‘In my job as a doctor I see people who are dying all the time. They never talk about their possessions. They never say ‘what I’m really most proud about is the 7 Series BMW I bought last year’. They talk about what they achieved, their relationships and their life experiences.’

So while we all know that, with all the marketing manipulation that surrounds us, it’s still easy to fall into the trap of ‘he who has the most toys wins’ – most of us know deep down that marketing is all about creating a void that can never be filled with enough ’stuff’.

Let’s be honest: money may not make you happy, but it gives you choices, and the ability to experience many wonderful things that a person deeply in debt cannot – even if something as simple as taking time off to go camping with your kids.

That’s why the best investment you can ever make is to set aside the time to work out what you really want — and it’s easier than you think.

Most people don’t have goals. Of those that do, most don’t ever write them down. Of those who manage to write them down, most never refer back to them.

The best method I’ve found to achieve goals takes less than five minutes each day. Grab a notebook and pen and keep it next to your bed. Instead of watching David Letterman’s lame ‘Top 10′ gags, create your own.

Each night write down your top 10 goals – without referring back to what you wrote the previous night.