Why I’m Calling My 2018 Intention ‘The 3 T’s’
December 27, 2017Note from the editor: As we round out 2017, many people will be setting goals and intentions for the year ahead. To help with that, our blog team will be sharing their take on goals throughout the week — we all have a different opinion! We hope you enjoy hearing how each of us approaches the idea of goal-setting and New Year’s resolutions. From Kelley:
I’ll admit that I’m the Queen of failed resolutions, although I also know that I share that throne with countless others. Regardless, I still believe in the power of goal-setting and optimism that comes along with New Year’s resolutions. As always, many of my intentions for January are health-related, but for 2018 I also have three more concrete goals that will require financial trade-offs and intentional action. I’m calling it the “3 T’s;” here they are:
1. Tennis
I took tennis lessons as a teen and played a little in college and enjoyed myself, but I’ve always felt like tennis is a bit like golf: you have to play often or you lose your skills. I’m at a place in life where I’d like a more committed activity, so my first goal for 2018 is to get back into tennis.
Financial implications: It may seem like tennis is a relatively inexpensive sport, right? You just need a racket and some balls to hit around. I’ll wait until I’m certain that this is a sport I’d like to play regularly before I invest in all the cute clothing and a fancy racket, but for me the financial commitment will be my husband and I joining a club that offers indoor tennis plus a few lessons to make sure I’m doing it right. As you can imagine, clubs that have indoor courts are not the $30/month places, so in order to afford a relatively high-end athletic club, we have to make some trade-offs.
The trade-off: Assuming we find a club that we like, we’ve decided to forego our weekly Friday date night, which is typically a meal out at a nice restaurant, and instead have Saturday morning tennis dates. We’ll have to pay to reserve courts during the winter, so I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that it will be a pretty equal trade-off.
2. Travel
One of the only upsides to our failed attempts at IVF this year is that we achieved a Companion Pass on Southwest Airlines for all of 2018, and we intend to make full use of it. One of my life goals is to visit all 50 states, and I still have 14 to go. My goal for 2018 is to check 3 more off that list, starting with a ski trip to Utah in February.
Financial implications: While we will be able to fly for free anywhere we go, we still have to account for all the other costs of travel such as lodging, local transportation, meals, etc. We like to stay in Airbnb’s when possible, which helps with the costs, and then we take many staples with us such as coffee supplies and snacks, which helps us avoid paying for 3 full meals each day.
The trade-off: We usually take a “big” vacation every year, either to an international destination, or somewhere a bit more luxurious, but in order to afford our increased travel via Southwest, we will be skipping an extended trip in lieu of several shorter vacations. I’m also going to be going on a clothing cleanse, which I’ll be detailing in a future post, in order to balance our household budget for the year.
3. Tail
To keep with the ‘T’ theme of my 2018 goals, my third goal is all about adding a tail to the family — one that’s attached to a dog. Adopting a dog is a catalyst for several other things that have to happen first, so the goal for 2018 is simply to get those wheels in motion.
Most importantly, since we live on the 3rd floor of a walk-up condo building, we have to move. That seems relatively simple, but we agree that when we move from our current home, it will most likely be to another state, which is not so simple.
Financial implications: Beyond the obvious financial aspect of buying and selling a home, the most important financial aspect of such a decision is my husband’s work. I’m privileged to be able to work from anywhere that’s within a reasonable drive of an airport, but my husband would have to find a new job. Luckily he’s in a field where that’s not a problem, but he loves his current job, so finding a replacement could prove more of a challenge. Therefore we need to be in a financial position to allow him time to find the right position.
The trade-off: Obviously traveling a lot and having a dog don’t go hand-in-hand, so the 2018 aspect is to simply put a plan in place and begin preparing for a move. Once we figure out where we want to go, the rest includes setting money aside for him to possibly go without pay for a month or two. We’ll also begin to prepare our home for sale in hopes that we’ll sell it for enough to afford a down payment on a home with a yard, a garage and a basement — the three major things missing from our lovely condo in the city.
Sticking to it
I realize that these are pretty lofty goals — realistically, in order to achieve all three, they will have to be my primary focus outside of work and daily life. However, I’m hopeful — when you set intentions that are in line with your values, then put pieces in place that set you up for success (such as scheduling ahead and having someone to hold you accountable), it’s easy to stick to it. That’s one of the reasons I came up with a dorky catchphrase — it will be easier to recenter myself around what’s important when the busy-ness of daily life takes over.
How do you set and stick to your intentions? I’m always interested in hearing what others do. Please send me a note on Facebook or tweet me @kclmoneycoach.
Want more helpful financial guidance, delivered every day? Sign up to receive the Financial Finesse Tip of the Day, written by financial planners who work with people like you every day. No sales pitch EVER (being unbiased is the foundation of what we do), just the best our awesome planners have to offer. Click here to join.