How To Make A Plan For Your Future

 While living in the present moment is really important for your happiness, it is equally as important to make a plan for your future. Making a plan for your future will enable you to take steps and reach goals and dreams that you have for yourself. Many people will make the mistake of thinking about their dreams and how they wish their life to unfold, but not take any action towards reaching them. This means that many people get older and live with regrets. It also results in not having the career you wished for, and reaching retirement without any plans or finances in place for yourself. 

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To prevent this from happening, you can take steps to prepare yourself. When you make a plan, you will live with more clarity and happiness, and you can rest knowing that your life will unfold the way you want it to. Of course, you can update your goals and plans at any point in your life, but it is a great way to get thinking about what you want so you don’t miss out on any opportunities, it will keep you motivated and moving forward, help you to have more control over your life, and you can live and retire with peace. A plan is also extremely helpful in helping you to think ahead with your finances so you are able to do the things that you want to do. Here are some steps to help you get started.

Think about your goals

The first and most important thing that you need to do, is to think about your goals. This might take some time. There might be some goals that you know you want to achieve in life, but there may also be some that you need to think about and discover. Make sure you think about all kinds of goals. There are going to be serious ones you must think about, like your finances, your investments, your career, whether you want to get married and have children, etc. Some of these serious goals may also include your retirement, your wills, and what happens after your passing. You can find helpful information online to help you craft goals and plans at www.Memorials.com and other sites online.  You also want to include some fun goals in there, like adventures that you want to go on. 

Think about what steps you need to take to get there

The next part of the plan making process is to think about what steps you need to get there. Be realistic and consider the small actions, as well as the big ones you need to achieve your goals. SMART goal setting is a good framework to follow, as it will ensure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound. 

Think about how you can finance it 

Make sure you consider your finances when planning your goals. There is nothing worse than wanting to achieve your goals but not having the means to do it. A plan will help you pull all this together. Think about the costs related to your goals, and how you can save towards being in a position to make it happen. 

Write it out 

The last step you should take when it comes to making a plan, is writing it out. This makes it more permanent and holds you accountable. When you write it down, you will also be able to remind yourself what you need to do to get to your goals. Make a tracker, schedule reviews and reminders, and make sure you go after those goals. 

Making a plan for your future is a great way to ensure you can look back at your life and accomplish everything you wanted to. 

How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Venue

Today, I am honored to bring you this guest post from Alex at The Berger Bungalow. Enjoy!

Hi, friends! My name is Alex Berger and I am thrilled that I am able to guest blog for Stephanie today! I run a blog called The Berger Bungalow, which typically focuses on travel and culinary articles, with some lifestyle scattered in. I also write a few articles here and there for The Knot Magazine, so I am into all things weddings! Today, I want to stick to my roots and talk about how to choose the perfect wedding venue. I have been married for three years now (it will be four in February) and I still remember the day that Ian and I found our wedding venue. It was so magical and I was so, so insanely excited. If you find the right venue, this is what you should feel, as well and I really want every single bride to feel this way, which is why I wanted to write this post! So, without further ado, let’s jump in:

How To Choose The Perfect Wedding Venue

Imagine Your Day

I know that everyone says that your wedding invitations are going to be your guests first impression of your wedding, but I do not think that is true. Instead, I think the first impression that your guests will get is your venue. When they drive up to the location and walk to the aisle, that is their first impression. So, when you are imagining your day, I want you to think about everything -

How will guests be greeted? What will the aisle look like? Where do you want flowers? What colors do you want in your wedding party? How many bridesmaids and groomsmen do you want? How many people are invited, all together? Will you have a seated dinner? What have you always imagined? What is most important to you? What could you care less about?

These are just a few of the many questions that you need to ask yourself. Once you figure out exactly what you want your day to look like, I need you to make a list. Make sure to include every single little detail that is important to you. Now, you do not need to write the exact dress style that you want because this could change after you find your venue, but if you have certain colors in mind, make sure to write that down because you do not want those colors clashing with your wedding venue.

Now that you have imagined your day and know what you want, you are armed and ready to start creating a budget and looking at venues!

Tour Venues

After you have your list and create your budget, start your venue research. Now, I know everyone’s first instinct is to look in your immediate area, but do not be afraid to search outside of your general area, or even your comfort zone. For example, Jeter Mountain Farm, which is a wedding venue located in Hendersonville, NC, says, “Our valued guests have traveled as far as California and New York. Our guests often leave with huge smiles and lasting memories, commenting it truly is an experience like no other.” Situated on 411 acres of rolling hills with jaw-dropping views of mountains, it is no wonder that guests from all over the country to tie the knot at Jeter Mountain Farm and celebrate with their friends and family. With over 35,000 square feet of barn and kitchen area, four wedding seasons under their belt, as well as many happy couples, the Hunsader family is committed to making your big day exactly how you dreamed it. After touring many venues of my own during my experience, it is rare to find venue owners that are this committed to each and every bride, and I believe this is just one of many reasons why Jeter Mountain Farm stands out and really goes above and beyond. In order to find your perfect venue, one that will be committed to providing you with the wedding day that you imagined, you have to be open to looking around you, as well as in places that you do not first think of.

Look At Reviews

Looking at reviews and testimonials from wedding venues is very important. Actually, before you book any vendor at all, you 100% need to read many reviews and testimonials on and off of their direct website. Unfortunately, I had quite a few mishaps during our planning process, as well as after our wedding, and it could have been completely avoided if I just would have spent more time reading reviews. Please do not skip this step! Even if you really like a person, vendor, or wedding venue, make sure you read reviews before signing a contract.

Get The Magical Feeling!

Last but not least, when you get the magical feeling that I first described at the top of this article, that is when you know that you’ve found the venue for you. Finding the wedding venue of your dreams is not as hard as you think as long as you follow the correct steps, stay within budget, and find vendors and a venue that really care about making the day perfect for you. When you find this, you will know!

I hope these tips on how to choose the perfect wedding venue will help any of you that are in the stages of planning your perfect day. Please let me know if you have any questions at all!