I'm grateful for 2024.
Finance
First half of the year went well. Then a work trip happened, and everything went haywire after that. Now I'm broke and in credit card debt. Though I am confident that I will be able to finish paying the debt by next year June. In Shaa' Allah, my finances for next year will be better and I will be more discipline in managing my finances. I have been repeating the same thing every single year but I keep failing at it. I have to do better. I need to do better. I will do better.
Travel
It was a good year. I went on a 15 days, 14 nights work trip to Hamburg, Germany around end of June till early July. Followed by 8 days, 7 nights holiday to Bangkok, Thailand in August. My 3rd trip to Bangkok. Lastly, I went back to Tokyo after 10 years. It was 10 days, 9 nights in Tokyo, Japan in October till early November. This year's trips are definitely better than last year. It was my first time going to Hamburg and being in Europe after 5 years, and experiencing the European Summer holidays. I am grateful for my trips this year and all the new experiences that I got to make. I'm already planning for next year's trip to Bangkok. It will be my go-to holiday place when I'm on a budget to go anywhere outside of South-East Asia. Lastly, it was Tokyo after 10 long years. It was tiring and expensive but it was better than I could have imagine. Though if I ever want to go back to Tokyo again, my budget will have to be quite big so that I can do all that I want with no worries. Alhamdulillah for all the overseas travel.
Career
I finally started a new job. After my 5th year at NHB and knowing that it will take me at least another 2-3 more years before I will get promoted, I took it as a sign for me to start finding a new job. Spent almost 10 months before I finally secured a new job. From the looks of it, I am positive of my career growth in this company. I have a clearer sense of what I need to do to get promoted, compared to my previous job. And honestly, the money is good. What I am earning now is equivalent to a manager's pay in NHB, and if I was to still be in NHB, it will take me another 5 more years to get this pay. Alhamdulillah for it.
Hobbies
I have not been drawing since May. I'm not inspired or motivated to do anymore patterns or rather I got nothing coming out of me. I'm buying more Danmei books but I'm not even reading them. I have about more than 20 Danmei books but I have only read 1 of them. I'm too distracted with reading my online light novels that has broken English with complicated and repeated plots. I'm reading too many online manhua/manhwa/manga that I'm just annoyed having to wait for them that I keep switching around. I have not written a fan-fiction story since forever even though, i do have 2 new plots just brewing around in my head. I really need to pick one and start back instead of watching 20 different shows right now and none of them are in English. In Shaa' Allah, I will start back on my hobby of drawing or reading books again.
Health
I know that I have gained weight back but I am in denial about the whole thing. I mean in this past year, I think, I went to the gym like 20 times or so. Honestly, it's so hard to motivate myself to go to the gym this year. Now that my new job starts at 10.30am so my whole intention of going to gym first before work started out well. It was 2 times a week and it last for just 3 weeks before everything went downhill. And honestly, the amount of times my sinus acted up this year till it went full-blown flu is quite a lot. I went to the doctor 4 times this year to stock up on both my drowsy and non-drowsy flu medication. On the plus side, I started taking 8 different kinds of supplements (Vitamin C, Magnesium, Probiotics SB, Zinc, Ashwagandha, Astaxanthin, Fish Oil, Ginkgo & Brahmi) since March. I can't tell the different but hopefully it's helping. In Shaa' Allah, I will start going back to the gym. Maybe after puasa next year or after I finished paying off my debt and have extra cash to spare.
Birthday
The original idea was to go Bintan for a relaxing 3 days 2 nights spa retreat. Then I overspent during my worktrip in Hamburg, followed by another overspending in Bangkok and lastly, got overexcited and exceeded my budget. So basically, I'm broke to do anything for my birthday because I decided to get myself early birthday gifts while I was overseas. I got myself an LV bag, a Dior backpack, a Tiffany ring, Medicube Age-R Booster Pro, and a non-invasive facelift which was marvelous! In the end, I spent the whole day cleaning my room - washing the windows, mopping the floors, wiping every corner of the room, rearranging my wardrobe space, changing the bedsheets, refolding the clothes, ironing all the work clothes, and rearranging my books. Though I did had a belated birthday dinner with Nazron, Netty, Aidah & Haikal, which was nice. And now it's like everything the 5 of us meet up, we will dress up, which is like 3 to 4 times a year. Alhamdulillah for the presents from myself to myself, though I need to restrain myself for next year's birthday present.
In Shaa' Allah, I can make 2025 a better year than 2024. I need to do daily motivations or something. I need to be more discipline. I need to be more strict on myself.
