#36 - My Birthday

I celebrated my 35 years old birthday this month. 🙂

Ever since the year I turned 28 years old, I've started to write reviews/previews for my birthday. 

It's the same concept as New Year Resolution, but instead of using Dec 31st to mark the end of the year, I use my birthday to be more meaningful and less stressful when dealing with New Year Resolution. 

​Over the years, I've learned the best way to make the plan is to focus on the WHY = motivation.

And then implement with ACTION LISTS = ROUTINES. 

Finally, please keep it simple and stupid = KISS.

Because ultimately, the plan WILL change, but the essence will remain the same. 

The point is to have the habits of MAKING A PLAN, and then TRACK YOUR PROGRESS!

Here we go!

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The biggest lesson from Sep 2019 - Sep 2020:


Life is TRULY full of "surprises." 


This year, no one could have imagined the world will be in a pandemic state, something we've only seen in histories or movies!


The coronavirus has disrupted everyone and everywhere, and I'm deeply grateful to be still alive and healthy, so do my families. 


However, this situation has also taught me: 

• Life is full of uncertainties, so embrace the moment is THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT of life. 
• Make PLAN FOR HABITS = because we will have no control over the timeline or result; instead, plan to do a particular thing every day, over and over again. This will be much more feasible on the day to day base and yield a real result!
• Limitation = Instead of THINKING BIG, which I naturally do, limit the action because we only have a limited amount of resources; TIME, ENERGY & MONEY. If we restrict our TIME, ENERGY & MONEY, we can only choose 1-3 Core Habits/Goals to pursue, and that will make us truly FOCUS & PROGRESS!

Right now, I've chosen Investing/Japanese/Health as my TOP 3. 
If I spend 20 hours per week on each category, it will already be 60 hours per week on top of works & sleep. 
It is the Maximum anyone can do. Be realistic. 
3 categories x 20 hours + 8 hours sleep + 8 hours work = 24 hours
***20 hours per week is the MINIMUM contribution for you to develop any skills within a year as I take 80% capacity of the 10,000 hours rule = (10,000 hours x 80% / 365 days = 21.91 hours ****


I also realize the most crucial thing in life is accumulating enough WEALTH because you never know when a pandemic/disaster/unpredictable event will hit your life. 
It would be best if you built ENOUGH WEALTH to live happily. 


However, I'm NOT just talking about money. There are 5 essential WEALTH that I think it's vital for everyone to start building. ​

Financial wealth = passive income.

​During the pandemic, many realize just how little money we have saved to use as an emergency fund. Moreover, many of us, unfortunately, got laid off or saw our salary slashed in half. 
If you've been relying on a stable income for years without saving & investing, it's to think about your financial future. 
There are many financial books and resources to teach you how to invest, save, or even start a side hustle. 
One of the best websites I recommend is Financial Samurai. 

Financial Samurai. 

I read it every week and gain tremendous knowledge. 

As for my plan, here are the revenue streams that I'm building for life. 
Stock and equity = soft assets
Real estate = hard assets
Online business 
Residual income = acting (I wish) 

Another unfortunate thing through this pandemic is how unfair the world can be, just because of your birth. 
We see rich nations, including my two countries Canada & Taiwan, that can take care of their citizens with TOTAL FREE HEALTH CARE. On top of that, I've been receiving $2000 monthly from Canada's Government as a COVID 19 emergency fund. 
Not to mention that I will always have a family to fall back to, both financially and emotionally. 

And what have I done to earn all the above benefits? Nothing!
It's genuinely a Birth Right and a real advantage that sets us entirely apart throughout this pandemic. 
Sure, I think all countries/families would love to help their citizens/sons/daughters, but unfortunately, with 7.4 billion people on this earth, not every country/family is in that position. 

So I'm delighted, and in fact, I think my two nationalities are also one of my most significant financial wealth. 

Personal Wealth

Physical health = food and exercise and lifestyle 
Mental health = self-development 


During the pandemic shutdown, many people have fallen ill from the isolation and years of bad habits. 
More people have died from complications or pre-existing conditions, rather than from the COVID 19 virus. 


Your body is your home. 
If you have been neglected your health for years, then when shit happens, you will not be strong enough to live through it.  


It takes years to build up good physical health because the proper health comes from a healthy lifestyle, not some quick fix of dieting plans. 
You will also need time to build up your body through exercises, and muscles take time to grow, so do your lung capacities. 


All in all, I hope this pandemic has alerted you to just how important it is to have good physical health. 


But let's not stop there! Because during the lockdown, many people have suffered from anxieties, panic attacks, and total breakdowns. 
Your emotional health is as important as your physical ones. 
It also takes time to self-develop your psychological minds and better manage your own emotions. 


Finally, if you need help, please seek help! 
There is NO SHAME to seek emotional help. You would find a trainer in the gym to start, why not do the same for your mind? 


There are many great therapists out there to help, both online and in-person! 


Recommended books: 
Feeling Good
any books by Tony Robbins

​Relationship Wealth 

​If you're a party animal, love to go out and drink and have fun, this pandemic indeed disrupted your lifestyle completely!

Many people suddenly realize just how lonely they actually are, especially under the disguise of our splendid urban lifestyles. 

Yet, without the booze, the bars, online dating, and quick hook-ups, what do we really have?

Our loved ones are what we have, especially during tough times and at the end of our death bed. 

This pandemic has made me realized how lucky I am to have a loving family, a few but real friends, and, most importantly, a life partner. 

I'm genuinely grateful to have Erica by my side, moreover than ever! 

Sure, not everyone has a significant other or best friends/families. However, it truly takes time to build friendships and relationships, and it takes time to manage a family. 

Nothing comes easy!

So it's an opportunity cost for you to choose; to spend countless hours clubbing and hook-ups, or spend the same amount of time to cultivate a meaningful relationship with a single person?

​Spiritual Wealth 

​This is another significant learning for this year and throughout the pandemics. 
Again, when everything shuts down, what else do you have?

This is where your spiritual life comes in. 

I'm not only talking about God or religions. I'm talking about your hobbies and passions. 

When you no longer need to spend 8 hours on works + 2 hours on a commune, or when you lost your job - what else do you have going on in your life? 

For people who have not spent enough time to develop their spiritualities in life, this is indeed a challenging year for them. 

If you have a spiritual life, a relationship with God, a time for yourself, an ability to be solitude and seek knowledge from books, then the pandemic is actually one of the best times, at least for me. 

I've enjoyed all the extra time to learn from online classes, books, and take the time to reflect and think. 

I encourage you to seek and cultivate your spiritualities. 

​Career Wealth

​I put Career wealth at last because I think by this time, we've all realized just how much career wealth we have built. 

Those people who have built a sounding career surely enjoy the pandemic with fewer work hours, no commune, and the exact same salaries and benefits. 

For those who have not, this is the time to reflect your career choice and ask yourself: Can I survive the next pandemic? How skillful and unreplaceable are you?

Remember, it takes time to build a career, so you better start now!

P.S 
Obviously, I did not write my whole Yearly Plan down because they are private, but I hope this blog can give you an insight into how to write your Yearly Plan. 
And do it on your birthday. It's much more meaningful and personal! 


All the best, looking forward to a better 2021!


If you still need more guidance, I recommend the template from The Year Ahead. 

The Year Ahead