Back a year or so ago a lot of personal finance bloggers started writing about their perfect days. The ideal description of what our life would be like on a “perfect day” 5-ish years into the future.
When I wrote this description I was at my old job. I didn’t have a BF at the time and I was pretty depressed. Imagining that perfect life seemed like an impossible dream to me then.
Over a year later that “perfect day” is starting to seem like a reality.
I thought I’d go back and take a look at some of the things that I dreamed of in my perfect day and comment on how my life stands in comparison to that imagined perfect day.
I wake up around 7am. I’m a little groggy from being up all night with some indigestion from the pregnancy, but otherwise I’m pretty happy. I have a meeting at 8:30, so I get get first shower before my husband does. I’m not sure what he does, but he loves his job.
Well, I do wake up at 7am when I’m working. I’m obviously not pregnant, nor am I married. But I do have a boyfriend who doesn’t hate his job. I suppose that counts for something right?
I wake up at home. In our beautiful bedroom in our 1-bedroom apartment. We’ve been saving up for a few years to get our own home. The bedroom is dark and cosy with chocolate wood and warm pictures on the wall, but the rest of the apartment light and airy.
Well, I’m still in debt, so I haven’t started saving for a house. But if BF and I do ever decide to move in with each other our first priority will be saving up for a house for the two of us together (after getting out of debt, of course!). As for the chocolate wood and warm pictures in the bedroom – check! And the light and airy rest of the apartment – check again!
I’m an Assistant Professor at a nearby University. I have my own lab with a post-doc and 4 graduate students. I have group meeting at 8:30am. My graduate student is presenting an idea that I had recently come up with and shows some really exciting results that validate the method that I’ve created. I’m very exciting about this and immediately after the meeting go to my office to start writing both a grant on the results and start to formulate the paper which I hope will get into the Journal of American Chemical Society. It is a fantastic day of research.
Well, I’m an assistant professor currently, so I’ve done that part! Right now I’m writing grants to try to get some money to pay for summer research students, so I don’t have enough “man power” to have results to publish on my own, though I do have two undergraduates that are working for me. However, I’ve managed to get out 3 publications so far this year on prior work and still have students who are doing research for me. So my career life is right on track from this part of my perfect day.
I drive my fuel efficient vehicle that I paid cash for.
I’m still driving my car from graduate school. I’m hoping this will last me at least another 5 years (it is a 2002) at which point my goal is to buy a new car with cash. As I’m not saddled with a car payment currently – I’m considering this a step in the right direction towards achieving this goal.
Every night we take an hour walk with the dog. He loves it and so do we.
BF and I currently take walks with Jack just about every night. He loves it and so do we. =)
We go out once a week to a cultural event – like a play or a musical or the opera or a movie. Typically for the matinee since it is slightly cheaper and less crowded. We have game night once a week. And during the evenings we take turns cooking dinner and then relax from the stresses of the day. Sometimes our dinner conversation gets so intense (in a good way) that we end up sitting at the dinner table until near bed time because we’re just enjoying the conversation so much. A few times a week I retreat to my craft room and do that for a few hours while he plays some video games (or whatever it is that he enjoys to do on his own). This particular evening we’re discussing where we’d like to go on our baby-moon vacation in two months. I’m thinking Brazil and he’s thinking Thailand. It is a very heated discussion and in the end we decide that it would probably be best to go a big city in case there are any complications with the pregnancy while we’re there.
Because of money BF and I only go to a cultural event about once or twice a month (usually a movie, but this month we went to a see live music). We do however have game “night” once a week. Every Sunday afternoon we play games from 3pm to around 10pm. There are also other impromptu game nights that occur during the week as well. I love playing games and I’m so glad that I’ve finally gotten a BF (and friends) who also enjoy playing them with me as well. BF and I are also trying to find some time to vacation. This year we’re going to go to San Diego in the summer since two of my four best friends are getting married this summer and both weddings are in San Diego.
I go to bed sleeping in his nook and loving it. I’m so happy that my research is going well. I enjoyed planning our vacation. I look forward to the events up the upcoming days. It was a pretty fantastic day all around.
I didn’t have to wait 5ish years for this. I go to sleep happy like this now. =)
I’m thankful for a job that fulfills and satisfies me. A husband who loves and understands me. The family that we’re creating together and the experience that we’ve shared and will be sharing together.
I am currently so thankful for a job that fulfills and satisfies me. I have a BF who loves and understands me. We’re not yet creating a family but we’ve talked about it for the future and we absolutely love the experiences that we’re sharing together right now.
…Now if only such a perfect day could become a reality!
As you can see this “perfect day” isn’t too far from my reach and in a lot of ways I’d say that I’ve already achieved many more perfect days with many more to come!
If you haven’t imagined your Perfect Day, I encourage you to sit down and fill out the questions that were posted originally by Frugal Dreamer. If you have imagined your perfect day – how close are you to it now that another year has passed?
Small Steps for Big Change 
sounds like you had a lovely day. 🙂