Fast forward
It would be great if I can find the fast-forward button.
Growing up there are so many occasions I recall counting down the days. Crossing the dates off the calendar as it gets closer to my birthday, Christmas, Easter, family holidays, or school holidays.
Every event seemed to be a lifetime away. Probably as a child I didn’t have much concept of time and because I just bounced day by day, week by week. Reliant on mum and dad to ensure I’m in the right place, at the right time. School days would drag. But the extra day off school due to a Bank Holiday was a welcomed surprise.
The concept of time does seem to vary. Some days at work, time flies. Other times it drags. I had expected the impact of lockdowns and limitations of travel to slow the clock down. But it didn’t. If anything, the pace increased.
Looking back, I question where the last twenty to thirty years have gone. Everyone says that children grow up so fast. It’s true. It feels like only weeks ago that my daughters started school. They are now reaching the end of the school years.
Now, as I plan my future, I must admit some impatience is setting in. The waiting is frustrating.
A year of lockdown
Looking back to the first announcement of lockdown in March 2020, it certainly feels a lot longer than a year ago. So much has happened. Yet, to the same degree, there have been times when it has dragged.
When I first made the decision that change was on the agenda, I knew it would be at least two years before it became reality. But, almost a year later, a host of actions and plans have already been put in place. And progress is being made.
Until now, I’ve focused on the immediate things that I could act on. The most significant is selling the house. Even that felt as though it defied time. The sale was quick with the offer being accepted in three weeks of the house going on the market. The buyers wanted a quick transaction, although completion was delayed for a couple of months. Two long months of waiting. Quick. Quick. Slow. Slow.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve begun sketching out my ideal timeline. I still believe I am 18 months away from moving to Portugal but identifying a date and working back is beginning to give some clarity.
The starting point was key family dates. Overlay that with the rental agreement (or at least extension) on the house. Add in a couple of personal ‘bucket list’ items I plan to do. And finally, working out the timeline to give my notice and leave full-time employment.
There are a lot of other factors, but by putting a target date in the diary is a massive step forward.
Despite the ambition to find the fast-forward button, I must take it day by day.
Marc
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