The end of one year and the beginning of another is a time of introspection for many of us.  Did you achieve your goals for the year? Do you want to make changes in the coming year?

As we start the new year, and a new decade, take some time to take stock of how your life is going. Do you like your job? Do you like where you live? Would you love to move somewhere else or to travel more? Do you want to finally buy that RV or camper you’ve had your eye on? Would you like more freedom to do _____ (fill in the blank)?

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I’ve spent the last couple years talking a lot about how to start RVing, what equipment you need, and so on (find those posts here). But I recently realized I’ve skipped over one of the first steps.

How do you afford to buy your first travel trailer or RV? How do you save up for your first travel trailer or RV when you don’t have a lot of margin in your budget?

If that’s the situation you’re in, it can make your travel dreams seem unachievable. We were once in that situation as well, but in the years since, we’ve been able to buy our first travel trailer (which we’ve since sold) and the Class C RV we currently own.

This year I’ll be talking a little less about RVing and a little more about how you can get where you want to be financially so you can travel more or buy your first RV or trailer. I’ll also be talking about mindset and having the courage to make changes in your life, even when the goals you’re working for aren’t popular or you have naysayers in your life.

Now is as good a time as any to get started, so let’s jump in!

What are your goals and your motivation?

Maybe you know what you want your life to look like, but you’re not quite sure how to get there. Maybe you’re still trying to figure out what you want to accomplish.

Below are some questions to get you thinking about what you really want in life and what you’re willing to do to achieve those goals.

As you think about each question, don’t worry about the how just yet (that will come later), concentrate on the what and the why.

1. Identify your goals

Do you know what you want to be doing in five years? In ten years?

The first years of our marriage we really didn’t have a plan; we were just trying to figure out how to finish school and pay the bills. A few years ago we finally sat down and talked about what we wanted to do in the next five years and the next ten years. We weren’t completely sure how we would achieve all of our goals, but at least we were on the same page and knew what we were working towards.

Some types of goals might include financial goals (paying off credit card debt or student loans, buying a first house, buying a travel trailer or RV, and so on), lifestyle (moving to a different neighborhood or state, spending more time with family, traveling more, being more active, etc), work-related (quitting a full time job, starting a side hustle or business, etc).

• Where do you want to be at the end of this year? (job, debt situation, savings, home life, etc.)
• Where do you want to be five years from now? (job, debt situation, savings, home life, etc)
• Where do you want to be ten years from now? (job, debt situation, savings, home life, etc)
• How are those goals different from where you’re currently at? (different job, better financial situation, more satisfactory family life, more travel, etc)

2. Identify what needs to change

Once you know what your goals are, what needs to happen for you to achieve them?

Our goals involve big things like buying an Airstream, traveling the country for a couple years, and then settling down on some acreage in the mountains.

Jeremy’s job is not something he can do remotely, or even in another part of the country, so if we want to travel and move to the mountains, we need to have another source of income. He does not have time to build a side hustle right now because he’s busy working overtime so we can finish paying off debts and save up for that Airstream. That means I’m responsible for building our location-independent income source.

• What needs to change to make your goals happen? (change jobs, earn more money, move to a new location, strengthen relationships, etc)

3. Articulate your why

Why is making these changes important to you?

We could just continue on our current trajectory. There’s nothing wrong with having a decent job and a nice house. We are very blessed with what we have. But we also know that that job is not as secure as we’d like, it’s a stressful job, we live far from family, and we aren’t able to travel nearly as much as we’d like.

We dream of the flexibility that comes with being our own bosses, but we also realize that life will come with its own set of stressors. We’re ready to stop living a normal life, to dream big, and to accomplish our big scary goals so we can live the life we’ve been dreaming of.

How about you?

• Why is it important to you that you make the changes you have in mind?

4. Think about the work involved

Like anything worth doing, big hairy goals require work.

There will be long hours, sleepless nights, extra stress, and other obstacles along the way. You will question whether your goals are really worth pursuing. Believe me, I know.

My life would be so much less stressful if I wasn’t building businesses so Jeremy can quit his job and we can travel full-time. Knowing why we’re doing this makes it easier to keep going when times get tough.

• What sacrifices are you willing to make in the short term to achieve your long term goals? (time, sleep, etc)
• Are you prepared to follow through with what you start, even if the going gets tough, there are people discouraging you, or you’re not seeing the results you’d hoped for as quickly as you’d like?
• Are you prepared to get outside your comfort zone, possibly work alone for long hours, learn new skills, stretch yourself more than you’ve ever done before, aim for the stars, maybe hit the moon instead, but somehow achieve your goals along the way and finally have the life you want?

Don’t forget to fill out the form below to get a printable worksheet with these questions.

5. Get started!

If you now know what you need to do to change your financial situation, get started. If you’re not sure what you need to do, sign up for our FREE Side Hustle Challenge and we’ll help you find the direction you need.

After we had our goals and timeline conversation I sat down and thought about what I wanted to do, and then I explored a number of options.

I investigated several companies and did a lot of research before finally deciding to open an Etsy shop with handmade leather notebooks. That business ended up on the back burner shortly thereafter when Jeremy was deployed for the fourth time. While he was gone, I did some more research and started a couple more businesses. I wouldn’t recommend doing it this way, but I sure learned a lot from the experience. I’ll share what I learned from starting multiple businesses soon, so stay tuned.

6. Be patient, be methodical, and keep going

So many New Year’s resolutions don’t last past the middle of January. Don’t look at your goals as New Year’s resolutions. Treat them as the path to the life you want to live.

That path might go through the woods, bog down in the mud, or come to a river crossing without a bridge. Don’t let discouragement or setbacks keep you from achieving your goals. Yes, things will go wrong, that’s a fact of life. When they do, take a step back, take a deep breath, and jump back in. When things fall apart, find a way to rescue what’s left or pivot to something even better. Find a mentor, be patient, and stay positive.

My businesses have grown slower than I’d have liked (which is the reality with most businesses), but I’m an impatient person who wants immediate results despite trying to build multiple businesses at the same time. I’m working on being more patient, but it is a process.

Not every side hustle idea you have will work out, but you will learn from that experience and be able to apply that hard-earned knowledge as you move on to your next side hustle.

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What goals do you want to achieve this year? Are they big hairy goals? Do you need more money to achieve those goals? Join our Side Hustle Challenge where I’ll be sharing side hustle ideas that you can use to achieve the monetary side of your goals, as well as ideas on how to fit a side hustle into your busy life.

and just in case you still need the printable for this post: