Now that I have officially settled, it’s time to buckle down and focus again. I had a few years to have fun, meet new people, and even move. I spent years preparing for this moment, setting things up and living. Now, the time is here. The reality of it all didn’t hit me until I realized I had accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish that I proclaimed a year prior. When going after your goals, especially when they are big goals – you have to consider that your time, finances, and lifestyle will be challenged and may change. About a year ago, I wanted more. I had already accomplished my main goals in life. I was thirty-five, happy, and accomplished. However, I wanted more and I knew what more was. Now, it was time to work. So, for the past couple of years, I have done everything I can to get to the next level in life. I planted seeds. Some things worked out and some didn’t, but I made sure to make my goals known and exist.

Here are tips on how to settle, successfully.

Set your goals early. I have always been a planner. My life is planned out early so I know what to focus on sooner. This is the best way to go because when you have a plan, you have an idea of where you are going. When you don’t, many things can come into your life and distract you.

If you can, prepare your time, finances, and lifestyle early. Your lifestyle is a tricky one because you can have the same lifestyle no matter what – but depending on your finances and your environment, things may change or slow down.

Focus on your future. I knew I wanted to be single, childless, a doctor, and get more involved within my community after the age thirty-five. Once I realized what type of life I wanted at a certain age, I began living my life like it was my last day on earth. Literally! I partied, traveled, explored and tried risky things I thought I would never try. Lol! I had fun.

Here’s what to expect:

Your time will change. Your time may become more demanding. Realistically, as we get older we have more responsibilities and we have little time to accomplish them. Your time is important at this time because most of your time is tide up in your responsibilities.

Your finances may change. As my goals have changed, so have my finances. I make less money than before which is stressful and a little frustrating. Not ideal at all, but I am learning how to plan accordingly.

Your focus will change. Now that the time has come, my fun is over. No, this doesn’t mean that I want have anymore fun, it means I will need to prioritize my fun and lifestyle accordingly. I will have too many things to focus on to have as much fun as I was having before.

Your circle will change. Recently, a guy I was seeing broke it off because he felt turned off that my finances had changed. These types of things happen when your goals change. You lose friends, family, and people within your circle.