Fifty Year Plan

[Cassandra]

I know you have heard of peoples' five year plan or ten year plan. I am working on my 50 year plan. I figure that ought to get me through to the end.

Throughout my life, I have found that is has been pretty easy for me to accomplish my goals. You know, you just set your mind to something, then do it. The problem would be that I was just spinning my wheels.

For example: Goal-I want a house in the country, in our budget, with plenty of sq. ft., where our son can go to the school we chose, etc.

Problem-too short term. We got the perfect house, but there's not enough land to do what I want to do. It's not something I was thinking at the time. I was only thinking ahead to when school starts.

So, now I am working on a 50 year plan. And let me tell you, it is taking some work. But it will give me a compass point to follow. Now, each time I am faced with a decision, I can ask myself what is the best answer to keep me on the path. And while I figure I may deviate a little from time to time, I feel like if I stay pointed in the same general direction, I won't go too far off course.

I will share some of my plan in a next post. I didn't want this one to get too tedious.

Cassandra

 

[Britesea]

Learn to live with delayed gratification. Often, if you have to wait to get something, you find you don't need it after all; and if you do decide you need it, the wait makes it all the sweeter.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have lived my 50 yr plan! Have own farm, animals, garden, equipment, an income, make my own decisions. At this point, wants and needs are pretty clear. I have gone thru many transitions during those years of work, child rearing, marriages, parent care and deaths. Always kept my goal of farm and SS. Been here 20 years, no partner, 3rd farm....and last, as I am where I had always hoped.

Be willing to compromise along the way. Keep the goal in mind. Prepare your mind, stay active, concentrate on what you can do, not always everything you feel you want to do. Know you can change. Appreciate what you have. Develop a lot of patience, you'll need it.

 

[JanetMarie]

No matter how much work there is in a SS lifestyle, always take time to do what is in your heart; the thing that makes you who you are.

 

[FarmerJamie]

The topic hits home with me. I'm the almost the same age as the OP when they posted it. I have accomplished the list of my life plan when I was 14 years old. At the time, I thought it would take 10 years. 🤣 more like 25 years!

So now what?

I'm especially interested in responses from those over 50 years old. What advise would you give to someone in their 30's for their next 50 years? [Please assume person has basic SS proficiency and has bought their land/property/home.]

Good responses on advice, so far. Since I fit your age criteria *cough cough*, I had a few thoughts in general:
- protect your mental health. If you can care for yourself, you can't care for others, like the oxygen mask preflight safety briefing. However you get your peace is up to you.

- understand things can change in a moment. At 48, had less than ten years to pay off the homestead, was getting my SS life moving well. Then a surprise, nasty divorce. 8 years later, I have finally started back on the SS path, despite my new wife developing health issues.

- Marine Corps motto from almost 10 years of volunteer work. ADAPT. ..IMPROVISE. ..OVERCOME

- maintain that strong work ethic/drive. If you find yourself frustrated or tired, ask yourself why and look at what needs changed

I have a bunch more, but one last one for now.

BE HAPPY!

Like a meme I love.... Live like a puppy.. if you can't eat it or play with it, just pee on it and walk away

 

[frustratedearthmother]

My biggest suggestion is to get, and stay, out of debt if at all possible. Add a little bit extra to your mortgage each month. Pay more than the minimum. Decide the difference between what is a want and what is a need.

 

[flowerbug]

find those who will work with you and you with them. encourage each other.

my own plan was to work hard for a while and retire early and i did that. no regrets. had i worked longer i could have perhaps had money to buy land but i don't think i'd have been the same person with the same values.

 

[flowerbug]

i remember taking care of some kittens at my sister's place for a week and they were a lot of fun, since i like to read they knew where to find me when they'd get done finding other things to amuse themselves and then some of them would turn off like someone had hit a switch and curl up for a nap. five little fuzzballs making their little motor noises and idling until they would wake up, yawn and stretch and then start playing again. a nice life. puppies and puppy piles and puppy breath were also good times.

what does this have to do with SS? well, saving memories and having them for the tougher times and to keep oneself amused and happy is probably a good survival skill and they can also give you something to do writing bits of a story or two on a winter evening while waiting to get tired enough to fall asleep.

 

[FarmerChick]

50 year plan ain't happening for me --insert 47 --soon to be 48...LOL

I do plan though, but very little. I know what I want, how I want to live, I have the land etc....so most of my battle is over.

Now it is the daily grind to stay afloat and hopefully never have a monster disaster that leaves us in ill health or flat broke. And on those I can only pray that life goes on an even keel without too much drama.

 

[Cassandra]

Well, the whole idea of it is to decide what you want to be doing in your retirement and plan accordingly.

I know that I want to have a small house, somewhere between 5-20 acres of land, a cow for milking (and maybe one a year for butchering) and chickens. Space for a garden.

I know I want the land to have, preferably both a pond and running water. Some wooded and some pasture.

That's not asking too much, is it?!

Actually, what I want to do is go home. When I was 4, my grandmother bought an 18 acre tract of land and had all of that. I was her little protege. She divided the land, when she died, between four of her children. If I could buy them all off of it, I would. But I bet I can find something comparable.

I know there will be set backs on the way, but that's all right. "Focus on the prize" isn't that an old saying? That's the important thing.

I am inspired by a woman I knew 15 or 20 years ago. She was poor and sort of crazy! I dated her son for a while at one time. She got brain cancer. And one time she told me, "If I die tomorrow, I will die knowing that things are going to get better." She did die, not long after that.

But what an attitude to go out with, you know? Knowing that things are going according to your plan for reaching your goals and making your dreams come true.

Cassandra