My 2021 Goals and Resolutions

I think it's human nature to always want more, and not to be satisfied with what you have. As soon as you achieve one thing, you are already moving onto the next best thing. I think it's because you live life only once and so it would be ideal to live this life the best you can. That's why you push yourself to be the best you. I, for one, don't want to look back on my life when I'm old and regret what I could have done.

My end goal has always been to live a life that provides me happiness and fulfilment. This makes me think - what should I be working on now to get to that point in the future. I don't mean to say I'm miserable now - I'm actually quite content with my life and grateful for what I have. Though, I personally want to live an exciting life - one which shows me the richness of the world through travel and adventures, but at the same time, have stability and love through family and friends at a place I can call home.

What I want to achieve in life calls for three things: (i) financial freedom, (ii) doing something I enjoy for a living, (iii) having meaningful relationships through a loving support system of family, significant other, and friends who care about me.

To achieve these aspects of my life, I find it very important to have a sense of direction in order to minimize the amount of time spent wandering without any specific purpose or motives. I do have a 5 year and even a 10 year plan, as well as a vague idea of how I want to spend my retirement. But let's take one step at a time and plan for 2021:

1) Grow my personal brand via my website and Youtube channel.

-> My goal is to post at least one new video on Youtube weekly (let's say, in time for Monday/Tuesday), and two videos a week starting from April 2021

-> post a blog twice a month (bi-weekly)

2) Study for and obtain my AICPA designation.

-> Create a system where I can consistently make progress on my review book every day (at least 5 pages a day)

-> Plan for practice questions at least one month before exam (mid February)

-> Exam Date: end of March 2021

3) Complete my Tax In-depth level I, and potentially start level II.

-> Allocate around 20 hours per month for e-learns and tax memo research and writing

-> Last session: beginning of June 2021

-> Enroll in level II in fall of 2021

4) Research and invest consistently.

-> Read market news 30 minutes daily

-> Set a fixed amount to invest into index funds that pay dividends

-> set a fixed amount to speculate and invest in options

5) Start a side hustle

-> Research side hustle options

-> Take action and be open to failing; learn from mistakes

6) Work on my relationships with family, boyfriend, and friends

-> Spend at least one meal a day, eating and talking with family

-> Consistently communicate with boyfriend throughout the day, and dedicate at least one weekend to just relaxing with him

-> Have touchpoints with friends at least every other week

7) Work towards healthy mind and body

Mind

-> Meditate daily in the morning for at least 10 minutes

-> Journal for at least 5 minutes every day (morning or night?)

-> Start therapy again twice a month (biweekly)

Body

-> Diet: Stick to a diet of oatmeal in the morning, lunch with family (eat small portions), and salad at dinner. I've had some digestion problems, so it's essential that I stick to a clean diet by reducing caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, all while controlling portions.

-> Exercise: 1 hour walks whenever weather permits, pilates/strength training 3 to 4x a week

-> Weight: As of today, my weight is 51.3kg (body fat 20.9% and muscle mass 37.2kg) Goal - maintain weight while decreasing body fat to 20% and increasing muscle mass to at least 40kg

Work is going to be pretty busy as well, as I've decided to focus on US tax at the firm for a few months in order to become an expert on both Canadian and US tax. I know it's a pretty heavy load, but I'm confident that I will make progress on my goals throughout 2021. I just need to find a system and a set of habits that will help me incorporate the various aspects of my goals into my daily life.

I'm not sure where I got this quote from, but I've posted it on my wall to remind myself that progress is made day to day, and not overnight.

The small, often mundane looking routines are actually the ones that deliver consistent results over time.

I wish you all the best in 2021!

Sincerely,