Happy 3rd Birthday!
A year of a complete change in my life. Right after getting adjusted to being a mother, my career path has gone haywire. A drastic change and a brake to climbing up the corporate ladder. Questions started coming the longer I stayed away from my family, which is why I started to dig deeper and ask myself what I want in life.
As per the usual norm of my birthday posts, which is under the tag Summary of the year, it is good to stop and reflect of my posts for the past year and look into what is coming next. Going into a different phase in life, my focus topics have changed too. This year is one of the most terrifying and tumultuous time of my life:
1) On Coftea
Without the support of my partner, I could not have been so motivated to quit. Faced with zero salary and mounting bills, it's a very scary path and throws me into a vulnerable state. To be able to find someone who has the same long term goals and thinking as me, I am very lucky indeed. I am not sure where the pot of gold is, but with the right companion, the journey is comfortable, enjoyable and well worth any hardships.
2) On Price Comparisons and Ultimate Guides
This year has been all about price comparisons for me. It started because I could not find such posts online and I was pretty sick of scouring the forum for relevant information. Thus, I realised I have to write them on my own so that others can benefit from it. What's good about them is that they are not sponsored so I am free to list them as per the retail price. Below are some comparison tables:
Comparison of diapers' prices
Comparison of formula milk prices
Comparison of kids savings accounts
Comparison of DBS Multiplier and other bank accounts
Comparison of Integrated Shield Plans
3) On Parenthood and FamilyTalk
FamilyTalk is going to expand into so many more posts. Being in this phase of life where young families needed to budget, save and try to squeeze an extra dollar, I think these topics will never cease. Pretty much all my pregnant friends started to ask my the same questions, resulting in a collection of FAQ. Check out this Ultimate Survival Guide to Conquering Parenthood and you will know how extensive they are.
4) On Travel
I guess I can say good bye for the time being on travel. It was a big part of me and my job, pre-baby era. Without this job and being a young family, I am sure my travel journeys will continue but will take into another dimension - Travelling as a family. Although not for the time being as my baby is still too young and while I am putting all my efforts on a sustainable income.
5) On SnackFirst series
Investing in stocks has taken a back seat while I use the funds in my own business venture. However, my monthly contribution to Poems Share Builder Plan is still ongoing and that will not be stopping till absolutely necessary.
I am sure there will come a day where all my friends go much higher up in the corporate world and have bigger wallets. I might be jealous of them and envy their travelling careers. I saw a few of my friends posting on Facebook telling them toddlers and children that they have to travel for work so that they can buy more toys for them and able to go on family overseas trips.
I don't ever want that for my daughter.
She can have all the toys in the world but it will never be able to replace the attention and company she gets from me. We can always go on DIY budget travels that have been exactly what I have been doing. That is not to say that all parents should stop travelling. On the contrary, I respect the sacrifices that all parent have to make to support the family.
I just chose a different path. For me, the time spent with a growing child is limited. What's more, the time spent with my ageing parents is also ticking. All this relationship building cannot be replaced with a growing sum of money. I chose this because I know for sure I will regret if I continue working as a travelling salesperson.
Entrepreneurship is difficult, it is lonely. Not everyone understand the path you take. Being a start up, many will look down on your lack of money and resources. But to grow bigger, you have to start somewhere. You have to start small. Small begins with a single step. A single idea.
Just do it.
As per the usual norm of my birthday posts, which is under the tag Summary of the year, it is good to stop and reflect of my posts for the past year and look into what is coming next. Going into a different phase in life, my focus topics have changed too. This year is one of the most terrifying and tumultuous time of my life:
1) On Coftea
Without the support of my partner, I could not have been so motivated to quit. Faced with zero salary and mounting bills, it's a very scary path and throws me into a vulnerable state. To be able to find someone who has the same long term goals and thinking as me, I am very lucky indeed. I am not sure where the pot of gold is, but with the right companion, the journey is comfortable, enjoyable and well worth any hardships.
2) On Price Comparisons and Ultimate Guides
This year has been all about price comparisons for me. It started because I could not find such posts online and I was pretty sick of scouring the forum for relevant information. Thus, I realised I have to write them on my own so that others can benefit from it. What's good about them is that they are not sponsored so I am free to list them as per the retail price. Below are some comparison tables:
Comparison of diapers' prices
Comparison of formula milk prices
Comparison of kids savings accounts
Comparison of DBS Multiplier and other bank accounts
Comparison of Integrated Shield Plans
3) On Parenthood and FamilyTalk
FamilyTalk is going to expand into so many more posts. Being in this phase of life where young families needed to budget, save and try to squeeze an extra dollar, I think these topics will never cease. Pretty much all my pregnant friends started to ask my the same questions, resulting in a collection of FAQ. Check out this Ultimate Survival Guide to Conquering Parenthood and you will know how extensive they are.
4) On Travel
I guess I can say good bye for the time being on travel. It was a big part of me and my job, pre-baby era. Without this job and being a young family, I am sure my travel journeys will continue but will take into another dimension - Travelling as a family. Although not for the time being as my baby is still too young and while I am putting all my efforts on a sustainable income.
5) On SnackFirst series
Investing in stocks has taken a back seat while I use the funds in my own business venture. However, my monthly contribution to Poems Share Builder Plan is still ongoing and that will not be stopping till absolutely necessary.
I am sure there will come a day where all my friends go much higher up in the corporate world and have bigger wallets. I might be jealous of them and envy their travelling careers. I saw a few of my friends posting on Facebook telling them toddlers and children that they have to travel for work so that they can buy more toys for them and able to go on family overseas trips.
I don't ever want that for my daughter.
She can have all the toys in the world but it will never be able to replace the attention and company she gets from me. We can always go on DIY budget travels that have been exactly what I have been doing. That is not to say that all parents should stop travelling. On the contrary, I respect the sacrifices that all parent have to make to support the family.
I just chose a different path. For me, the time spent with a growing child is limited. What's more, the time spent with my ageing parents is also ticking. All this relationship building cannot be replaced with a growing sum of money. I chose this because I know for sure I will regret if I continue working as a travelling salesperson.
Entrepreneurship is difficult, it is lonely. Not everyone understand the path you take. Being a start up, many will look down on your lack of money and resources. But to grow bigger, you have to start somewhere. You have to start small. Small begins with a single step. A single idea.
Just do it.
Jes
If you have benefited from this post, support our first business venture at snackfirst.com or like us on Facebook!
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Jes,
ReplyDeleteHappy 3rd Anniversary for your blog!
You've survived longer than most new blogs! Most never make it pass the 2 year mark...
A lot has happened this year for you!
Sometimes an unexpected pit stop can be useful to realign our True North.
Makes us reflect what's really important to us, how we want to live our lives going forward, and what to focus in the present...
Stand tall and breathe.
All the best and fighting!
Hi Jared,
DeleteHappy 3 years of virtual friendship!
Haha, well if one is writing for fame or money, then it's easy to be disappointed. We write because we just love to talk but not many want to listen, lol!
Yeah man, as usual, appreciate your comments every now and then which helped me to reflect and question my True North. I am just glad I pondered now instead of many years down the road. That might be just too late!
This is indeed a challenging but fun phase of life. Every late night I ask myself if this journey is worth it but luckily, it still is. Thank you for your well wishes and hope we get to meet up some day :)
Congratulations to you on all your milestones, and definitely happy 3rd anniversary for your blog!
ReplyDeleteYou daughter must be so proud of her mummy when she get to read all the post in the future.
I love this sentence - "We write because we just love to talk but not many want to listen, lol!" HAHA!
Hi Sleepydevil,
DeleteThanks for dropping by and all the well wishes!
I hope she will be proud of my pregnancy journey though I think it might be quite horrifying to read of it, haha!
Since you love the sentence, it probably means you feel the same way. We are all very bubbly and highly extroverted! I hope I won't run out of topics though :D
keep up the good work! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Ang,
DeleteThank you for always dropping by and following my updates! That itself is a big motivator for me :)
Hi Jes,
ReplyDeleteChanced upon your blog and found it such a joy to read!
Anyway all the best to your entrepreneurial journey! :) I too have just recently resigned to start my own so I can totally relate to those feelings. Jiayou yah!
Hi Esther,
DeleteAppreciate you dropping by with a complimentx that always motivates me to continue writing. Oh nice, we are in the same phase of life, let's jiayou together. Hopefully I will get to hear some sharing stories from you! :)