These last ten years have been interesting for me. I've reflected on where I've gone and the lessons I've learned along the way. When I was 16, I got my first part-time job because I wanted to go to my school's trip to Japan during the summer. I worked the entire year during the weekends in order to save up enough money for the trips and ended up doing that for the next three years. I had my eyes on the prize.
After I graduated, I still worked for the next few years in order to pay tuition for community college. I could no longer go back to Japan if I wanted to receive higher education, but I also couldn't splurge on much, so again I found myself working toward something.
When I moved to Bellingham to study in a university, I still worked. Not for money, but for education (being a student is a job of its own). I wanted to focus on graduating without the stress of a part-time job. I'd still go back to my previous job during breaks for some money on the side, but I ended up spending my summers in Alaska so I didn't have to worry about paying rent and buying groceries for the year while I was in school. Again, I had to manage my finances so I could focus on school.
Once I graduated, I now had student loans to pay. Even though I got a new job, I still decided I should save money in case I needed it. I had plans for the future, but I wasn't absolutely sure what I was going to do even after graduating. None of us can really predict our future. We make predictions on what we know in the present; however, we learn new things on a daily basis, so there's no way we can accurately predict what our future will be like without knowledge of what we'll come to learn in the future. I had ideas though. I wasn't absolutely sure I'd get a job working in Japan, but even though I was making more than enough money to get by, I felt that I should still budget myself just in case.
Here in the present, I've found myself in a position where I don't really need to worry about money with the life I'm living. Reflecting on my experiences these last ten years, I've learned a lot of lessons. I've learned to be really good at managing my finances. It's become second-nature. I've learned to be less materialistic. I don't need a big house. I have an apartment that has supports my needs. I don't need a six-figure income. I have a job I enjoy, challenges me, and pays me enough to pay the bills and have some change to spare. I don't need the fanciest car. Public transportation in Japan is much more cost-effective and convenient.
I've learned to focus my spending on what's important to me. I don't need to live off of instant ramen to save money. I'm able to eat what I like and I feel much healthier and stronger by doing so. I've learned to let go of worrying about having the freshest clothes and newest gadgets out there. Instead, I've learned to accept what I do have and make the best of it. People aren't paying as much attention to us as we might think.
I've learned that it's not about being able to plan everything in your life. Rather, it's more about how what you can do right now in order to work toward your goal. I learned to manage my priorities in life so I could still have fun but not lose focus on what I'm working toward.
Most importantly, I've learned that you create your own purpose in life. In my case, I set goals for myself, and by placing priority on them I was able to get to where I am today. Having fun is great, but you also have to work toward something if you want some solid results. If if you're doing what you love, you're working toward something that you find fun. Win-win.
Have a great day!
Peace
After I graduated, I still worked for the next few years in order to pay tuition for community college. I could no longer go back to Japan if I wanted to receive higher education, but I also couldn't splurge on much, so again I found myself working toward something.
When I moved to Bellingham to study in a university, I still worked. Not for money, but for education (being a student is a job of its own). I wanted to focus on graduating without the stress of a part-time job. I'd still go back to my previous job during breaks for some money on the side, but I ended up spending my summers in Alaska so I didn't have to worry about paying rent and buying groceries for the year while I was in school. Again, I had to manage my finances so I could focus on school.
Once I graduated, I now had student loans to pay. Even though I got a new job, I still decided I should save money in case I needed it. I had plans for the future, but I wasn't absolutely sure what I was going to do even after graduating. None of us can really predict our future. We make predictions on what we know in the present; however, we learn new things on a daily basis, so there's no way we can accurately predict what our future will be like without knowledge of what we'll come to learn in the future. I had ideas though. I wasn't absolutely sure I'd get a job working in Japan, but even though I was making more than enough money to get by, I felt that I should still budget myself just in case.
Here in the present, I've found myself in a position where I don't really need to worry about money with the life I'm living. Reflecting on my experiences these last ten years, I've learned a lot of lessons. I've learned to be really good at managing my finances. It's become second-nature. I've learned to be less materialistic. I don't need a big house. I have an apartment that has supports my needs. I don't need a six-figure income. I have a job I enjoy, challenges me, and pays me enough to pay the bills and have some change to spare. I don't need the fanciest car. Public transportation in Japan is much more cost-effective and convenient.
I've learned to focus my spending on what's important to me. I don't need to live off of instant ramen to save money. I'm able to eat what I like and I feel much healthier and stronger by doing so. I've learned to let go of worrying about having the freshest clothes and newest gadgets out there. Instead, I've learned to accept what I do have and make the best of it. People aren't paying as much attention to us as we might think.
I've learned that it's not about being able to plan everything in your life. Rather, it's more about how what you can do right now in order to work toward your goal. I learned to manage my priorities in life so I could still have fun but not lose focus on what I'm working toward.
Most importantly, I've learned that you create your own purpose in life. In my case, I set goals for myself, and by placing priority on them I was able to get to where I am today. Having fun is great, but you also have to work toward something if you want some solid results. If if you're doing what you love, you're working toward something that you find fun. Win-win.
Have a great day!
Peace
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| As you continue to work toward your dreams, the sun on the other side reveals itself more and more. |
What lessons have you learned from working toward your goals in life?
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