IN this column a few weeks ago, it was suggested that we should all have a plan as we move through life – a plan for our work, our relationships, raising children, retirement, and ultimately what we want to do with our lives.
But as most of us have realised by now, life rarely unfolds according to plan. Perhaps a better word than plan is goal.
How often have we carefully mapped something out, only for fate to intervene?
Someone becomes ill, a loved one passes away, a child breaks a bone or faces a serious health issue – and suddenly the whole plan is thrown into chaos.
The old saying “you have to roll with the punches” reminds us that flexibility is not optional; it’s essential. We must bend our ideas and expectations to accommodate whatever challenge is placed in front of us.
Those challenges may be financial. House prices can fall. Investments can disappoint. Unexpected expenses arise.
And all of this often becomes sharper as we approach the stage of life when we’re supposed to retire.
Do we really have enough money to last the next 20 or 30 years? With the cost of living rising year after year, planning for retirement becomes a necessity – yet even then, things can and do go wrong.
Many families find themselves having difficult but necessary conversations about money, security and the future.
Perhaps the goal, rather than a rigid plan, is simply to prepare as best we can: save a little more, spend a little less, and try to place what we do have into wise and considered investments. Even then, there are risks beyond our control.
Scams are a stark reality of modern life. Even professional, experienced people are caught out.
As we move through life and into retirement, many of the pursuits we once enjoyed naturally slow down or disappear altogether. Age creeps up quietly.
Do we really have a plan – or is it more realistic to have goals we strive for, adjusting as life unfolds?
Perhaps the true skill is not in planning every step, but in learning how to adapt, endure and keep moving forward.
