Hello friends, it’s been a while, friends! I trust you’re doing great and having a fine start to the new year so far. Time flies! January has come and gone.
A little update on myself:
2016 is one roller coaster of a year. On the whole, it was a depressing year. Monetary woes, stagnant career, and ailing friendships. Yet, I received the biggest gift one can get – we welcomed a new member into our family. Amidst all these disappointing events, this is a welcomed break. A little bundle of joy, people said.
As 2016 drew to an end, the amount of sleep I’ve got dipped alarmingly. That’s to be expected when a newborn is in the house. I never really understood when other parents said treasure your sleep. Although I got awaken by his cries during the night, I take it as part and parcel of parenthood
But yes, I do miss my undisturbed rest. I’m surprised that with so little sleep, I’m still able to function and get through the working day.
To date, the number of nights I’ve gotten a good, proper sleep: 2
That’s thanks to my wife for sacrificing her precious sleep to attend to the baby’s needs. I’m grateful to have her by my side.
Fast forward to 2017, I’m looking forward to creating margins in my life.
Schedule: Stop expecting everything to work as it is. Buses don’t always arrive on time, meetings never end on time. Schedule buffer in my schedule so that when something inevitably crops up, I still have some breathing room.
Financial: Save up on emergency fund. That’s $1,000 for a start. Then save up on rainy day fund. That’s 3 month’s worth of salary. I used to call this f**k off fund, but it’s no longer applicable because with a family to feed, it’s not an option to f**k off without securing a new job. Still, it’s vital to get this fund up. Who knows if I might be retrenched next week. Living under my means is my intention. Buying only the essentials will be my aim.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to breathing room. To create margin in life is to manage the breathing space. The bigger breathing space we have, the less suffocating we feel. We feel more comfortable, see better, act better and live better.
That’s the point.
I hope you are as excited about the year ahead as I am. Have fabulous February!