When I first started my blog, I wanted to post quarterly reviews of my life (personal and professional). It’s taken some time, but I’m going to start posting these now that I’m blogging consistently every two weeks.
We’re at the end of the first quarter of 2024, and I’m happy about how I spent the first three months of the year. Some people feel like time is flying, but I feel like time is moving at a good pace. I think it’s because I’ve used every second of every minute, every minute of every hour investing in what I want to accomplish this year. I needed and still need all the time I can get.
So, how did I do in the first quarter of 2024?
WORK
Having a manager that is both professional and in tune with workers’ expectations feels too good to be true. He does a fantastic job balancing the company’s goals and expectations with that of his team. So far, it’s been great.
I can only hope the respect he shows his team remains unchanged while I’m employed at the company.
I was supporting three executives, but one resigned at the end of February. I had a few weeks with only one executive (the other was out on medical leave), but I’m back to supporting three executives. The executive on medical leave returned, and I was assigned an executive in the marketing department recently. The marketing executive’s former EA and I spoke, and I was told good things.
Let’s hope that remains true as well.
The company is experiencing high employee turnover, both from employees resigning and employees being terminated. The guy who sat next to me was terminated two weeks ago. For a split second I felt insecure about my job security, but then I remembered that I’m too old and too experienced to worry about such things.
The economy is strong and companies are hiring, and I’m always willing to work just about any job to make sure my bills are paid.
When I look out my window, at home or at work, I see competition and opportunity. Competition for my talent, and opportunity for me to make money off my experience.
For now, I’m employed and not stressed at work. I’ll cross that road, if I have to, when I reach it or it reaches me.
FINANCIAL
Ever since I got my financial life together, I feel freer than I’ve ever felt. You cannot be truly free until you’re able to pay your credit card in full every month, have a fully funded emergency fund, a savings account for travel or big purchases (however you want to label this account), and a few sinking funds to pay for recurring expenses.
I’m back to saving a big chunk of my paycheck, and it feels gooooooood.
To date, I have one full month of essential expenses saved in my emergency fund. I had enough money in my Save for Big Stuff savings account (yes, I named it that) to purchase my roundtrip flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I signed up for the Venture X card to get 75,000 miles, and I used some of those miles to pay for my and my mom’s roundtrip flight to Santiago, Chile. I had enough in my Monthly savings account to treat myself to my quarterly massage at Ascend Day Spa.
By year’s end, I should have three months of essential expenses in my emergency fund, I should have a little left over in my Big Stuff savings account, and I should have plenty in my Monthly savings account (sinking funds account) to hold me over for any recurring purchases in 2025.
As far as investing goes, I’m contributing 6% of my paycheck to the company’s 401(k) plan. The company contributes 4%. I’m contributing $40 once a month to my Roth IRA at Fidelity.
I stopped investing in Crypto. I made my money, and I’m good. I don’t want to deal with the volatility of the crypto market, and the SEC is suing and trying to shut down all of the exchanges. I don’t want to risk losing my money completely.
I’ll stick to the traditional investing routes for now.
I’m very happy with my progress. I can only hope this continues, or I win the lottery and I don’t have to worry about any of this.
GOALS
I learned the basics of baking, and I enjoyed every minute I spent learning and practicing. Baking is expensive. It’s also time consuming and while I enjoy spending my time baking, I was exhausted after each bake especially on Sundays when I would bake right after cooking for the week.
For now, I’m going to limit any baking to once a month.
I haven’t practiced my French consistently for two months, and I’m starting to forget some things. I need to find time to practice at least twice a week. I also stopped attending the weekly group class at Français Authentique on Friday mornings because of work.
I need to look at their schedule to see where I can fit a class in my schedule.
I need to do the same for Italian, but I listen to RadioItalia everyday and it helps me maintain my level of Italian. Plus, I have a few Italian books at home that I can read to practice the language.
I’m doing a lot in the coming months, so I can only focus on one language. I don’t want to overwhelm myself by focusing on maintaining two languages.
Going to the gym isn’t a goal of mine, it’s who I am, but I switched gyms in March because the NYSC in my neighborhood closed its doors. I joined Orange Theory, and it made me realize that I wasn’t working out to my full potential.
I freaking love this place. I never considered it because I thought the space was too small, and I wasn’t a fan of working out in a group. It was the best decision I made. Orange Theory is more expensive than the NYSC, but it’s worth every penny. Right now I have the Elite membership, but I would love to get the Premier membership (unlimited classes).
With the Elite membership, I’m limited to eight (8) classes, but I like to go to the gym more than eight times a month. I can’t afford the Premier membership right now, but I hope I can move some things around at the end of the year to pay for that membership.
I don’t want to upgrade now because I’m working out at the park on the weekends. Yes, even in 30℉ weather.
I’m really happy with Orange Theory. Don’t raise your prices, please! Hah!
April is fast approaching, and I will begin a new venture starting April 1. Check out my blog post on that day for more details.
I’m excited and nervous about this new but not so new venture. My approach to making it work is new. I think I’ll succeed because the remainder of the year will be dedicated to it, and I learned to focus on one thing and one thing only.
I created a six-month plan and broke down what I need to do for each month. I’ll work on breaking down each week of April this weekend. I want to tackle this endeavor week by week, month by month.
Keeping my fingers crossed.
OVERALL
I genuinely feel good about where I am in my life right now. I’ve learned that it’s a slow and steady pace to success, however you define it.
You must put in the time and do the work if you want to take your life, personal or professional, to the next level. Nothing good comes easy.
So here’s to the next quarter!