The Year That We Get On Top of Our Finances

I recently discovered The Budget Mom and I have to say, I’m addicted to her YouTube channel. My husband and I started being serious about getting on top of our finances in 2018 but car troubles majorly affected our savings last year. No matter; we’re both working hard on rebuilding our savings in 2019. YouTube videos like the ones by TBM have been helpful in getting us on the right course.

I like this video a lot because it resonates with my resolution this year – to be very mindful about my money and where it goes. I remember a lot of impulse buying episodes last year. So, this year, I have a few strategies for avoiding such incidents:

1. Answer these questions truthfully before purchasing.

They are Do I really need this?; Is there a cheaper alternative?; What am I getting out of this?; Is it worth the cost? Am I really getting my money’s worth from this purchase?” Does it make sense to invest in this?; Can I save money by doing something different?; Is this worth risking my financial future?

2. Savings challenges

I have 4. The first is to live on RM10 a day; the second is to save RM1,400 a month for home-related projects and vacations in 2020; the third is saving RM20 and RM5 notes and the fourth is saving loose change.

When I focus on increasing my savings, I automatically become very mindful about my purchases. Whatever I choose to spend on must give me the most maximum value.

At times, this makes me think about whether I am contradicting my daily affirmation of attracting abundance into my life. But then I remind myself that abundance is not just about having/owning lots of things/experiences. It is really about owning meaningful things/experiences. Clearly, not everything in life is meaningful. Otherwise, they will start losing their meaning. As Marie Kondo says, own or keep only things that spark joy.

I’m definitely going to spend more time watching TBM’s videos. I’m hoping that her money-savviness will rub off on me. We are, after all, the sum of the people we hang out with…

 

 

 

No-Work Weekends

I just wanted to put it out there that in 2019, I’m dead serious about banning work from making appearances in my life on weekends.

This is the only way for me to devote time to personal administration projects such as decluttering my closet, clearing out the fridge and more.

This also means that I need to settle all work-related things during the weekdays as I should be. I know meetings are the biggest squanders of time and I have to find opportunities outside of work to catch up. But whatever I do, weekends are off limits.

I’m serious about this! Work-free weekends will happen in 2019!

Getting Clean

The title of this blog post makes me sound like an addict, doesn’t it? I suppose I am an addict… of the Internet and social media, but that’s a topic for another day. One thing that I haven’t been able to get hooked on, though, is a regular cleaning schedule.

By now, you can probably tell where this is going, and how I don’t enjoy cleaning. I still clean because I value a tidy home. However, I loathe cleaning so much that I do chores grudgingly. Those who know me will say I am quite chill in person. But you know how driving brings out the worst in people? Cleaning does that to me.

It gets on my nerves. It is so bad that I’ve had to convince myself to wear a Minnie Mouse headband while doing chores so that they become “fun” – like the fun I had on my vacation to Disneyland Japan last May. It really is bad, people!

However, I know that I have to get it together this year. I made great progress financially in 2018 and I hope that I’ll make marked improvements in home management in 2019. This post is to create a form of accountability for myself.

2019 will be the year that walking into my apartment after work gives me that ‘entering a fancy hotel room the first time you check in’. Everything is clean, neatly stacked, and organised in their rightful place.

I will do this with support from my loving husband. We will work as a team.

I will not put off cleaning till I cannot tolerate the mess anymore. The chores will be done daily so that cleaning doesn’t get so overwhelming. By 31 Dec 2019, I will actually find cleaning cathartic. That’s the goal. I know I can do it and I will get all the support that I need to succeed.

 

 

2019 Themes and Guiding Questions

My themes for 2019 are:

1. Be intentional
2. Be inspired
3. Be inspirational
4. Expect abundance
5. Expect every day to be the best day of your life
6. Live BELOW your means

1. What can I do to live my theme in 2019?

Save more.

Be more intentional about my decisions, especially on how to spend my time, what projects/favours to commit to and also purchases.

The attitude of gratitude, every second of the day.

Always being aware of my mindset and tipping the scale to 51% or more towards positive thoughts.

Read about inspirational people and events.

Constantly be aware that I receive exactly what I give out. So give only good thoughts and positivity at all times.

Travel to local and international destinations – Langkawi, Betong, Bandung, Seoul, Busan, Osaka, Tokyo, Sydney.

2. How do I want to feel in 2019?

Abundant, compassionate, loving, forgiving, contented, magnanimous, nurturing, happy, light-hearted.

3. What do I want to invite into my life in 2019?

Adventure, success, compassionate people, inspiration, abundance, perfect health, wealth that is halal and berkat, happiness, unconditional love, beauty, culture, peace and harmony.

Proactiveness, go-getter attitude, confidence that I have as much chance as anyone else to win, succeed, get ahead.

Mindfulness, take charge – ‘my future lies in my own hands’ – attitude.

4. What will I let go of in 2019?

Unfounded superiority complex, holier than thou thoughts, tendency to get into pointless Twitter fanwar, makcik bawang tendencies – gossiping about people whom I dislike or don’t know – because it is a waste of time and only brings me more of what I don’t want.

 

The Values Challenge

Imagine this: As a result of implementing the tactics in this book (The Productivity Project), you have two more hours of leisure time every day. How will you use that time? What new things will you take on? What will you spend more time on?

If I had two more free hours every day, I would:

• Go for a one-to-one Korean class to improve my conversational skills.
• Edit more videos to improve my skills.
• Learn data science.
• Deep clean my home/decorate my home.
• Do vocal exercises.

When you picked up this book, what productivity goals, or new habits, routines or rituals did you have in mind that you wanted to take on?

• Focus/attention
• Goal setting
• Exercise

Why do you want to be more productive?

• I want to accomplish more.
• I want to maximise my time and fill it up with meaningful things.
• I want to live more intentionally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Love, EXO-Ls!

First of all, I am an EXO-L. Right now, my Twitter timeline is flooded with my fellow Aeris who are aghast at the audacity of a certain Kpop group — currently enjoying immense popularity in the United States — to brag and “not be humble”.

These tweets naturally irk the fans of the said group. I completely understand and I wish to give my humble opinion on how we all can learn from this experience.

I don’t want to invalidate anyone’s opinion. If you dislike this group, perhaps you have valid reasons for feeling so. But I also feel that if you dislike this group and wish they don’t annoy you any more, there is a workable solution using tips from the Law of Attraction (LoA).

1. If you Hate Them, Stop Focusing on Them

Yes, it IS THAT SIMPLE. If you see them being mentioned on your timeline, block that person, mute him, whatever. I hate to break it to you but what you focus on you magnify. So, stop obsessing about them. Stop being an anti-fan or hater. Don’t waste your energy on them. Try it and soon, you will notice that they will not bother you anymore.

I am a living example of this. In theory, I have all the makings of a fan of this group. In theory, I should like their songs. But I don’t, even after giving the songs a listen. You know why I am not a fan of them? It’s because I don’t focus on them. I don’t bother to find out when their birthdays are, where they were born, what is their star sign. I just don’t give a hoot.

When they appear on my timeline, I read it and move along. Try it. ☺

2. Be Happy for Them

All the fuss about this group makes EXO-Ls appear bitter. Perhaps some fans do think that EXO deserves the attention better. I personally don’t want EXO to get too famous so that I can have them just the way they are. But I digress ☺

If you are one of those fans who want EXO to have the same or even better success, LoA recommends being happy about the success of this other group.

Being bitter or wishing EXO is in the place of this other group (because you think they deserve it more) is actually showing signs of lack. What it does is perpetuate the fact that EXO does not have this thing that you wish them to have. When you focus on not having something, you will attract more of the same (the lack of success, etc).

Being happy for others creates a sense of hope and attracts good fortune your way. The world is everyone’s oyster and everyone has the same chance of being successful. It’s just a matter of time.

But if you continue to hate and be jealous, you are only magnifying the fact that you don’t have what this other person has. As long as you keep this negative attitude, you will forever attract lack.

So, my advice to EXO-Ls is to stop the bickering and stop the bitterness. Be the bigger person and be the first to walk away from stupid fan wars. More importantly, do not focus on hate. Focus on love. Love and celebrate this other group for the the opportunity that God have given them to put the spotlight on Kpop, a genre that we love.

When you focus on love, you attract more love and the hate will disappear. Try this long enough and one day, you will find that you are no longer embroiled in them because you have chosen to focus on the positive.

As EXO would say, saranghaja (let’s love!) ♥

Manifesting Elyxion in Malaysia’s Concert Tickets

This concert is already sold-out and scalpers are having a field day selling the cheapest tickets at the original price + RM1,000. Ridiculous, right? But somehow I know I am MEANT to be at this concert. It’s my annual date with my boys! How can I bail on them?!

So, I’m throwing caution to the wind and I am making a bold declaration that I am going to secure a bunch of tickets for me and my friends. I don’t know how; I’m leaving that to Allah. I’ve done this before and I know things will work out for me somehow. I don’t need to worry about the mechanics; I just need to have faith.

So, yes, I will be at that concert with my friends, you best believe it!

A Year of Learning?

Last week, I spent a few days completing an article based on a workshop that my team conducted in line with the International Women’s Day celebration. The workshop was about discovering your voice (i.e yourself).

Writing the article inspired me to challenge myself to be “observant of new opportunities” popping up around me. One particular idea that kept cropping up is data science.

So, I decided to enrol for a free introductory course on Data Science on udemy. It’s a course that tells me what to expect about data science before committing to this new area.

At a glance, the odds seem to be stacked around me already. I am an Arts student through and through. I struggle with subjects like maths and science and have avoided them all of my life. Data Science, as I discovered, is right down the alley of statisticians and the likes.

But I figured I should at least find out what Data Science is all about. I like the idea of using data to gather insights and predict outcomes.

That is one of the things that I want to learn this year. I also want to learn how to create GIFs, edit videos and learn to code. If life begins at 40, then let me celebrate my 40th year of being alive by learning all these skills.

Wish me luck!

 

 

 

It Feels Good to Be Me

A few days ago, I got my bonus. My performance review for 2017 was lower than the year before, so I expected to get a lower bonus payout this year. Still, that did not prepare me adequately for the moment that I checked my bank account.

Perhaps it is because I had banked on this bonus to fund my belated birthday and anniversary celebration trip to Tokyo with my husband in May. So, when the statement showed a figure lesser than what I received last year, my heart sank.

For a while, I was mad at myself for being ungrateful. Why was I upset when there was still a substantial amount in my bank account? Truth be told, it is a 5-figure amount. It is more than my monthly pay, for sure. Yet, I was upset that it was lesser than before.

Thankfully, I snapped myself out of self-pity mode and focused on what I have. I am grateful that I have a job that even affords me a performance bonus. Some people do not have this benefit; some people do not even have a job. I know deep in my heart that this is my rezeki (allocation). Yes, my superiors decided that I deserved that much, but really it is Allah who made it possible. Whatever amount that I received is what I deserve and what Allah has determined for me.

I would rather receive this amount plus an endless source of rezeki in the form of money, opportunities, free time, ease, comfort, being surrounded by compassionate people who genuinely care about me and all the good stuff than to be blessed with, say, eight month’s bonus which is followed by a series of unfortunate events.

I have faith in Allah that for as long as I remain true to my myself, a loyal servant to Allah, kind, compassionate, loving, understanding, supportive, magnanimous, etc, I will continue to be blessed and protected by Allah.

This realisation really cheered me up. I feel so much better now. I am genuinely happy. I believe I am in a good place right now. I am grateful and contented. Tomorrow is another day and opportunity to try again and keep on pursuing my destiny.

I have my flight tickets and accommodation paid. I am just waiting for my EXO-CBX ticket to materialise. I am confident that there is a good seat at Yokohama Arena waiting for me, with my name on it. I am confident about the future because I know Allah will always provide for me and my family for as long as we remain faithful in our worship.

It really feels good to be me right now 🙂

 

 

Today’s Affirmation:

I deserve to have loving and positive people around me including family members, friends, colleagues and superiors. I accept them into my life now!