RECENTLY, I enjoyed watching The Bucket List. The movie is about two terminally ill men planning the last days of their lives. This really reinforced my belief that we should not wait until "gloomy days" to reassess what is important in our lives and what we need to do with our remaining time, as did the old men in the movie. We need to cherish each day as a blessing.
I personally lived through two bouts of cancer in the 1980s and after my recovery I made a decision on how I wanted to live the rest of my life. Don't wait until you are forced to reconsider what to do with the rest of your life.
I set a 10-year vision, which I update regularly. My vision is divided into business, family, health, outlook, finance and investments.
I decided that my business was to ensure that I do what makes me happy and realised, all those years ago, that my business and hobby were one and the same thing. It's important to stick to what you know and what you enjoy. I also realised that I don't have enough outside interests and that I'll work for the rest of my life, but at my own pace.
When it came to family, it was crucial to keep the family together and watch them grow. Equally important was to have quality time with my wife, my children and grandchildren. Also key is to have time away and time out. There is a big difference. Playing a round of golf on a Wednesday afternoon, but talking business and thinking of all the problems you've left behind is certainly not switching off completely.
Should my children leave South Africa, I would stay in this country but travel more regularly to be with them. It's a sad fact, the number of elderly people whose children and grandchildren live abroad only holiday infrequently with them. When they arrive it's great excitement but, they leave bereft.
My outlook is to remain positive about South Africa. I am not prepared to participate in negative talk or activities. I also needed to be less stressed and try to make a difference in other people's lives. When it came to health, I was determined to eat better, stay fit and control my weight. After all, you can do anything if you have robust health.
I learnt a significant lesson about when enough is enough, and I want to do more of the things that I've done in the past, well into the future.
On the financial side, it was important to achieve financial independence to give me choices. Years ago, in investment planning, I set my strategy to beat inflation by 6% to 8% on a yearly basis. This hasn't come without risk and the understanding that when markets fall, you don't panic. Recognise the difference between investments and savings as well as risk and reward. Put more thought into your vision, goals and objectives and live each and every day to the full, before it's too late. - E-mail: bryan@bhca.co.zaweb
Take control of your life
RECENTLY, I enjoyed watching The Bucket List. The movie is about two terminally ill men planning the last days of their lives. This really reinforced my belief that we should not wait until "gloomy days" to reassess what is important in our lives and what we need to do with our remaining time, as did the old men in the movie. We need to cherish each day as a blessing.
I personally lived through two bouts of cancer in the 1980s and after my recovery I made a decision on how I wanted to live the rest of my life. Don't wait until you are forced to reconsider what to do with the rest of your life.
I set a 10-year vision, which I update regularly. My vision is divided into business, family, health, outlook, finance and investments.
I decided that my business was to ensure that I do what makes me happy and realised, all those years ago, that my business and hobby were one and the same thing. It's important to stick to what you know and what you enjoy. I also realised that I don't have enough outside interests and that I'll work for the rest of my life, but at my own pace.
When it came to family, it was crucial to keep the family together and watch them grow. Equally important was to have quality time with my wife, my children and grandchildren. Also key is to have time away and time out. There is a big difference. Playing a round of golf on a Wednesday afternoon, but talking business and thinking of all the problems you've left behind is certainly not switching off completely.
Should my children leave South Africa, I would stay in this country but travel more regularly to be with them. It's a sad fact, the number of elderly people whose children and grandchildren live abroad only holiday infrequently with them. When they arrive it's great excitement but, they leave bereft.
My outlook is to remain positive about South Africa. I am not prepared to participate in negative talk or activities. I also needed to be less stressed and try to make a difference in other people's lives. When it came to health, I was determined to eat better, stay fit and control my weight. After all, you can do anything if you have robust health.
I learnt a significant lesson about when enough is enough, and I want to do more of the things that I've done in the past, well into the future.
On the financial side, it was important to achieve financial independence to give me choices. Years ago, in investment planning, I set my strategy to beat inflation by 6% to 8% on a yearly basis. This hasn't come without risk and the understanding that when markets fall, you don't panic. Recognise the difference between investments and savings as well as risk and reward. Put more thought into your vision, goals and objectives and live each and every day to the full, before it's too late. - E-mail: bryan@bhca.co.zaweb
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