You might be yearning for change, or sensing something’s coming round the corner that you need to get ready for. You might not know what it is yet. Increasing your wiggle room is a good thing to do. You are likely going to need this, and there is always more fun to be had as well when you have more wiggle room.
What do I mean by wiggle room? This could mean a few different things.
Financial: It’s good to have what my friend calls, a “f***off fund”. A stash of immediately available money that can buy you a few months of headspace. That might not be where you are right now at all, but keeping “financial wiggle room” in mind might help you plan towards that. Pay down debt, actually sell those things you were always thinking about selling. Not locking yourself into bigger and more expensive things if you can avoid it. Reconsider some of your regular expenses if you actually need them. Delaying or reconsidering bigger purchases. Mend and repair. (A lot of this is also better for the environment)
Time: What are you doing right now? How fulfilling is it? How much space do you have for thinking about next things, about making change? Often change involves researching new fields, meeting new people, finding new communities etc. All of that takes time. This needs to go somewhere. If you want change (or change is upon you and you’re reacting), this is NOT optional, this is part of the work of figuring out the next thing. This might mean shedding some commitments or ways of spending time that are a part of your old life. (People often ask me how I find all that time to write. I haven’t had a TV since 2004. Most people watch several hours of TV a day.)
Space: Decluttering is always a good idea. Freeing up physical space can literally make space for something new. Or you find you have more space you really need, and downsizing might be a helpful step for more freedom. Or you might find that your shed could be the perfect place to start your new thing from. Look at your space and how it serves you, and what you can do to make it serve you better.
Playtime: Yes. Change isn’t linear. A lot of this will involve experimentation, trying things out, see how they feel and how they fit. How you fit. Don’t bet the farm. Explore. Be playful. This can be so much fun, let your curiosity take you places.
Where else do you want to increase your wiggle room?
I write more on making gnarly change better in my new book https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B094YPXRDN. Or ping me for a chat.