Wealth to me means a magnitude of things, it can be financial, it can be based on possessions, values or knowledge. I've been waiting ages to post the sequel to my happiness post and all for good reason as I have some very exciting news to share with you in todays post...
1. Move up the career ladder
When I started this list late last year, in my head, moving up the career ladder was the natural next thing to do in my journey to the top. It took a best friend messaging me some words of wisdom to realise that happiness doesn't sit with a job title and a high salary. The wealth in your career is doing something you love everyday with a company that matches your values.
Since having a complete change of mindset, I took a step back and realised what was important to me, which then shaped my journey to the next step. I've had tons of interviews, presentations and rejections over the past few month, but at the same time, I've also turned down opportunities and offers because the company or role wasn't right for me. It's been a nice balance!
So, the exciting news - I've already smashed this one. I have a new job! From 12th April I will be a Digital Analytics Specialist for a huge organisation back in my hometown. I'll be working from home and the office when the pandemic does one, but, what is great about working back in my hometown is the time I'll be able to spend with my friends and family on a lunch or an evening. It's a role that I fully believe I will enjoy, with great values and personal development opportunities. It's also a brand I've actually wanted to work for for a long time. A staple of Hull. I’m going to miss my current team tons but I couldn't be more excited for this next chapter!
2. Clear credit card debt
Back to the financials. If you've been following my blog for a while, you will likely know that I'm on a mission to become debt free. I'm all about breaking the taboo on personal finance so I'm happy to talk openly about it. As of today, I have £2.2K left on my last credit card and I'm determined to pay this off this year. In fact, I'm side hustling like crazy to have it paid off by June! After the credit card, I only have my student loan left and I'm on track to be completely debt free (barring mortgage), by my 28th birthday!
3. Overpay mortgage
As briefly mentioned above, once I've cleared my consumer debts, I'd like to tackle the mortgage, Even the slightest overpayment can knock years and £'s of interest off the overall repayment! I average paying around £800 off my debt each month at the minute. I still have enough to save for other things and treat myself, but, if I were to overpay this on the mortgage, it would knock around 22 years and £43.3K of interest off the loan! Cheers Martin Lewis and your overpayment calculator! I'd be mortgage free (if we stayed in the current property) before 40! Mental. Maybe I won't overpay so much but I'd like to do a little.
4. Boost my savings
I never was a savings girl until I started my journey to debt freedom. It has made me understand the importance of having an emergency fund and sinking funds to get me through the year. I'd like to boost my savings, there's lots I want to save for. I'd like laser eye surgery in the future and I also want to think about having money put aside for when/if I need to cover a drop from maternity pay or a gap in working. I plan on initially boosting my savings by building a six month emergency fund, with all bills covered. From there I can then focus on my own wants and work towards cash flowing the bigger items.
5. Get a new car
I'm not too bothered whether this happens or not to be honest! I bought my current car brand new in September 2015 and it's completely paid off. I told myself that when I've cleared my debts I'll treat myself to another car. I know which car I want (MG ZS EV - yes, we're becoming an EV household), but I don't know whether I can justify the monthly costs. Would I rather put that in savings or overpay the mortgage? I really don't know. So yeah, I'm just going to see how the year goes, I'm not driving much at the minute anyway. Maybe 2021 will see a new car, maybe it won't!
6. Write more blog posts
As previously mentioned, wealth isn't just financial, it's also knowledge and values. I've been blogging since 2014, on and off. This year I have a goal of writing more on here. I used to love writing and I've, unfortunately, fallen out of the routine and the mojo just hasn't been there. By writing more blog posts I will be building my writing skills, keeping my mental health on track and sharing what I love. A few posts down already this year and I'm already loving being back.
7. Make £1,000 freelance
Aside from the day job, I do freelance digital marketing for small and medium sized businesses. This is anything from digital strategy, through to reporting, analysis and building pretty dashboards. My 2021 freelance goal is to make £1,000. I don't have any interest in becoming full-time freelance, for me, it's a hobby and a side hustle for a little bit of extra income. It's still nice to set a target though! So, if you know anyone looking for help, there's my little plug and you can check out the Tyson Digital website here!
8. Practice Procreate
Digital design is something that I've always wanted to do and never pursued. That was until I was lucky enough to receive and iPad Pro and Apple Pencil for Christmas from my other half back in 2019. I've not dedicated as much time to it as I'd liked but I've managed to slowly improve on my designs and drawings. There isn't really anything achievable in terms of a goal, I just want to practice and enjoy the process. If anyone has any hints and tips with Procreate please let me know!
9. Learn Adobe Suite
Last but not least - learn Adobe Suite! Oh my goodness, this has been on my goal list for the past five years and I still haven't done it. I need a kick up the bum! Adobe Suite, especially Photoshop and InDesign come up on job descriptions in my field so often and it's never something I've had the opportunity to practice in the workplace. I'm determined to spend some time this year watching some tutorials and learning even just the basics in my effort to improve my wealth of knowledge.
So, those are my wealth goals (if you can call them that) for the year. Part three of my 21 for 2021 series will be coming to you very soon and, it's all about happiness and my goals for getting there.
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