My 2019 Annual Review
By Warren Wong
My 2019 annual review, a little recap of the year. I found inspiration from James Clear’s annual reviews and decided to do the same.
Usually, I do a less thorough version in my personal journal, but I decided to share this with you all, because I think you will find some value or insights through this personal process.
This Annual Review will answer three questions.
- What went well this year?
- What didn’t go so well this year?
- What did I learn?
I encourage you to do the same or something similar. It’s a great way to synthesize all the ups and down of the year and also reflect on how much progress you’ve made. Also, it’s quite fun to read a few years down the road.
1. What went well this year?
My blog. I finally decided to start my blog and put my ideas out in the world wide web. After a ton of self-doubt and anxiety of putting myself out there, I pulled the trigger. It wasn’t easy, but after publishing a few articles and getting positive feedback, it was well worth it.
Some of my favorite articles were Video Game Addiction and How I Beat It, How to Be More Grateful, and 10 Things I Wish I Knew at 18.
Blog highlights:
- Published a total of 19 articles, while working a full time job.
- Built a website using Bluehost, Elementor and a TON of Youtube videos.
Financial Independence. If you know me, you know that I am crazy about financial freedom and independence. My mindset is to break the societal model of the 9 to 5 job in the cubicle, retire at 65, and vacation once a year.
This year I’m incredibly happy that through frugality and smart investments, I am on the right path towards making my goals into reality.
Financial Highlights:
- Invested over 60% of my income in long term mutual funds
- Max out my Roth IRA (Individual Retirement Account)
- Max out company 401k of 5% matching contribution
- Cut down on unnecessary expenses by meal prepping, smart travel, and low rent
Related post: Why NOW is the Best Time to Invest
I am incredibly grateful and inspired by books like the 4 Hour Work Week, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Next Door, and Think and Grow Rich.
Travel. I got to travel to 6 countries and 6 states during 2019, while having a full-time job. This obsession started back in 2017 while visiting Prague, Paris, Lisbon, and Barcelona and it hasn’t left me since. The new experiences, ideas, and perspective that it has brought me are priceless.
Travel highlights of 2019:
- 6 countries (4 new): Malta, Ukraine, Austria, Hungary, Mexico, United States.
- 6 states (1 new): Missouri, Illinois, Nevada (twice), California, New York (4), Texas.
I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for me.
Family time. Even though I’m stationed in San Diego, California, I managed to return to New York 4 times this year to see my family. I really stepped it up this year, but I definitely want to do more.
As I get older I realize the importance of spending more time with my loved ones, and still am incredibly grateful they are still with me.
I also started getting into the habit of phoning them at least a few times a week and video chatting with my brother and niece (baby Judith) on a frequent basis so that I don’t miss out on those special moments. I’m really happy with the progress I’ve made and hope to continue to do so next year.
Reading. This year I really took reading more seriously. Time and time again, poring through biographies, articles, and media, all of my role models (Steven Pressfield, Timothy Ferriss, Ryan Holiday, and Warren Buffett) have a voracious appetite for books, or knowledge.
Some of my favorite books of 2019 you can find here and many other of my book recommendations.
Next year, I hope to be able to continue this habit and consistently read one book per week for a total of 52 books in 2020. Join me in the challenge!
Minimalism. Less is more. Opting for a more simplistic approach to life, I fell in love with people like Matt D’Avella, The Minimalists, Zen Habits, who teach the importance of understanding and controlling the want for more.
More isn’t always better and I know that first hand. I’m guilty of online shopping, impulse purchases, and buying things to impress others.
This year I was able to declutter by selling my material possessions that bring me no value, spending more on experiences versus things , and saying NO more often.
Related post: Minimalism
2. What didn’t go so well this year?
There were plenty of things that went wrong this year, but here are a few.
Writing schedule. I started writing in April of this year and quickly became inundated with “life”. While I was working a full-time job that required late nights and occasional weekends, I found myself setting my alarm for 4:00 AM to get things done.
Long story short, it was unsustainable and found myself petering out. I went from writing every single day, to a few times a week, and then once a week closer to the end of the year.
Overall, I am happy with the progress, but next year I am going to take it gradually and keep it more consistent. I owe it to my health and also to you guys.
Readership. The learning curve was huge. Through experimenting with my writing style and also when to post I learned what and when you guys are reading.
I still have a lot to learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), user experience, and creating a following through email subscription. Each area requires a lot of time and effort, but it is rewarding when you finally figure it out.
Media consumption. My battle with Netflix and Social Media was intense. Actually, there wasn’t much of a battle, I let it run me over.
The endless hours spent watching the latest TV shows and Instagram stories served no purpose, except to distract me from my goals.
My goal for 2020 is to severely limit media consumption and replace it with more enjoyable and interactive experiences like travel, writing, and relationships.
Relationships. In this area of my life, I found it difficult to juggle work and relationships. I found myself spending the weekends working and cutting back on the more simple things in life.
While I still kept my exercise, reading, and writing regimen, that took pretty much all my time.
Suffice to say, I will have to reorganize and check my priorities for 2020.
3. What did I learn?
Go slow to go fast. In Aesop’s fables he wrote, “slow and steady wins the race.” Sometimes you go so fast that you tire out and can’t even finish the race, that’s what happened to me.
By getting caught up in creating overnight success I was working at a unsustainable pace and that caused me to lose steam and motivation after just 6 short months.
In 2020 I want to post at least once a week and if I manage that well, I may write two articles per week.
Invest in yourself. At the beginning of 2019 I wouldn’t have considered myself a writer — I do now — but with learning a new craft, it takes time, and lots of it.
Luckily, I really enjoy putting ideas down on paper and the process of turning scatterbrained thoughts into a well intentioned paragraph.
Ultimately, writing is a communication tool, and in order for me to reach my readers, I need to be better.
If you liked this idea please feel free to do an annual review of your own and share it with friends and family.
With that, I hope you all had a great 2019! I do plan on doing an annual review in January of 2021.
