Christmas is over and 2015 is fast approaching. For many of us, this marks a time when we promise ourselves to improve our lives in the coming year.
It’s an age-old tradition that we can’t seem to shake, yet few of us actually make it through January without breaking one, if not all, of our resolutions.
Perhaps it’s time to make a positive change that will have a lasting impact. Pledging to lose weight or stop smoking is great, as is giving to charity or learning a new skill, and these seem easier to achieve when you take one day at a time. But what if you were to look beyond the year ahead and make resolutions that will change your life forever?
Try and visualise what achieving the following five resolutions would mean for you, your family and your future:
- Earn a substantial income for life
- Build your own successful business
- Leave an inheritance for your loved ones
- Have more time to enjoy life
- Be financially free
A dream world, too good to be true, impossible – this is probably what most of you are thinking, but that is where you’re wrong. The key to sticking to New Year’s resolutions is to adapt them to your own personal circumstances and make them realistic.
Earn a substantial income for life
If you want to earn a substantial income for life, then you first need to determine what this means to you, what level of income you need and what you’ll be happy with. You’ll also need to consider how long you need this income for, as it’s unlikely that you’ll want to work past retirement age to generate this income. Do you have a private pension and if not, find one that suits you and pay into it what you can afford. If you have some savings, what types of investments are available to you that will boost your retirement income?
Build your own successful business
You might be tired of working for someone else and want to build your own business. Start to think about your skills and passions, how you can start a business part time and whether this is something you can and want to do on your own. Will this business also help you to earn a lifelong income?
Leave an inheritance for your loved ones
Many people are concerned about providing for their loved ones when they are gone. As we continue to live longer and try to make our money go further, our children are facing challenges which often mean they need on-going financial support. Take steps now to help them be money-wise and become financially independent sooner.
Have more time to enjoy life
More free time to enjoy life - be it taking more holidays, spending more time with family or touring the world’s golf courses – is something most normal people aspire to. But work, money and family commitments often act as barriers to achieving our ideal lifestyle. This is why it’s important to make a list of what you would like to do with your free time and how you can change your life to accommodate these. It could be as simple as not working late three nights a week, saving your holiday allowance to travel for one month a year or, finding a way of generating a passive income that will give you the freedom to do the things you want.
Be financially free
Financial freedom means different things to different people. Without giving it much thought, you might think that having more money than sense is what makes someone financially free. But in reality, it’s having a lifelong income that can be generated passively and not only pays your bills but lets you have the lifestyle you want. For some of us, having our own house with no mortgage, two cars, a solid pension provision and enough disposable income for two big holidays a year is enough. Determine your meaning of financial freedom and set goals to help you get there.
Platinum Property Partners offers people one solution to achieving all of these resolutions. We help you build a profitable property business that generates a lifelong income that replaces salary and provides an attractive alternative to standard pension provision. In turn, you’ll have a rewarding new career for as long as you want to be involved, an appreciating asset base that provides a lasting legacy for your children and more free time to spend as you wish.
