dublin.

Other: have an investment portfolio; travel to one country I haven't been to yet; continue theater courses?

Three years

Health: feel amazing (glowing skin, healthy hair, fantastic sleep quality, great digestion); aim not just for fitness baseline, but start regularly monitoring bone density and muscle mass and tailor workouts around that; dance lessons.

Work: offer retreats and/or workshops; try my hand at public speaking.

Relationships: meet my coaching besties in person.

Other: leave Turin; expand my investment portfolio.

Five years

Be in the best shape of my life.

Travel to South America.

Travel to Japan.

Public speaking.

Own (co-own) a house.

Ten years

Become a foster parent.

Write a book.

Live by the sea for at least part of the year and get a boating license.

Invest in real estate/companies?

I also decided that "lightness" is going to be my general intention for 2024. By that I mean not taking things (or myself) too seriously and being more joyful; carrying a sense of inner lightness and freedom with me no matter what.

So, what do you think about my goals and my theme for 2024? And what are your plans for your next big adventure and your overall intention? Please share in the comment section, along with any other insights and observations you may have. As always, you can also email me or call me to chat about this and other issues related to personal development, mindfulness, self-care, and just life in general. Don't forget to share my post with someone who might find it useful, and have a great week!