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Engineering my Dream Lifestyle

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I’m in the process of engineering my dream lifestyle, but I’ve gone through a bit of a rebellious stage. When I first started freelancing I was so happy that I didn’t have to conform to anyone else’s schedule that I rebelled by sleeping in until midday and staying up until the early hours of the morning, citing that I was a night owl and more productive then.

I think the truth is, I’m most productive when I set aside some time and have a solid to-do list to work through. Now I‘ve stopped falling victim to superman syndrome and have hired a virtual assistant to manage my emails so I can sleep through the night, I’m starting to shift towards engineering my dream lifestyle.

So what exactly would I like to feature in my dream lifestyle?
* Summer weather all year round (location independence)
* A decent portion of the year spent volunteering
* Sleeping in, but still rising at a respectable time
* A large portion of the year spent traveling or at least living overseas
* Working only partial days, to leave time for hobbies, exploring and fun stuff
* Growing a portfolio of investments that generate passive and semi-passive income
* Read More

This year is the year of working towards my dream lifestyle. I’m blessed that parts of my work are pretty close to where I’d like them to be, but I also want to drastically increase my income which does mean more work! Let’s look at how I’m going to move closer to engineering my dream lifestyle.

Summer Weather All Year Round
I used to joke that I was solar powered… but now I don’t think it’s much of a joke. When the weather is cold, wet or just miserable my mood often reflects it. Occasionally I like a rainy night to fall asleep to, but for the most part I would rather be basked in sunshine. The truth is, I don’t have to endure any winters because my work isn’t tied to once place. This year my partner and I are going to Europe for their summer and avoiding the New Zealand winter. So… we’re working on it. I’ll have to endure a little bit of winter this year but hopefully after he’s caught the travel bug we’ll live summers back to back.

A Decent Portion of the Year Spent Volunteering
I actually don’t have anything mapped out this year in terms of volunteering. I’ve volunteered overseas in two places; a few times in an orphanage/village school in rural Cambodia and also in an English school in Laos. I’m not sure if I could find a place to volunteer in Lisbon or Alicante, especially as I don’t speak the native languages, but I’ll look into it closer to the time. I’d really like to do some volunteer work with animals this year, so that might be an option there. Next year I think I’ll map out a chunk of the year I can spend volunteering. I think a month of the year would be a good amount of time for me.

Sleeping in, But Still Waking At a Respectable Time
Ok, this is a big one. Ideally I think I’d like to start my working day between 9.30-10 in the morning, early enough that I can get enough done for the day, but still later than most people so I feel like I’m getting a perk. Over the next month I’ve got so much to work on I’ll be aiming to get up fairly early.. but we’ll see!

Working Only Partial Days
This is something I’d really like to factor into my life, especially before we get to Spain. Maybe working for a few hours in the morning then heading out the door for the afternoon to enjoy the beach, museums, galleries and Spanish culture. I don’t think the 9-5 lifestyle gives you enough time to enjoy life, so I want to engineer my life with enough free time.

Growing a Portfolio of Investments That Generate a Passive and Semi-Passive Income
I believe building up assets as young as possible is key to financial freedom later down the track. My goals are: $12,000 in emergency funds, $10,000 in a managed fund, then I’m going to start saving for an investment property. First I need to get my savings sorted, but this is my goal for this year.

Read More
Since buying a Kindle I’ve read so many more books than usual – it breaks down the barriers to reading, which for me were going to actually get a book and the cost of buying books. I really enjoy reading both educational books and non fiction – I hope I can continue to power through books as I think it’s good for my mind and a great way to unwind.

This is definitely a work in progress, but these are all things I can easily work on this year. I feel like I’m getting closer and closer to my ideal lifestyle.

If you could engineer your dream lifestyle what would you have to include? How far away from your dream lifestyle are you?