First, a note on goalsetting
It's always helpful to have future aspirations in mind, for they give guidance to your direction.
But I try to not focus too much on what I could have in the future, as I find it makes it difficult to be content with what I have now. This striving may lead to greater achievement, but it would be at the cost of current wellbeing.
As with most everything, there is a balance to be struck. I want to be content, but I also want to achieve. How, then, do I go about finding this balance?
I believe the key is in becoming interested with that which leads to achievement, rather than suffering through it, and then simply repeatedly engaging with that which you find interesting.
By engaging with these interests, you will inevitably reach greater heights through the accumulation of experience - even if your goal was merely engagement.
It's also important to take time to reflect on your progress and to appreciate what you have now, as it can often be taken for granted while we are swept away down life's many winding paths.
There's an argument to say you won't get as far in the short term. Perhaps. Though perhaps also you increase your longevity in the pursuit, and so, over a longer time frame, you are able to get further than you otherwise would. Either way, progress isn't everything, and enjoyment of the pursuit matters.
1. I Want to Find My Natural Pace
2. I Want to be a Software Engineer
And then on to pursuing Software Engineering mastery.
3. I Want to Start A Family
In my mid-30s, when I'm sufficiently advanced in my career that I am able to financially provide a good quality of life, I'd like to have 2 or 3 children with someone whom I'd like to spend the rest of my life with (1 seems too few, and 4 seems too many).
But not just financial provision, of course.
I want to be able to support their emotional needs as well. I want to be someone who my children can admire and respect. I want to be able to sufficiently guide and inspire them when they inevitably become lost.
And I hope to give the same to my life partner, whoever that may turn out to be.
4. I Want to Design My Own House
I love Scandinavian Minimalism, of which Norm Architects seems to be the embodiment - lots of natural light, natural materials, natural colours, and space to breathe.
In particular, I like their Skovshoved Residence:
Similarly, I like Standard Architecture's Forest Knoll:
But I find it's a bit too grandiose for my tastes (and, at a $22M valuation, my wallet!). I want something small, but big enough. I don't want to have to spend all my free time on maintenance. I want a sauna and a home gym, but I'd rather do without the cinema, swimming pool, 2nd living room, and 2nd garage.
Though, I also find the prospect of being surrounded by nature enticing, however inconvenient. Something like Looking Glass Lodge:
At some point I'll boot up Blender, or learn some architecture software, and play around.