Unlike the last couple of years when I don’t really care about any of that, especially at the end of the year, this time of the year, I want to do something different.
Typically, I downplayed my resolution and plan because I didn’t believe in myself enough that I could do that. Most of them are just wishes without any tangible actions and more like empty plans. But I learned my lesson.
These past 3 years I have learned the following things:
1. The people I know and care about are getting older and their medical fees aren’t cheap.
2. I must pay taxes and it’s quite a bit.
3. If I am a bit patient, I could literally backpack the entire month to Bhutan or some European Countries.
4. It’s gut wrenching when you can’t give during Christmas or major family holiday
5. It’s nice to have a comfortable place to live and maintenance fees aren’t cheap either.
And obviously, the key to all that is good money management and more jobs. Since I just came into my senses these past few months, I was back on the job market and applied to many companies and small companies only to end up into a family business once again. So, I am trying to land myself on more projects in 2026 through my family business.
Because of that, I started going back into planning and my plan isn’t going to be just empty plans unlike before.
It’s cute when you’re in your early 20s to plan a lot of things, not end up doing it and fail in the process. But as soon as you hit your late 20’s, you probably need to step up your game a little and not fall into the same hole and problems that twist and tangle your life. That would be stupid right?
There’s one epiphany I recently got that I was always afraid to ask and afraid to be rejected. Now, I am so immune to that since I’ve been on the lowest low and I am fine with being rejected. It’s better than not trying, right? So, I don’t hold myself back anymore. I said what I wanted to say even when I confess a feeling or trying to find more jobs or even ask for help.
As I am entering the last year of my 20s, there’s also a huge difference between my early 20s and today, which is basically how I base my life on my faith. For example, I never really care about major holidays and put a little thought into it but now, I think about 52 Sundays to attend and 5 major holidays that are all festive on their own.
Christmas is a big festivity and now I know more people to give out gifts during the day. This year, it was a bit gut wrenching to me that I couldn’t give out gifts to the people I care about.
And I am looking forward to celebrating next Christmas with the people I come to love and have fun with.
It’s like you drift aimlessly and at some point, and if you’re like me you’re bound to be frustrated with the lack direction that it has. Sometimes there’s rainy days and you’re scrambling to get by, and it sucks. Even when you have some savings, they are not going to be enough sometimes for that rainy day. So it is better to have not just umbrella but coasts and more layers of them to help during those days.
Now, when it comes to purpose in life, truthfully, I haven’t found my purpose yet. I don’t really know what ticks me other than having some adventure, traveling, and solving problems.
Maybe I’ll soon find what my purpose really is but for now, when it comes to work and study, I find myself among environmental engineers, lawyers, urban and regional planners. And those can be my future field of study. Afterall, I am not the one paying for education, so I’ll just dive into whatever is in front of me and pay.
I am not doing the cliché route of losing weight, being healthier, none of that. I am just letting all that flow because it’s all part of my changed life. I am 100% fully aware that the more I take care of myself, the healthier I get and I would avoid a lot of medical fees even when I am insured. Oh, and the less I weigh, I could do more activities while traveling like diving and more extreme sports.
Back in the day, I also used to do mini trips out of boredom but these days, my job requires me to travel to some exotic places and get paid. So, I am sure I will never miss traveling for work and will stop doing mini trips that are not quite productive. It’s better to do a major trip than smaller trips throughout the month. That’s why I made the goal of spending a week overseas or maybe a month, who knows?
Oh, and swimming…. That goes without saying, when I am home, I swim about 2-3 times a week and am still consistently doing so. It stopped being a goal but it is my lifestyle now.
I look more put together because I rarely leave the house before and now, I attend church every Sunday and every major holiday and celebration. I also must go out more for work, which requires me to look at the part and often in pictures too. So, that’s why it’s my goal for 2026 to learn how to look more put together.
Being responsible is the word for 2026 and the more I know people, the more careful I get for what I said and promises I made. The more I am also careful on how I put myself out there, after all now I am not some girl living in isolation anymore. I even pay taxes regularly and its pain in the ass if you don’t have some good planning and accounting for that. You do not want to get audited.
I am not advocating living below any means but living on a budget. To me that’s two different things. When you budget properly, you won’t have to suffer and that’s what I found. I am not a fan of the idea of living below our means. But I come to terms that budget is a great thing to do. When it’s not on your budget, don’t do it.
After the years that wrecked my savings and my financial stability, I really learned my lesson that I must carefully budget even the smallest thing like my coffee expenses. I am certainly guilty about spending a lot on coffee but now that I am so desensitized by café experiences, I only go during work trips and when it’s still on my budget. Otherwise, I won’t go at all.
This could go on and on about resolutions and things I learned in 2025 but that’s all for now. I am sure with a lot more determination, I could tick off all the lists I made for 2026 and this time next year, I will proudly say I did it rather than forgetting all about it. Because for now, the goals I have made are far more real than just empty goals that I could have made due to being inspired by someone. This time, the goals I made are what I truly need and very close to what I need to do to reshape my life and enter this new phase of life.
𝘊𝘦𝘮𝘺 (𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘤) 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗀𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 & 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘳, 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘵, 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘱𝘰𝘱 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘺; 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘣 𝘢 𝘤𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴. |
