[2020 in review]
For me, 2020 is a crazy yet remarkable year, and it made all the previous years look like baby steps. Covid-19 threw a lot of unexpected things in our paths, but it accelerated all my plans. When a psychic told me in Feb 2019 that my life would be very different, almost unrecognizable in the next few years- I thought it was a bad joke, I would never have imagined how this year would have turned out.
[Health and fitness]
I started the year with the Wildfit Challenge in Feb 2020. It changed my life in many ways- it was mainly recorded videos week by week followed by a live coaching session every Monday. It was mind-blowing and it gave me the conviction that online learning can be as effective. It was been more than 9 months since the programme concluded but I still stick with the ‘diet’- no grains, no processed food, no processed sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol. I’ve only gone back to caffeine more regularly. Changing my relationship with food helped me embark and even stick to my exercise regime. This year, I finally managed to exercise more 3x a week. Through the circuit breaker period, I lost more than 6kg. I felt light and I loved the way I was fitting into clothes and how I was looking in the mirror. When the circuit breaker lifted, I combined my exercise with my love for exploring and new things- swimming, cycling, hiking and kayaking.
[Emotional wellness]
Feeling great physically had additional unintended benefits- self-love took a huge positive turn. I spent a lot more time on my emotional and mental health. I did multiple Mindvalley courses on mastering my emotions, and life visions. I even found a new coach, someone to work with me on my past emotional trauma and issues- the sessions are short but very intense. That’s the thing: each time you achieve a new breakthrough, you find that there are new things to work on; always a work in progress.
[Work]
On the work front, the setback in January felt like it had a deeper meaning. For the first time in my 9 years last November, I made that radical decision to drop to a 2-day workweek. It felt in my gut the right thing to do, though, in my rational mind, I was crazy. I cannot even figure out why I wanted that 30-40% drop in salary. Nonetheless, it proved timely because COVID-19 happened, and with fewer clients, I was able to focus on serving them to the fullest. While some ex-colleagues were getting many requests and unkind words, my classes and my clients were very kind to accommodate all the changes we had to implement last minute. When I left my previous job, the company was concerned that parents and students were upset, but I had many gratitude letters and beautiful conversations all around. My clients were genuinely happy for me and my new opportunities, and it was the single best validation of my hard work all those years.
[Wealth]
The circuit breaker period was a boring but a necessary time in redirecting my focus on things that mattered to me. I rebalanced my investing portfolio very early on and with the run-up in the stock market, I managed to reverse all my losses from 2013. When I left my old job, I left behind my bonus, but my gains in the stock markets more than countered that.
[Giving]
I also spent time volunteering! 24 h with Halogen Group on their entrepreneurship programme made me top 10 corporate volunteers of the year. I submitted a video and it got aired in their finals.
[New career in data analytics]
At the same time, I found myself extremely drawn to data analytics- I was finishing up my specialist diploma and I even did another 20+ online courses in the related field. It was much later that I realized I got a perfect GPA in my specialist diploma. When this job opportunity opened up, I felt compelled to apply to this place. I got the provisional offer in mid-July and the rest was history. This new job is everything I have prayed for- to work with the best and the brightest in their fields and to work on challenging and exciting new projects together.
[Relationships]
As with this new job, I found myself valuing the time on my weekends and weekday nights so much more. I manage to fulfil my promise to spend more time with my dear rabbits. I also actively meet up old and dear friends, and new friends to engage in meaningful conversations all around. Getting more dinner invites and also invites to intimate and cosy small group sessions is a testament that I am making good improvements in these areas.
[Goals]
I achieved most of my goals in 2020, and my friends always joked that I graduated from my ex-company with flying colours. While there is hard work, there are elements of divine help and luck. Into 2021, with the grace of God, I will continue to work on becoming the best version of myself; to love deeply and to live passionately. To develop my skills and to apply them well at work, in my personal life, and to do more impactful volunteering projects.