1st July – 2nd half of 2023 has started

Updated on 1st July 2023

Have you done your mid-year review? 2nd half of 2023 has started. I have felt overwhelmed recently after returning from the holidays. I am working on an existing project which is coming to an end. There are more projects that are been assigned to me. I like to think positively that this is a case of 能者多劳. There are new things that I can be exposed to and learn while stretching myself in a way. Meanwhile, I find myself with lesser time.

I am trying to be as efficient as I can during the working hours. In the early morning, I need to bring the children to school and at the end of the day bring them back. After spending time with family between 7 pm till 10 pm, after the children sleep, I have the precious 2 hours to myself. There are many evenings when I need to catch up on work during those “me” times. When I pause to think, I realize that I don’t have time for myself. Sometimes I am so busy that I don’t have time to think. Then I realize that it is already mid of the year!

You need time to think. You need time to think of how to grow your wealth. You need to allocate time to think for yourself. I believe I am working so hard, I have forgotten that my primary job is an investor. I have not got time to look into the portfolio. I am still seating on the cash proceeds after we sold the house. I already have the seed money to “plant” the money trees. I just need to acquire more assets. For instance, a 10% return out of a S$2,100k portfolio will generate S$210k. This could easily replace a median household income. Don’t get me wrong here. At a certain point in portfolio size, the returns play a more important part than trying to sell time for money. The selling time for money won’t be able to catch up with how money can earn more money.

I need time to think. Time to spend on my portfolio.

Recently I saw a friend’s Facebook post that it is important to chase your dreams. Chasing dreams at 41 years old? They are chasing their entrepreneurship dreams. Selling properties. Selling stuff. Choosing where to live. I continue to fight from my small cubicle. Sorry, I don’t even have a cubicle. I work from home without air con in this burning weather. Have my dreams died? Did I choose to be satisfied with what I am good at? Did I choose to work on things that I am familiar with? I gave up on other things that I like such as helping others plan for financial freedom. Maybe because that stuff cannot pay me, unlike my present work. Do I have self-doubt? You bet I sure do. Is this financial insecurity? Must I start my own business to consider chasing my dreams? I don’t think so. I think achieving Financial Freedom is chasing a dream as well. It is my personal dream.

How can a man who has crossed 40 and has a family to take care of with lots of responsibilities stay sane in this fast-changing world? Now I know why in terms of happiness level, it is the lowest at age 45-46. Then you slowly become happier as you grow out of it and step into your 50s. Maybe this is the mid-life stress? Stress about everything. Stress about your children, your parents, your career, your finances, and your financial obligations.

Today I met a secondary school friend who was having his breakfast in a coffee shop near my place. I used to beat this guy up in school. One of the guys that I loathe the most. Yet today he is driving a sports car and staying in a landed house. The comparison makes me unhappy. Maybe it is this dissatisfaction that drives me to work harder to achieve my dreams. Why that idiot can achieve all these whereas I am like a loser?

Come back to the present. 1.34 am when I am writing this on the 1st of July 2023.

Time is short. I stopped my Disney+ since I don’t even have 30 minutes or 1 hour to spare. I want to make good use of any additional 30 minutes in a day. Over a year, all these will add up. I can learn more about investment and business.

I met a friend by sheer coincidence this afternoon. His wife has set up a new F&B business. He shared with me that apart from his own stay condo, he owns a SOHO unit (under commercial property), and another condo and he is trying to negotiate to buy the shop. It is a freehold shop and costs around S$1.4 m. He has shares in other businesses with other entrepreneurs. He mentioned that if he had bought more properties back then, he could have retired by now. I think it is a wise move for him to work for someone while investing in assets like properties and businesses.

This meeting has inspired me to become a better investor. The sense of dissatisfaction is growing, and I will use it to motivate me to work harder. I think I have taken a back seat for too long. It is time to work harder. Time to research properties, stocks, and businesses.