Many of us are enjoying our summer and grateful for the opportunity to be outside after the pandemic. While this can be an exciting time, summertime is halfway through the calendar year and can also be the perfect time to re-examine our career and our finances. As young professionals, we sometimes get so busy in our day-to-day activities that we miss the opportunity to set goals and achieve milestones that may be important to us long term. In order to transition from merely living life to actually thriving in life, we must set some goals and make plans to achieve the things we want. Ask yourself these 6 questions:
1. Do you want to stay in your current career or job long term? Many people are employed and get paid to do a certain job but not everyone has a fulfilling career that they love. Where do you stand? Do you plan to stay at your current job or business long term? If so, what would you like the next few years to look like? Is there a milestone you want to reach? Being able to set some career goals is key. Once you have these goals, you can write down steps to achieve them and may find yourself more content with your life overall.
2. What aspects about your current work would you like to change? While some people may love their job or business, very few people enjoy every single aspect of what they do. What are some things you’d like to change about your work? What would make it even more enjoyable? One key ingredient to career longevity is enjoyment. The more you like and enjoy the work you do, the longer you will do it. Figure out if there are some things you can change about your career right now that would increase your work satisfaction.
3. What are your income sources and how can you grow them? While some people are paid a large salary for the work they do, many others have multiple jobs or revenue streams to boost their income and provide some diversification. Where do you stand? Are you adequately compensated for the work you do, or are you waiting for a raise? Have you thought of ways to increase your income or establish additional revenue streams? If so, what is your plan to grow them? More money tends to give you more freedom and options in your life, so increasing the amount you make is a good place to start.
4. Do you want to start a business or grow an existing one? Most people accumulate wealth by starting, growing, or investing in a business. Having a business you love can not only brings you fulfillment but it can also increase your income and allow you to positively impact others in your own unique way. Do you have plans to start a business or grow a business? If you haven’t yet started a business, think about the type of business you’d be good at or a hobby you’d like to monetize. If you already have a business, think about the next steps you need to take to grow it to the next level.
5. How have you invested the money you already received? It’s not enough to just make more money. You must also be a good steward of money. Do you spend all the money you get or are you saving some of it? Are you planning ahead for large expenses? Are you investing money for the long-term? If you simply spend all the extra money you have then how will you ever accumulate wealth or get out of debt. Think about your money habits and pinpoint which ones need to change.
6. What do you need to do to take yourself, your career, and your finances to the next level? Your life may be fantastic right now, but take a few minutes to think about ways it could be even better. What could you do to enjoy your career more? What habits could you implement to take your finances to the next level? What things do you need to work on personally to make yourself a better person physically, mentally, and emotionally? We should be constantly striving to grow as people. Re-examining ways to make our lives better is a good start.