Dear Dali

We are usually concerned about moving from one day to the next, one week to the next. At times, we don’t even bother to ask ourselves why we are doing whatever we are doing. It’s just about getting on with life. Days turn into weeks, into months, into years. The danger for many is that life has lost meaning; it is made up of tedious chores, showing up, and at times living for the moment.  In the extreme, it becomes '…but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then it is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing’ (Shakespeare in Macbeth). Most often, we have no plan, even for the day or a list of things we want to accomplish in a week. We are just empty. Many at times we are sort of surprised by the changing seasons when they occur- ah, it’s winter already, or it’s summer. We are never ready; days seem to be moving faster than we anticipated. It is what it is, I often hear some say. 

The movement of time, the shifting of seasons, and growing older are the inevitable parts of life. Once born, the next sure stage is getting older and eventually departing from the earth. Is there a better way to live your life? Yes, there is… with the big picture in mind. What are you hoping for by the end of the year, five, ten, and fifteen years from now? 

The big picture usually starts off as a wish, like ‘I wish to go on a long holiday in December.’ Then what follows is what most of us avoid- preparations to make sure that a wish can become a reality. What should you do today to make sure that the long holiday is a reality come December? Many of us fall short on that.

Please allow me to introduce you to the big picture mindset. You have an advantage over me. I wish I had learnt this at your age. The ‘big picture’ is that which you hope to achieve by a certain date. Let’s call it a milestone. Big picture-minded people work backwards. They set a target for when the milestone should become a reality. Then they ask the all-important question- what should I be doing today to achieve the milestone?

Once that is done, you line up a number of activities that add up to the achievement of the milestone. Let’s go back to the long holiday in December. Small steps include:

• Clarifying in your mind the kind of holiday you would like
• Research on ideal places, 
• Coming up with estimated costs
• Comparing options for travel and accommodation
• Drawing a budget, etc. 

Then the big question- how will I actually fund this? It could be that you need to save from your current earnings or work extra hours. 

I recently came across a documentary profiling several couples and single people who made the decision to retire early after achieving their financial goals. One of the common traits amongst those who managed to retire early was the fact that they were intentional about it. They set a target amount and worked backwards to break down their level of savings. They were disciplined to commit to the plan. 

The big picture milestone requires a definite plan, an understanding of the small daily actions that lead to the achievement of the target, and, more importantly, commitment to the plan. For instance, in your journey to saving for a holiday, other things may come up, a friend may invite you to a party, and you may feel the need to splash on a new outfit or hairdo- you are free to do that, but it can’t be from the savings kitty. In fact, you should not consider the money that you are saving as yours before the planned event. 

I must say that this is also a part of self-education for me. I am engaged in many activities, and at times, there is no big picture. I am caught up in activities without clarity on what success should look like. I am embarking on a self-correction journey. One of the painful aspects of the self-correction is that I have to let go of many things that do not aid in the achievement of my big picture goals. The same applies to many. We have to do less to accomplish more. At times, we spread ourselves too thin and eventually burn out or fail to devote adequate attention to what matters most.