Hello 2025

My 2024 summary

2024 has been an eventful year, marked by challenges and milestones alike.

I experienced H1N1 virus for the first time. On top of that, the health of the elderly in my family has been deteriorating with age, and even Kpo Kia Papa has been dealing with some health issues here and there.

I also had my own “car accident” – a bad fall from a skate scooter that left a scar on my hand as a reminder of the experience.

Amidst the struggles, there were wins too. I finally got promoted this year, earning the salary I’ve worked so hard for. It’s a recognition of the effort and dedication I’ve put in.

Still, I found myself less motivated this year, both personally and professionally. I’m not sure why, but it’s something I hope to figure out as I move forward.

 Review and Reflection

Let me review my 2024 progress vs my 2023 resolutions:

1. 1. Be consistent in:
      • Update my Bujo daily
      • Social Media account posting
      • Overseeing Kpo Kia to do her homework daily

      Should I remove this from my list, as I am unable to keep up with it? 🙁 Or should I start including these as my habit tracker items? This year, I intend to do my bujo digitally; I wonder how long I can keep to it.

   2. Work hard means need to play hard right? Doesn’t need to be expensive play. Hope I can:
      • Have a family trip at least once overseas
      • Found a game I like but will not suck in too much time

      – We had our first family trip together to Hong Kong after 10 years, things changed a lot. Also managed to squeeze out time for 2 short trips to Malaysia. I am sticking to Sliding Seas, a puzzle game, which I think suit me best.

   3. Healthier life:
      • Do not gain weight
      • Pack own cooking/food for lunch at least once a week – less oil, less fried food
      • Apply skin care products diligently
      • Use up all my massage package

      – I still gained 2Kgs although I already try to cook and pack less oily food, and in smaller portion. Probably I need to push myself more. And… I totally forgot about my massage package! 

   4. Improve my finance management:
      • Increase my assets by 5%.
      • Keep track of my investment
      • Able to afford more allowance for the family

      – I think I manage to increase my assets by more than 5%, but I am still not doing a good job in tracking my finances.

   5. Improve my knowledge, area to catch up on includes
      • Project management
      • UI/UX
      • Able to present myself clearly in speech and writing

      – I feel I improved a bit over the past year, and managed to run internal meeting by myself when my boss is on leave. Not able to catch up in neither technical knowledge nor UI/UX. Still have room to improve for my presentation skill. Should I proceed to take up a English course?

   6. Make my presence more visible
      • Do not just repost on LinkedIn, but is able to repost with a thought, or even best, create own posts
      • Post on other social platform with content that have more substances
      • Share what I learnt on my blog

      – I am totally not motivate to post these days. Not sure if it’s caused by the busy work schedule, or because I cannot see the result. I had hesitated too much, and give myself too much constrain to move forward.

   7. Moving forward
      • Do not be too conscious of what colleagues complaint about me. Believe in myself, especially when it comes to something I know is good practices, even if it’s not treasurable in the eyes’ of today Gen-Z kids.
      • Try not to owe others any flavors, payback is never easy.
      • Reflect but don’t dwell in the past.

      – I don’t think I am doing a good job in this area. I do feel slightly better by keep distracting myself with other focus. 

My 2025 resolutions

For my 2025 resolutions, I would like to change how I structure them.

1. Health:
   • Sleep before 1am
   • Exercise at least once in a month
   • Do not gain weight anymore!
   • Go for massage – I need to use up my massage package!
   • Cook more often with healthier food
2. Build habits to:
   • Track finances – expenses, savings, investments
   • Read and reflect on blog at least once a month
   • Monitor the assignments and draft within a week after briefed
   • Pack room monthly
3. Family:
   • Control temper
   • Cook Kpo Kia snack at least once a week
   • Spend time going through Kpo Kia homework with her
   • Plan for coming family trip and do research in advance (Kpo Kia papa was upset when I was not prepared for our Hong Kong trip)
4. Social:
   • Keep in touch with friends and family, and remember what was shared by them
   • Prepare relevant presents in advanced
   • Less ranting about friends
5. Professional:
   • Templates the emails and documents
   • Reorganised the folder structures for projects
   •  Streamline the tracking of assignments
6. Try out something new in life
7. READ! Learn something new, and share it on social platform
8. Finance
   • Learn to read before investment
   • Improve assets (exclude CPF) by 10%
   • Decide on a finance tracker that suits me

Hope 2025 can brings me renewed energy and brighter days!