Where did time go this year? We all know how horrible the year 2020 is.
I only want the last few days of the year to swiftly pass by without any hiccups.
When lockdown was implemented in March, I was one of the few lucky ones to keep working. Fortunately the commute is short and most of the time I was the sole passenger of a bus.
Why I am writing a life update for the first time?
Well the company I am working at will be partly closed but I am still working for a few days with one-month full salary (and I am immensely grateful for).
I can spend a whole week at home, spending holiday and catching up on my to-do list.
With so much time, I wouldn’t spend time with friends and relatives. This is not the time to spend holidays other than members of one’s household. It’s the best thing to do for everyone.
What Will I Do with My Time
So being home alone doesn’t mean boring. I am a true-blue introvert and this is the perfect time to recharge and still get things done.
1. Write more on my blogs. Yes I have other blogs. My goal is to write posts and publish it in the next few weeks so there will be one new post a week instead of months.
2. Watch Christmas holiday classics. No. I’m not going to watch Home Alone again. I want to go beyond the 90s.
- Gone with the Wind
- It’s a Wonderful Life
I would also love to watch Breakfast at Tiffany and The Kid.
This movie has been on my watch for a long time. It’s giving me a positive new year vibe.
And if there’s a movie that I want to watch although I have to pay for it, I wouldn’t mind adding it to my expenses for the month.
This also means indulging to popcorn which I am lazy to cook in a pot. I ditched two popcorn makers. It was a hassle to clean. Good old stainless pot does the job just the same.
In the spirit of binging and personal finance, I will watch Canadian in a T-Shirt videos.
It’s been a while since I binge on something; I listen to all the episodes of Afford Anything and Happier with Gretchen Rubin. (To be honest, I did skip some episodes intentionally.)
3. Listen to audiobooks. I feel like I’ve been slacking in reading and learning ever since I subscribe to Netflix and bought an iPad.
So I’ll use technology to go back to my love of books or audiobooks. Libraries are closed and it takes time to have my turn to checkout a book. I will buy selected books on Kindle if I can’t find other free resources online.
4. Update spreadsheet. I have to update my Questrade spreadsheet. My business record keeping is almost done for the year, just a few more scanning of receipts and backing up files.
5. Keep up on digital minimalism. This is the hardest task. I’ll use an Slidebox to sort my photos. Back up blogs. Declutter notes on Notes. So much to do with digital clutter. Material things are easier to deal with.
6. Sign up to Skillshare. This is still up in the air. I may do a trial and continue the subscriptions if work schedule becomes stable again.
What skills did you learn on Skillshare? Many vloggers were sponsored by it.
7. Post annual financial review sooner. I will post my yearly financial review in early January.
Lo and behold, I wrote my 2020 Financial Review in February. In the past, I published it in tax season or later. Next year is an exception; I aim to keep it that way.
I constantly update the draft all year round instead of waiting for the end of the year to think through the past whole year.
Related Post: 2019 Financial Review – Trips Galore
8. Spend time cooking on air fryer. I bought an air fryer on Black Friday for half the prize and successfully cook onion rings (already breaded). I want to try making yam and potato fries.
9. Buy foods for the holiday and beyond. This year we received grocery gift card at work which I plan on buying vegan goodies like ice cream, cake, and the usual veggies.
Oh I shouldn’t forget vegan parmesan cheese for mac and cheese. I still have my favourite wine. Grocery shopping requires planning.
Hmmm. What else is there to do?
10. Do a general cleaning. This is more likely my weekly routine so it will take an hour or so. Depending on the weather, I may have to shovel or not.
Looking at the list, I think I have so much on my plate. Well I’ll do the tasks even if I have a full-time work schedule again.
I hope that I can update my blogs (not only this blog) more often even if my schedule at work goes back to normal.
What matter is developing the habit of doing things not going against my nature (I am a night owl).
Final Thoughts
Posting Life Updates maybe a regular topic on the blog from now on. I aim to post quarterly updates or even monthly if there’s much interesting or important going on.
It’s nice to keep you guys in the loop and for me to have a sit and mull about what’s going on mostly about my journey to FI.
May you enjoy the holiday. Stay safe and healthy (the mantra of the year).
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