Reflection of My 2023 Goals

Whoa! What a year 2023 has been! Similar to the past couple of years, 2023 had its share of rough moments: (1) We lost yet again another pregnancy – this was after our 7th round of ICSI/IVF; (2) Our daughter got into a really nasty bike accident that resulted in an air bubble in her brain plus multiple fractures around her eyes, nose, jaw, teeth and both wrists. We however saw God miraculously heal her in the most expedient manner right before our very eyes (thanks to the many prayers from our family, friends, and church folks all over). One wouldn’t even believe she had been in an accident with the exception of her 8 missing teeth (2 of which are already growing back) and she is a happy girl all around; (3) My husband got attacked and bitten several times by my parents’ dogs on the evening of Christmas after celebrating the day with our family. We had to take him to hospital to get his wounds cleaned plus a tetanus injection, the 1st of 5 rabies injections (to be taken over the next 28 days) plus some antibiotics. He however seems to be coping well. That being said, 2023 also had its share of wonderful moments which I am utterly grateful to God for. Join me as I take a walk down memory lane.

I’ve been doing these annual reflections for 9 years now. If you missed the previous 8, they can be found here:
– Reflection Of My 2022 Goals
– Reflection of My 2021 Goals
– Reflection of My 2020 Goals
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

My One Word for 2023 was THRIVE – and sure enough, we thrived in several aspects of our lives across the following 7 dimensions:

1. FINANCIAL:
a. Install inverter, batteries and possibly solar panels by H1
Living in South Africa where we experience up to 6-12 hours of load shedding (power cuts) every day, one of our goals for the year was to install an inverter and batteries and possibly solar panels. I am grateful we got to do the 1st two both in our home and our AirBnB and it’s been an absolute game changer. We don’t even notice when there’s load shedding anymore – a privilege we don’t take for granted at all.

b. Fence plot by Q1
We have a piece of land which we’ve owned for several years and each time we’d go check it out, we’d have difficulty locating it or the beacons. In 2023, we decided to cut down the grass, level it, fence it and plant some trees. Unfortunately part of the live fence and trees didn’t make it but my mum stepped in to replant some of them and hopefully they’ll thrive under her careful watch over the coming year(s).

c. Passive investments every quarter
Despite being on only one salary since May 2021 when Chief ventured out to start his own business and not having much disposable cashflow to make large passive investments, in 2023 I purposed to invest a little in Kenyan treasury bills/treasury bonds/infrastructure bonds given that they were offering all time high interest rates (as high as 17%). I only wish we had more cash as such high interest rates are unheard of for risk free instruments.

2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Zumba 2-3x a week
In 2023, I continued with my Zumba dance classes 3x week and loved every single minute of working up a sweat while doing one of the things I love doing most – dancing!

b. Run or walk or strength train 2-3x a week
When I was not on the dance floor, I purposed to go for a run or walk or do strength training 2-3x a week. I did a mix of all 3 but enjoyed walking the most as it allowed me to listen to audio books while at it. I however did it with a hiking stick and pepper spray in hand after being attacked by a dog on one of my morning runs in May 2022 that has since left me with my guard up, ready to defend myself while outdoors.

c. Snatch back 2020 fat loss (31-32″ middle waist/62kgs)
Despite exercising at least 5 times a week and eating healthily 80% of the time, I am the heaviest I have ever been. My efforts have continued to be derailed by the hormones that accompanied the 7 back to back ICSI/IVF treatments I have undergone over the past 2.5 years; coupled with the down regulation treatments I needed to go through for several months before each implementation to cool down my uterus by inducing temporary menopause; not to mention the continued treatments post implantation to prevent miscarriages (which unfortunately still occurred despite our efforts). If I showed some of those that have been quick to point out my weight gain the number of medications I have swallowed, inserted or injected since May 2021, they would perhaps be more cautious to not remind me as this is the price that comes with pursuing this journey.

3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
In 2023, Chief and I continued with BSF marking my 9^th year and his 5^th year. Whereas I do BSF Online classes with ladies located all over the world, Chief does virtual BSF International classes with men located in the same country. After completing the study of the People of the Promise – Divided (i.e. books such as 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Jonah, Amos, Joel, Obadiah, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk etc.), we commenced the study of John in Sep. Both BSF International and BSF Online are free and have thousands of physical/virtual classes all over the world for every age offered at various times all days of the week. Feel free to sign up for a class today.

b. Quiet Time (QT) daily & journal
In addition to BSF, I also enjoyed listening to and reading the daily verses of the day, guided scripture and guided prayers on the YouVersion Bible app. They are/were super quick and a convenient way to to jump start my mornings. I also journaled quite a bit – an invaluable habit I have come to appreciate over the years for capturing my gratitude, daily/weekly plans, thoughts, prayer requests and how faithful God has been in answering them.

c. Family devotion every week
We also continued with our weekly calls as a family (previously on Zoom and now on Microsoft Teams) – a tradition we started in 2020 where every Saturday evening, we (Chief’s side of the family) each share updates of our week, high and lows, and pray together. This has helped us stay connected even when we are away from home.

4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
In 2023, I read 20 books, 7 of which were part of my organisation’s 2023 reading curriculum and some of the best books I have read so far. I am glad I took great notes. These included:
– The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson
– Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott
– Power Base Selling: Secrets of an Ivy League Street Fighter by Jim Holden
– The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhuo
– Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts by Annie Duke
– Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
– Never Split the Difference – Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz. This was my absolute favourite. I have literally applied the principles of this book in real life and seen them working like a charm.

b. Mentors
Similar to 2022, I selected a number of mentors on whose feet I sat under in 2023 – this time round Kenyans or Africans – by watching their video interviews or reading their books. These included:
– Cleaning the Airwaves/The Play House featuring Muriithi Wanjau
– Cleaning the Airwaves/The Play House featuring Julian Kyula
– Seasons: The Stages of a Leader by Muriithi Wanjau
– Rise by Dr. Patricia Murugami
– Pause by Dr. Patricia Murugami
– The CEO X Factor: Secrets for Success from South Africa’s Top Money Makers by KC Rottok Chesaina – I bought 2 copies of this book written by our friend (one for Chief and one for my dad in love) which featured interviews with CEOs of some of South Africa’s top companies – a great combination of different mentors all wrapped up in one.

c. 7 podcasts a week
I certainly exceeded this goal with my go-to podcasts including:
– Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast
– Focus on the Family Parenting Podcast
– Dirty Chai with Chio Podcast – This was a new addition in 2023 by our friend on demystifying career success and it ended up being one of my top 3 podcasts for the year.
– The VT Podcast “Ideas That Matter”
– The Daily Mastery Podcast by Robin Sharma
– 2000 Books Summaries for Ambitious Entrepreneurs
– Your Next Best Self with Dr. Patricia Murugami

5. CAREER:
a. 4 deal recommendation memos per quarter (or 1 deal recommendation above $200m per quarter)
2023 was a great year for me workwise! I was ranked as far exceeding high expectations for the top 10-20% of performers within the firm and I thank God for this favour. He helped me originate 17 investment opportunities (2 of which were above $200m), 14 of which were approved and 3 of which I am still awaiting feedback on. In addition to that, 2 of the transactions I originated were committed/closed which is every investment professional’s top objective (i.e., not just find viable investment opportunities but also have them concluded).

b. 4 Due Diligences
I am grateful I managed to provide due diligence and portfolio monitoring support to 4 transactions and received excellent feedback from the teams I supported on the quality and thoroughness of my reports plus my preparedness and questions asked. I look forward to adding more value to more transactions in the future.

c. Broaden my network in Southern Africa
In 2023, I did 10 business development and due diligence trips (6 to Cape Town, 1 to Zambia, 1 to Malawi, 1 to Botswana and 1 to the U.S.A). The Cape Town trips mainly comprised of conferences, a good number of which I either spoke at or moderated panels and all of which were great for networking. I also attended several workshops or conferences in Johannesburg.

6. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Memorable Holidays
I thank God that in 2023, we got the opportunity to do 6 holidays (3 long ones and 3 short ones over long weekends). We also did a few one-day road trips over the weekends.

(i) In Feb, we did a long weekend in Cape Town
To celebrate one of my closest gal’s 40th birthday, my gals and I flew to Cape Town together with our spouses and enjoyed a sunset cruise, paragliding, walk on the Sea Point promenade and around the colourful houses in Bo-Kaap, hiking the Lion’s Head, and a relaxing half day at the spa in Stellenbosch – just to mention but a few.

*Chief* *& I paragliding off Signal Hill*

(ii) In Mar, I visited the Vic Falls in Zambia
Having viewed the Vic Falls from the Zimbabwe side in 2015, I got to view them from the Zambia side in 2023 during one of my work trips and I can honestly say the view was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! One has to view this wonder of the world from both sides as they offer different experiences. I also ticked off one of my bucket list items by taking a dip (several dips) in the Angel’s Pool! What an exhilarating experience that was and I loved every single minute of it💙!

(iii) In Jun, we spent a week in Antalya, Turkey
My daughter and I tagged along during one of Chief’s golf tours and we invited my dad in love. While at the resort, we enjoyed our time at the swimming pool, water slides, beach, golf course and kids’ club.

On other days, we explored the city’s scenic old town, including Roman-era Hadrian’s Gate, rode the Tunektepe Teleferik cable car for its views, visited the Duden Waterfalls, and enjoyed a Mediterranean boat trip.

*We couldn’t resist trying on some Ottoman Empire outfits*

*After taking the Tunektepe Teleferik cable car for its views*

We also did a full day tour of Pamukkale, visited the Hierapolis ancient theatre, waded through the thermal pools, swam in the Antique/Cleopatra’s pool and did some bit of shopping at discounted prices.

*Pamukkale Antique Pool (Cleopatra’s Pool)*

It was great to do this with my dad in love. Since my mum in love passed away in Jan 2022, every year we have purposed to try to do at least one holiday with him. So far we’ve done 2 (In 2022, we invited him for a golf tour in Durban). Let’s see what 2024 has in store.

(iv) In Aug, we did a long weekend in Clarens and Lesotho
To celebrate my birthday, Chief booked us some time away in Clarens (Free State, South Africa) where we enjoyed our time doing walks, brunches, dinners and crossed the border to Lesotho for some tubing and bum boarding in the snow.

(v) In Oct, we celebrated our 11 Year Anniversary in Washington DC and New York
I tagged Chief along towards the end of one of my work trips and we extended by a week to explore both cities. This was our 1st long trip without our daughter (despite getting her a visa) but we got my mum and her friend to come watch her while we were away given that this was a few weeks after her accident and this gave us peace of mind.

While in New York (NYC), we did the night bus tour, took a cruise to the Statue of Liberty, attended a Broadway Show (MJ/Michael Jackson), hired bikes and rode around Central Park, walked across Brooklyn Bridge, the Highline, Times Square (loved how it came alive at night), Wall Street, Hudson Yards and got views of the Empire State Building while sipping virgin cocktails at our hotel’s rooftop restaurant. Our favourite restaurants were Pocha 32 (Korean), Guantanamera (Cuban with live music in the evening) and Ellen’s Stardust (not necessarily for the food but the singing by the waiting staff most of whom are aspiring to get into Broadway – however be prepared to queue for at least 1 hour to get into the restaurant). We also enjoyed a meal by the roadside from the Halal Guys Food Cart (apparently a NYC experience). Tip: Ubers in NYC are really expensive so we used the subway to get to most places including to and from the airport.

In DC, we walked and hired scooters around the National Mall (which has several monuments and historical sites stretching between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial), walked past the White House, took a walk in Georgetown till the waterfront, and visited some of the Smithsonian museums most of which were free such as The National Museum of African American History and Culture, The National Air and Space Museum and The National Museum of Natural History.

*The Washington Monument (on the National Mall)*

*The National Museum of African American History and Culture*

*The National Museum of Natural History*

(vi) In Dec, we celebrated the Christmas holidays in Kenya
It was great for our daughter and us to spend time with our family and friends – something we purposed to do more of.

b. Date night once a week
In 2023, we continued with our date evenings where we got to catch up as a couple. We still got home in time for sunset to release our nanny and on several occasions, extended a bit.

7. FAMILY:
a. Plus 2
Our desire to grow our family featured in our 2021, 2022 and 2023 goals but God’s timing was different. After the multiple rigorous back to back treatments I have been through in these past years coupled with persistent prayers, I can honestly say we tried our best and God knows best. I am grateful for the grace and strength He gave to me to be able to pick myself up after each failed round of IVF/ICSI or miscarriage or the resulting suction evacuation/D&C and go back to work and not just perform but thrive. I am grateful for my organization that covers up to 50% of the cost of egg or embryo freezing so long as one has been part of the organization for 3-5 years depending on their level of seniority. It may not cover the entire cost of IVF/ICSI which is very expensive (and unfortunately not covered by most medical insurances) but it is better than nothing. I also commend organizations such as EABL that recently introduced pregnancy loss leave where they give female employees or their spouses up to 10 days of paid leave if a pregnancy loss occurs before 20 weeks. Ladies and gents, please consider championing this in your respective organizations while you are on your way to and at the top.

b. Our daughter’s continued swimming & gymnastics classes
Our daughter continued to make good progress with both her swimming and gymnastics despite missing 4 weeks of sports while recovering from her accident. Her kicks and strokes along the entire swimming pool length while taking breaths have become stronger and she has also learnt how to do back strokes. We are proud of this little fish.

c. Pre-school from Jan 2023
Out daughter finally commenced preschool in Jan 2023 and is absolutely thriving! We love that in her school, each child is taught according to their pace (which is great given that we had home-schooled her quite a bit). Each month, they have what they call “show and tell” where each child carries something to school and talks about it in front of the class to build their confidence and public speaking skills. How amazing is this for 4 year olds? We have also seen her soft skills such as sharing improve a lot too – a skill she hadn’t perfected yet being an only child. I am grateful we found a school she really loves and looks forward to going to each day.

*She can write and loves writing love cards for her mommy, baba, friends and other family*

Those were bits and pieces of our 2023. I am glad I get to do this at the end of each year as it keeps me focused, accountable and grateful for God’s faithfulness in what we have been able to accomplish in the midst of the valleys. Each one of us has their share of challenges. They might not be exactly the same but each one has one thing or the other. We must not despair but keep putting our best foot forward while committing everything to God. Let us remember to count our blessings every day – whether big or small. If you look hard, I’m sure you will find something(s) to be grateful for.

Have you set your 2024 goals and budget? As I keep saying each year, don’t miss the opportunity to be intentional about the year you would like to have. Apart from setting goals, one thing Chief and I have done for many years that I have come to appreciate, is setting a budget and doing monthly accounts tracking each expenditure (so we know where we need to tighten our belts further and where we are doing well). This keeps us focused on what to cut back on, save, give, tithe, set aside for holidays/hobbies, dates, investments, kid(s), family support, education, investment in oneself etc.

I wish you a fruitful 2024 where you will thrive left, right and centre!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

You can also pop into the “DeeLicious Gourmet by Dee” section for a glimpse of some of the yummy but healthy dishes I have prepared while “cooking up a storm” in my kitchen (together with the recipes):
– Breakfasts
– Starters
– Main Courses
– Salads
– Eggless, Wheat-Free Desserts
– Snacks

Thank you!
Dee

Reflection Of My 2022 Goals

It is that time of the year when I get to reflect on the year that was. Following the rough year I had in 2021, 2022 also had its share of rough moments. I experienced 2 significant losses: (1) the passing away of my mum in love who was hands down the best m♥️m in love I could have ever asked for and (2) the loss of our unborn child after several really difficult rounds of ICSI/IVF. Despite what felt like a continuous valley, I am grateful to God for a number of mountain top moments.

This marks my 8th year of my annual reflections. The previous 7 can be found here:
– Reflection of My 2021 Goals
– Reflection of My 2020 Goals
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

My One Word for 2022 was STRETCH – and in deed, stretched I was across the following 7 dimensions of my life:

1. BUSINESS/FINANCIAL:
a. Additional passive investments by Q1 & Q4
Every year, Chief and I challenge ourselves to make at least one passive investment. This exercise disciplines us to save and tighten our belts plus also take out additional calculated debt. I am grateful that despite being on only one salary after Chief ventured out to start his own business in May 2021, we were still able to cautiously do this.

b. 1 debt repayment by Jun
My dislike for debt still continues notwithstanding its need to kickstart some of our investments and I still purpose to pay it down as quickly as possible. Though the pace of fast tracked repayment has certainly reduced given our reduced disposable income, I am grateful I that I still managed to accomplish my mission albeit short-lived as we continue to make more investments.

2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Dance
In 2022, I signed up for one of the things that absolutely lights up a fire in my belly – dancing! I attend Zumba classes 2-3x a week and it feels great to be back on the dance floor.

c. Snatch back 2020 fat loss
My efforts to snatch back my pre-baby body after doing so in 2020 have continued to be derailed by my treatments. As I alluded to earlier, I have been through several rounds of ICSI/IVF, down regulation/temporary induced menopause and a lost pregnancy whose hormones have resulted in some weight gain despite me still eating healthily 80% of the time and exercising at least 3-4 times a week. I continue reminding myself that this is just for a season.

b. Hike 1x/week:
Whereas we continued with our weekly 10km family hikes, we had to drop them at some point during the year when our not-so-little one became too big and too restless to sit on her daddy’s carrier bag for the entire 10km. We have since switched to other family activities – swimming and playground. I also joined my female hiking group for a few monthly hikes.

3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
2022 marked my 8^th year and Chief’s 4^th year doing BSF. I do BSF Online classes with ladies located all over the world whereas Chief does physical/virtual BSF International classes with men located in the same country. After completing Matthew earlier in the year, we commenced the study of the People of the Promise – Divided in Sep (i.e. books such as 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Jonah, Amos, Joel, Obadiah, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk etc.). Honestly speaking, I don’t think I would have found myself unpacking some of these books had it not been for BSF. BSF International and BSF Online are free and have thousands of physical/virtual classes all over the world for every age offered at various times all days of the week. Sign up for a class near you today.

b. Family devotion every week
We continued with our weekly zoom calls as a family – a tradition we started in 2020 where every Saturday evening, we (Chief’s side of the family) gather together via zoom to share what’s happening in our lives and pray together as a family.

We sadly lost our mum in love to pancreatic cancer in Jan, 7 months after her diagnosis. We were absolutely devastated! To help process our grief, we as a family did 13 weeks of Grief Share counselling together. I highly recommend it for anyone who has lost their loved one. I still miss her very much and our chats/calls and find myself bawling in tears every now and then – even as I write this. Mum was a remarkable and phenomenal woman that certainly left a legacy and an indelible mark in the lives of many. Even in her death, she has received an award posthumously for her commitment and support to the PR industry and had a library officially opened and named in her memory for her support and contribution to the growth and development of a training institute during her time as a Board Member. What a gem!

4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
In 2022, I read 12 books which was half my target – not because I lost my passion for knowledge, but because some of the books were longer plus I also got caught up listening to podcasts or watching inspiring video series’ which continued to sharpen my mind.

b. 1 podcast a day
I certainly listened to more than 1 podcast a day (>10 podcasts a week). My go-to podcasts included:
– Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast
– Focus on the Family Parenting Podcast
– Keys for Kids Daily Parent Minute with Greg Yoder
– The Daily Mastery Podcast by Robin Sharma
– 2000 Books Summaries for Ambitious Entrepreneurs
– The VT Podcast “Ideas That Matter”
– Your Next Best Self with Dr. Patricia Murugami
– This is Life with Heather & Cornelius
– Our Love Journey with Mpoomy and Brenden

c. Mentor
Unlike 2021 where I narrowed down to 1 mentor, in 2022, I purposed to select a number of mentors by going through their memoirs. These included:
– The Story of My Experiments With Truth: An autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi
– Around the Way Girl: A Memoir by Taraji P. Henson
– Finding Me: A Memoir by Viola Davis
– Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
– Cleaning the Airwaves/The Play House featuring Pius Muchiri Mugo
It was enriching to listen to the life stories of each of these 5 individuals who have become forces to be reckoned with!

5. CAREER:
a. 4 deal recommendation memos per quarter
My target to originate at least 4 approved investment opportunities each quarter (16 a year) remains and I am grateful to God that in 2022, I originated 14 such approved investment opportunities (ranging from $5m – $275m each)! My search for viable investment opportunities in Southern Africa continues and I am looking forward to seeing a good number concluded.

b. Promotion
Given the amount of hard work and effort I have been putting in my work, it was extremely rewarding to get promoted during the year.

b. Expand my network in my 10 countries of coverage
In my quest to broaden my network in Southern Africa, in 2022, I did additional business development and due diligence trips to Malawi, Lesotho and Cape Town. I also attended and spoke in a number of conferences in Johannesburg and Cape Town which were great for networking.

6. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Memorable Holidays
Every year, we plan for at least 2 memorable holidays. In 2022, I am grateful we got to do 7 (2 long ones and 5 short ones over long weekends)!

(i) In Mar, we did a long weekend in Cape Town
I tagged my family along when I travelled for work. We hiked the Lion’s Head, went to the Table Mountain on the cable car, sampled Muizenberg beach, Camps Bay Beach, the Cape Wheel, Two Oceans Aquarium, PlayDate SuperPark and did lots of walks at the V&A Waterfront.

(ii) In Apr, we did a long weekend in Durban/Umhlanga
We tagged along during one of Chief’s golf tours and invited our dad in love as well. While he and Chief were playing golf, baby girl and I were enjoying the beach and walks on the promenade and Whalebone Pier.

(iii) In Jun, I went for a leadership summit in Bazaruto
During my free time, I enjoyed some horse riding and sandboarding.

(iv) In Aug, we did a long weekend in Dullstroom
We tagged along during another of Chief’s golf tours. I had heard a lot about this small town nestled in the Mpumalanga highlands and it was great to finally check it out.

(v) In Sep, we did a long weekend in SunCity
This was also during one of Chief’s golf tours. The Valley of the Waves is always a hit for baby girl.

(v) In Oct, we celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary at the Maldives
This was certainly the highlight of our year and we feel blessed to have gotten the opportunity to tick off one of our bucket list destinations! We also thank God for bringing us this far. We enjoyed a sea plane ride, swam, snorkelled with turtles, took lots of beach walks and just relaxed while baby girl was at the kids’ club.

(vi) In Dec, we celebrated the Christmas holidays with our family in Kenya
It has been wonderful being together and I can’t believe it is almost 1 year since we lost our mum in love and will be doing her 1 year memorial shortly.

b. Date night once a week
In 2022, we continued with our date evenings. We still get home in time for sunset to release our nanny and on some occasions, we extend a bit.

7. FAMILY:
a. Plus 2
We had made plans to grow our family but God’s plans were different. This was actually in our 2021 goals as well but the failed ICSI/IVF then was still too raw for me to share. We however continue trusting God.

b. Continued swimming classes for our little one
Baby girl continued with her maintenance classes 1x a week. She can now swim along the entire swimming pool length while taking breaths, do somersaults and even join us for snorkelling.

c. Preschool for our little one by Sep
After teaching her at home for a long as possible, our little princess will finally be commencing preschool in the new year. I am glad we got the opportunity to mould her in her formative years and it is rewarding to see her reading some words and writing her name, amongst the many things we taught her.

That was a snippet of my 2022. Doing this exercise at the end of each year never grows old. It continues to keep me accountable and gives me something to yearn for and work towards. I am grateful to God that despite the lows, He showed up and showed off with highs as well.

My goals and our budget for 2023 are already set. Have you set yours? Don’t miss the opportunity to be intentional about the year you would like to have. May the year ahead stretch you to your highest potential and may it be filled with lots of favor and answered prayers!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

Reflection Of My 2021 Goals

2021 was a tough year! I experienced several low moments, some of which culminated into my lowest of lows. Someone dear to me however reminded me: it could have been worse. Yes, my eyes still well up on some days, however instead of wallowing in a pity party, I choose to count my blessings – and when you change the lens with which you view things, the days get better. The reality is, life is a combination of valleys and mountains and I indeed have a lot to be grateful for.

This marks my 7^th blogpost reflecting on my annual goals. The previous 6 can be found here:
– Reflection of My 2020 Goals
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

My One Word for 2021 was ELEVATE. How did I fare across 7 dimensions of my life?

1. BUSINESS/FINANCIAL:
a. Passive investment in our home country by Q1
In 2021, Chief and I became more intentional about making some investments at home. We identified a few opportunities, did as much desktop due diligence as we could and got someone we trust to do the physical due diligence for us. We ended up making a small passive investment. While it doesn’t really move the needle, little by little, we’ll get there.

b. 2 diversified passive investments by Dec
We are firm believers in investing in an asset class and area we understand extremely well. However, in 2021, we purposed to diversify a bit and in Jul, after careful research, we made a small passive VCC investment that came with great tax incentives.

b. 2 debt repayments by Jun and Dec
While I understand the multiplier effects of healthy leverage – a school of thought Chief subscribes to – I still dislike debt and make it my mission to pay it down as quickly as possible. In Apr and Dec, my mission was accomplished, albeit short-lived as we continue to make more investments.

2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Run/walk 900-1000km by Dec
In 2021, I ran/walked 1055km (50-117km every month)!

b. Hike 1x/week
We enjoy hiking as family and continued with this in 2021 which entailed ~10km hikes almost every weekend (at least 90% of them)! Nowadays our little one insists on walking the 1st km before sitting in her hiking carrier bag on daddy’s back.

c. Maintain 2020 fat loss
2020 saw me snatching back my pre-baby body. I maintained this for a good chunk of 2021 until I commenced a 6+month course of treatments. Despite still eating healthily 80% of the time and exercising at least 3-4 times a week, I lost some of my traction. However, I keep reminding myself that this is just for a season and continue doing my part.

3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
2021 marked my 7^th year and Chief’s 3^rd year doing BSF. After finishing Genesis earlier in the year, we commenced the study of Matthew in Sep. Recently, I started watching BSF Kids (for 2-5 year olds) with our little one and one of my highlights has been teaching her the bible verses through songs. BSF International is free and has thousands of classes all over the world including online Zoom classes for every age offered at various times all days of the week. Sign up for a class near you today.

b. Family devotion every week
We continued with a tradition we started in 2020 where every Saturday evening, we (Chief’s side of the family) gather together via zoom to share what’s happening in our lives and pray together as a family.

In Jun, we also started gathering together virtually every Tuesday evening as family and friends to pray for my mum in love who has been unwell. We continue trusting and believing God for her healing.

4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
Chief and I are readers – we love how books sharpen our minds, inspire us and help us grow. Be sure to check out the 26 Books I Read In 2021. Also watch out for Chief’s top picks of the 35 books he read in 2021.

b. 1 podcast a day
I thoroughly enjoy podcasts and mostly find myself listening to them over the weekends. I lost count but certainly listened to at least 8 podcasts each week (over 400 in 2021). My go-to podcasts included:
– Focus on the Family Marriage Podcast
– Loving Well Podcast
– The Daily Mastery Podcast by Robin Sharma
– Robin Sharma Mastery Sessions
– The VT Podcast “Ideas That Matter”
– Your Next Best Self with Dr. Patricia Murugami
– Band of Mothers Podcast
– Life with the Lindseys
– Our Love Journey with Mpoomy and Brenden
– Wisdom & Wellness with Mpoomy Ledwaba
– Gems and Nuggets Podcast Series by MaryAnne Mwaura
– Zindua

c. Mentor
In 2021, I purposed to select one or two mentors whose feet I would sit under and learn. I narrowed down to Robin Sharma and Carla Harris but ended up selecting Robin Sharma. 8 of the 26 Books I Read In 2021 were by him. I also listened to hundreds of his podcasts. What a rich year of learning from him 2021 was!

5. CAREER:
a. 4 deal recommendation memos per quarter
I am an Investment Professional and one of my key deliverables at work is to originate deals and submit at least 4 approved deal recommendation memos a quarter (or just 1 memo if the deal is sufficiently large). In 2021, I submitted 19 deal recommendation memos, 12 of which were approved (1 was large) and 3 of which I am awaiting feedback on. This was certainly no mean feat and I have God to thank!

b. Take 4 deals to screening by Dec
Another target I set for myself was to take at least 4 of my approved deal recommendations to our screening committee – the next stage of approval. I successfully took 2.

b. Expand my network in my 10 countries of coverage
I am responsible for Southern Africa and purposed to broaden my network in each of the countries I cover despite not being able to travel much given the pandemic. Thankfully with zoom, I was still able to do this in most of the countries and as things eased up towards the end of the year, did a business trip to Zambia. Perhaps 2022 might include more travel.

6. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Destinations
Every year, we plan for at least 2 holidays. With the pandemic, we did 3 local trips in SA (over a few long weekends) and a trip to Kenya.

(i) In Apr, we did a long weekend in Bela-Bela
We accompanied Chief for golf, saw some meerkats and snakes, went hiking, swimming, interacted with elephants and I got a spa treat.

(ii) In May, we did a long weekend in Umhlanga/Durban
We spent hours at the beach, ran on the promenade, went to Ushaka marine world and Chief played some more golf. Enroute, we also passed by the Nelson Mandela Capture Site.

(iii) In Sep, we travelled to Shela/Lamu
We got to see around Shela Town and enjoyed Shela beach, did a boat trip to Manda Island and some fishing en route, plus did a tour of the Takwa ruins. I also did a sunset dhow cruise and a tour of Lamu town.

(iv) In Oct, we did a long weekend in Sun City
We had loads of fun at the Valley of Waves which has lots activities for both the young and young at heart (all of which we sampled) and Chief played some more golf!

b. Date night once a week
In 2021, we purposed to reintroduce our weekly pre-baby date nights (a notch higher than the coffee dates we did in 2020). We modified them to date evenings where we had early dinner and were back home by sunset to release our nanny, a win-win for all.

7. FAMILY:
a. Moms & tots classes
We continued with moms and tots classes. With the pandemic, we opted to do some of the classes via zoom between Jul and Sep. However, for the remainder of the year, we did physical classes and as usual, had loads of fun! Our little one even graduated in Dec.

b. Continued swimming classes for our little one
After doing her swim float infant course when she turned 1 in 2020, we continued with her maintenance classes which are now down to 1x a week. Daddy also practised with her whenever they got the chance.

c. School selection for our little one by Dec 21
In SA, people usually book schools for their little ones immediately they are born! We were late to the party but finally got round to researching and narrowing down our preferred schools. It’s possible we may push out taking her to pre-school by another 6-12 months but at least we’ve done the groundwork.

Looking back over the last decade or so, I am glad that each year, I get to do this exercise! It has stretched me, kept us accountable and helped us achieve a lot! It has also served as a reminder of the things we should be grateful to God for and how faithful He has been in our lives. How did you fare in your 2021 goals? Have you set your 2022 goals yet or selected your one Word? Do check out my blogpost Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021 for some guidance. Don’t underestimate the impact of intentional living. Despite the curveballs that 2021 threw at me, being very clear on exactly what I wanted to achieve in other aspects of my life helped me stay on course for the most part. Remember, failing to plan, is planning to fail and if you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.

Until next time,

To an intentional year of putting our best foot forward!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

26 Books I Read In 2021

One goal that I keep retaining in my list of goals every year is to read 20-24 good books. This translates to at least 2 books a month. I love reading and listening to audibles as it sharpens my mind and gives me an opportunity to continually learn from others and be inspired. So, in 2021, despite developing a passion for podcasts in 2020 (which I still have), I managed to read 26 books. Chief, on the other hand, read 35 books! I asked him how he managed to beat me, and he gave me 3 reasons: (1) during our weekly hikes, while I am savouring my favourite podcasts, he is busy listening to audiobooks, (2) he spends more time in the car than me (which means listening to more audiobooks while driving), and (3) he reads a chapter or 2 in bed (while I am busy watching an episode of a series I enjoy on my iPad😊). Oh well, given that I get to have a taste of everything I enjoy, I accept that defeat!

I have listed my reads in 8 categories:

a. BOOKS BY MY 2021 MENTOR
One of my goals in 2021 was to select one or two mentors whose feet I would sit under and learn. I narrowed down to Robin Sharma and Carla Harris but ended up focusing on Robin Sharma. Thankfully, mentors don’t have to be in the same country as you or people you know personally. We have access to them, dead or alive, through their books. And so, in 2021, I embarked to read as many books by Robin Sharma as I could find, and I wrote detailed notes/summaries of each. In total, I read 8 books and I have 3 or 4 more to go. I only bought the 1^stand 8^th book. I got the others for free and you can too as outlined in my blogpost An Invaluable Resource Worth Checking Out – Part 1.

1. The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma
This was my 1^st book of 2021 and I shed some more light around it in my blogpost: A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021. This book gave me back my mornings – something I have come to completely cherish!

2. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma
I really enjoy Robin Sharma’s writing style and the way he passes across different messages through stories. This book tells the extraordinary story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the spiritual crisis of his out-of-balance life, and the subsequent wisdom that he gains on a life-changing odyssey that enables him to create a life of passion, purpose, and peace. It is an inspiring tale that provides a step-by-step approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy.

3. The Greatness Guide by Robin Sharma
4. The Greatness Guide 2 by Robin Sharma
Each of these books shares ~100 lessons to help one release their potential and awaken their best self.

5. Leadership Wisdom by Robin Sharma
This book shares 8 practical lessons that leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs can immediately apply to send morale and productivity soaring while creating far more fulfilling inner lives along the way.

6. Who Will Cry When You Die by Robin Sharma
“When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice”. This book shares 101 simple solutions to life’s most complex problems, ranging from a little-known method for beating stress and worry to a powerful way to enjoy the journey while you create a legacy that lasts. Other lessons include “Honor Your Past,” “Start Your Day Well,” “See Troubles as Blessings” and “Discover Your Calling.”

7. Daily Inspiration by Robin Sharma
This is a daily prescription of uplifting, practical wisdom for personal and professional success.

8. The Everyday Hero Manifesto: Activate Your Positivity, Maximize Your Productivity, Serve The World by Robin Sharma
In this latest book, which he released in 2021, Robin outlines:
– Habits used by the world’s creative and successful people to realize their visionary ambitions
– Techniques to turn fear into fuel, problems into power and past troubles into triumphs
– A blueprint to battle-proof yourself against distraction and procrastination so that you produce magic that dominates your domain
– Insights on adopting world-class routines that will lead you to achieve fitness and become the most disciplined person you know
– Wisdom to operate with far more simplicity, beauty, and peace.

b. BOOKS BY STRONG WOMEN
9. You Got Anything Stronger? Stories by Gabrielle Union
After reading her book We’re Going to Need More Wine in 2018, I couldn’t help but read this one. She talks about several things but the key thing I could completely relate with, was her endometriosis/adenomyosis struggle with regards to conception and, the horrible side effects of “lucrin” (which induces menopause for several months) as part of the IVF treatment. I have walked this journey more than once and completely empathize with all the endo warriors out there! I have shared my story with a few. Hopefully, one day, I will gather the courage to share with many more.

10. My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future by Indra Nooyi (former CEO of PepsiCo)
After watching her interview on whether women can have it all and her coping mechanisms several years ago, I fell in love with Indra because I love how real she is given the challenges that we hardworking, go-getter female individuals face every day while striving to excel not only at work but also at parenthood, marriage etc. In this rich memoir brimming with grace, grit, and good humour, Indra offers a first-hand view of her legendary career and the sacrifices it so often demanded. She takes us through the events that shaped her, from her childhood and early education in 1960s India, to the Yale School of Management, to her rise as a corporate consultant and strategist who soon ascended into the most senior executive ranks. She lays bare the difficulties that came with managing her demanding job with a growing family, and what she learned along the way. She makes a clear, actionable, urgent call for business and government to prioritize the care ecosystem, paid leave and work flexibility, and a convincing argument for how improving company and community support for young family builders will unleash the economy’s full potential.

c. BOOKS ON MARRIAGE
I always make sure I have a book or 2 on marriage in my reading list and have shared several resources over the years in the Marriage Devotions section of my blogpost. Whether one has been married for a year, decade or 50+ years, there is always something one can learn/be reminded of. This year I got 5 books, each for $1 and you can too, as outlined in my blogpost Free Marriage Resources Worth Checking Out. Below are the 2 I have read so far:

11. 100 Ways to Love Your Husband: The Simple, Powerful Path to a Loving Marriage by Lisa Jacobson
Couples with great marriages know one simple truth: the best marriages are made up of many everyday decisions that say, “I love you” rather than those that say, “I love me.” When we put the other person first, even in little ways, we find true fulfilment. This book offers wives practical, hands-on advice to start applying immediately. Maybe you are just entering into marriage and want to start off on the right foot. Maybe you have made some mistakes along the way and are struggling to connect. Or maybe you want your marriage to go from good to great. Wherever you currently are in your relationship, learn how to love your husband well.

There’s also a version for husbands titled 100 Ways to Love Your Wife: The Simple, Powerful Path to a Loving Marriage by Matt Jacobson. Grab a copy for each of you!

12. Reconnected: Moving from Roommates to Soulmates in Marriage (Focus on the Family) by Greg Smalley & Erin Smalley
Over time, the business of life creeps in and even the most deeply committed couples can feel like they’re living parallel lives rather than enjoying life together. Their once happily-ever-after can quickly turn into an endless grind of work, chores, errands, and carpool. And the pull of social media becomes more compelling than engaging with one’s spouse. This book offers practical ways to rekindle the passionate, intimate, heart-to-heart spark of connection between husbands and wives.

d. BOOKS ON PARENTING
13. Raising Future Parents Plus: Online Class by Stanley Mukolwe
I started watching this course with Chief several years ago but only finally finished it in 2021. I would highly recommend it! It is extremely affordable given the amount of content it covers. You can also buy the book which will give you practical ways of loving your child as you prepare him/her to be a future parent. Remember, you are not just raising a child, you are raising a future parent! Before you know it, your children will be parents. Now is the time to prepare them.

14. On Becoming Toddlerwise: From First Steps to Potty Training by Gary Ezzo, Robert Bucknam
I first read this book in 2020 and re-read in 2021 when I thought of potty training our little one. Whereas it offers great suggestions, our little one did not seem to be ready and completely refused potty training. We therefore decided to give her some more time until she is ready. Nonetheless, this is a tool chest of workable strategies and ideas that multiplies your child’s learning opportunities (in many other areas) in a loving and nurturing way.

e. BOOKS FROM MY WORK BOOK CLUB
At work, we have several books that we are encouraged to read and discuss. And this year, we covered these two, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed.

15. No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer
This book outlines how the Hastings, the cofounder of Netflix, set new standards, valuing people over process, emphasizing innovation over efficiency, and giving employees context, not controls. At Netflix, there are no vacation or expense policies. At Netflix, adequate performance gets a generous severance, and hard work is irrelevant. At Netflix, you don’t try to please your boss, you give candid feedback instead. At Netflix, employees don’t need approval, and the company pays top of market. When Hastings and his team first devised these unorthodox principles, the implications were unknown and untested. But in just a short period, their methods led to unparalleled speed and boldness, as Netflix quickly became one of the most loved brands in the world.

The organisation I work for, borrows heavily from some (not all) of these principles like unlimited leave days (and I can tell you for sure, no one abuses this), 360-degree feedback etc.

16. Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues by David L. Bradford, Carole Robin
This book shows readers how to take their relationships from shallow to exceptional by cultivating authenticity, vulnerability, and honesty, while being willing to ask for and offer help, share a commitment to growth, and deal productively with conflict. The ability to create strong relationships with others is crucial to living a full life and becoming more effective at work. Yet many of us find ourselves struggling to build solid personal and professional connections or unable to handle challenges that inevitably arise when we grow closer to others. When we find ourselves in an exceptional relationship—the kind of relationship in which we feel fully understood and supported for who we are—it can seem like magic. But the truth is that the process of building and sustaining these relationships can be described, learned, and applied.

f. BOOKS FROM MY JOZI GALS BOOK CLUB
17. Think Like a Monk: The Secret of How to Harness the Power of Positivity and Be Happy Now by Jay Shetty
In this book, Shetty draws on his time as a monk in the Vedic tradition to show us how we can clear the roadblocks to our potential and power. Drawing on ancient wisdom and his own rich experiences in the ashram, Think Like a Monk reveals how to overcome negative thoughts and habits, and access the calm and purpose that lie within all of us. The lessons monks learn are profound but often abstract. Shetty transforms them into advice and exercises we can all apply to reduce stress, improve focus, improve relationships, identify our hidden abilities, increase self-discipline, and give the gifts we find in ourselves to the world. Shetty proves that everyone can and should think like a monk.

After reading this book, my Jozi gals decided to switch things up and focus on African Authors for the next reads. They were mostly novels and to be honest, I rarely read for entertainment (I prefer to watch series’ for that😊). And therefore, I did not end up finishing all the chapters of some of these books. I however gave them a shot and was pleasantly surprised I enjoyed what I read!

18. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
This book is about two half-sisters who are born into different villages in Ghana, in the 18th century, each unaware of the other. One marries an Englishman and leads a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other is captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.

19. Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola
In this collection, Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.

20. The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu
This was my absolute favourite of all the African reads! It reminded me of the compositions we used to write in school, full of colour. I also loved that the chapters were short. Written with delightful humour and a penetrating eye, this is a novel that you will find hard to put down.

21. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin
This is a perceptive, entertaining, and eye-opening novel of polygamy in modern-day Nigeria. The struggles, rivalries, intricate family politics, and the interplay of personalities and relationships within the complex private world of a polygamous union come to life set against a contemporary African background.

g. BOOKS ON MONEY
22. The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness by Dave Ramsey
I don’t agree with everything he shares but this book has some valid points about how to:
– Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt—meaning cars, houses, everything
– Recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths
– Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement

23. Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win with Money by Dave Ramsey, Rachel Cruze
I remember growing up, my mum always reminded my siblings and I that what was theirs was theirs and not ours and that all she could ever give us was education! And trust me, I never forgot that! It inspired me to work extremely hard. The last thing I would want after working this hard, is for our offspring to squander our hard earned sweat when we are gone. I am therefore determined to equip them accordingly.

In this book, Dave and his daughter team up to share some personal family stories and practical strategies to raise money-smart kids and teens in this debt-crazed world including money lessons such as:
– Where money comes from
– The value of hard work
– How to save, spend, and give
– Debt, and how to avoid it
– Paying cash for college
– Living responsibly
This book really got me thinking about how many parents pay really high fees for their children while they are battling in retirement.

h. OTHERS
24. One Word That Will Change Your Life – Expanded Edition by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton, and Jimmy Page
I talked about this in my blogpost Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021.

25. The Minimalist Way: Minimalism Strategies to Declutter Your Life and Make Room for Joy by Erica Layne
This book outlines the principles of minimalism and shows you how to define the practice to fit your life. It teaches how to apply minimalism to one’s spending, food, clothing, family, leisure time, work, and more. It also provides solutions that helps one spend time and energy wisely, including checklists, activities, and troubleshooting tips.

26. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson
This book is a classic! It is one of the 1^stbooks I read many years ago and I decided to re-read it. It uses a simple parable to reveal profound truths about dealing with change so that you can enjoy less stress and more success in your work and in your life. It shows that when it comes to living in a rapidly changing world, what matters most is your attitude.

And there you have it…my 2021 books! As I put together my list of 2022 books, feel free to share with me some of your favourite reads (now that you have an idea of what I enjoy). I am not sure Chief will be able to share his top reads in early January (as he usually does) as he is currently studying for his CFA Level 3. That being said, he plans on doing so when he gets the chance (for those who prefer his taste of books😊).

Until next time,
To another year of being inspired, challenged, and sharpened by books!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

Are you planning on reading any books in 2022? For more book recommendations, feel free to check out my previous blogposts on some of the great books I have read over the last couple of years:
– Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021
– A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021
– My 4 Favourite Books in 2017
– 22 Great Books I Read in 2016
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments For Your Time – Series 1
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments for Your Health – Series 1
– Are you Investing in Your Marriage?
– 19 Invaluable Nourishment(s) For Your Marriage

Or Chief’s previous blogposts on some of his favourite reads:
–Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2020
– Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2019
– Chief’s 7 Favourite Books in 2016 – 2018
– Chief’s 1o Favourite Books in 2015

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Photo credits: Shizphotography

Thank you!
Dee

An Invaluable Resource Worth Checking Out – Part 1

After I enjoyed reading Robin Sharma’s 5AM Club and wrote a blogpost on it titled A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021, I came across his amazing 4 part free video training series titled The EveryDay Hero Formula where he teaches on the pioneering principles + proven tactics to multiply your productivity, accelerate your performance and create a world-class business and life.

In the first video of this free training series, Robin walks you through The Victim to Hero Leap: 5 game-changing insights to bring you to world-class in your business and in your everyday life. Below were my key takeaways:

1. Leap from can’t to can.
Let go of any thinking or verbalization of can’t behaviour (which is really what victims do) and leap to a mentality of possibility which is all about can. Just because you couldn’t do it yesterday doesn’t mean you can’t do it today.

2. Shift from busy being busy to being monomaniacally focused on delivering results/lean productivity. Victims are excellent at being busy. Victims are addicted to entertainment. Leaders are obsessed with getting things done.

3. Let go of living in the past and staying stuck in yesterday’s or last year’s winning formula and leap into your heroic future.
The past is a servant and a place to learn from – not a home to live in. For you to embrace the next level of world class you have to let go of everything you used to be. Forgive the unforgiven. Forgive past events. They served you.

4. Release excuses and move into delivering results.
Do an excuse detox. As you start to become more aware of the excuses you were making then that will be the beginning of your transformation. Every time you make an excuse, you give your power to the excuse. The billionaires, the CEOs, the great athletes, the great artists, the great servants of humanity all had one things in common: they didn’t make excuses. They did whatever it took to get their heroic visions done.

5. The victim takes from the world, the leader gives to the world.
Victims are always complaining they don’t have enough. Let go of any taking and institute a mentality of generosity. The hand that gives gathers. The more you give, the more you receive. He or she that is most helpful wins. The market place rewards giving. The one who is the most use to the most people lives the greatest life.

The video is certainly worth a watch and I enjoyed watching the next 3 as well. You can sign up for the free 4 part video series here which will also grant you access to The World-Changer’s Manifesto that summarises Robin Sharma’s 10 international best sellers, all for free!

What a treat! I just had to share!

Until next time,
Happy Investing in Yourself!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2020

Over the past 10 years, Chief and I have made reading/listening to books a lifestyle. We have different tastes but love sharing our learnings from fascinating reads every now and then. When my husband starts talking about a book he’s reading, I usually know I’m in for a long listen and so I usually ask him for a 5 minute summary:-) Today, he shares his 5 favourite books in 2020 (something he has become accustomed to doing at the beginning of every year whenever he takes over my blog). If you missed his previous posts, you can find them here:
– Chief’s 1o Favourite Books in 2015
– Chief’s 7 Favourite Books in 2016 – 2018
– Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2019

I [only] got through 17 books in 2020. My target was 24+ books but less travel/commuting is my main excuse So, here’s my favourite 5 plus the usual bonus book.

1.Black Man’s Burden: Africa and the curse of the nation-state, by Basil Davidson
This is a fairly old book (1992) which I picked up at Cape Coast, Ghana, that has some illuminating and thought-provoking views on Africa’s colonial history and its role in creating the dysfunctional African states we see today. Takeaways:

Slavery, the scramble for Africa and colonialism were more devastating to Africa than I’d imagined.
Africa had thriving empires and civilizations that paralleled those in medieval Europe.
Colonization, which was presented as a modernizing process, induced in practice one form after another of moral and political disintegration. Decolonization repeated this downward slide.
Africa’s liberators, reluctant to embrace Africa’s own history, chose to form nation-states based on fundamentally flawed European models. Colonial legacy deformed (almost from the start) the project of African liberation.
The nation-state system was poorly suited to Africa’s cultural context and much less so after the imposition of baseless political borders.
The biggest discord of the nation-state was clientelism (rather than tribalism). “Tribe” was an invention.
Nationalism need not imply nation-statism.
Africa’s history is very similar to that of Europe between Germany and Russia (CEE).
Way forward: development hinged on mass participation. This was at the heart of all African societies that proved stable and progressive (pre-slavery/colonialism).

2.Prisoners of Geography: 10 maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics, by Tim Marshall
This was my favorite read in 2020. I picked it up at Heathrow and couldn’t put it down once I got going. It’s a brilliant book on geopolitics and answers questions such as:

Why Russia, despite having no shortage of land thought it worth the trouble to annex Crimea from Ukraine and Abkhazia from Georgia. And why Europe/NATO looked on helplessly.
Why the USA was destined to become a global superpower.
Why China’s power base continues to expand ever outwards, their actions in Tibet, their naval investments, and the BRI (China’s Belt and Road Initiative).
Why Africa has been unsuccessful despite having a head-start.

This is a good book to read alongside ‘Guns, Germs and Steel’ by Jared Diamond.

3.The Millionaire Next Door: The surprising secrets of America’s wealthy, by Thomas J Stanley & William D Danko
This is a great book on accumulating wealth and achieving financial independence. Takeaways:

80% of [America’s] wealthy did not inherit their wealth (are self-made).
There’s a difference between income and wealth. You’re doing well if your wealth = your age ¸ 10 x your annual income.
Wealth is built through frugality i.e. living below your means.
Financial independence comes from spending less than the equivalent 6.7% of your wealth a year.
The book also had good lessons on how to raise your children to be accumulators of wealth.

The book is biased towards successful entrepreneurs who accumulate most of their wealth through their businesses/practices. But the lesson is: great offence (income) with poor defence (frugality) leads to under accumulation of wealth.

4.Your Brain at Work: Strategies for overcoming distraction, regaining focus, and working smarter all day long, by David Rock
This is a brilliant book on thriving in today’s overwhelming work environment, by understanding the biological limits of our brains and maximizing our effectiveness by staying at our brain’s sweet spot. Takeaways:

We need to actively manage distractions. Good focus is about inhibiting the wrong things from coming into focus.
Why multi-tasking and task switching are counterproductive.
Our best-quality thinking lasts for a limited time. The answer is not always to “try harder.”
Our ability to make good decisions and control impulses is a limited resource.
Sleep over big decisions or take time to clear your head. Insights occur more frequently the more relaxed and happier you are.
Prioritize prioritizing.
How to keep a cool head and regulate your emotions rather than being at their mercy.

5.The Outsiders: Eight unconventional CEOs and their radically rational blueprint for success, by William N. Thorndike, Brian Troxell, et al.
This book examines 8 American CEOs that generated superior shareholder returns over time when compared to their peers. No, Jack Welch didn’t make the list, but Warren Buffet did. Though the book focuses on corporate CEOs, I found it insightful for managing personal investments (as your own CEO). Takeaways:

CEO’s main role is resource allocation (capital and staff) not operations. Empower your GMs and decentralize.
The best capital allocators are practical, opportunistic and flexible; not bound by ideology or strategy. Practiced radical rationality having the perspective of the long term shareholder or owner not the high paid employee.
Temperament more important than intellect. Like a crocodile, mix patience (waiting long time for right opportunity) with bold action (act with blinding speed when it comes).
Be ruthless in closing or selling businesses with low future growth prospects and focus on businesses that meet your return targets.
Rather pay interest than taxes.
Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.
A lumpy 15% return is better than a smooth 12%.
Exceptional returns come from concentrated portfolios.

Bonus book [not for everyone]:
The Righteous Mind: Why good people are divided by politics and religion, by Jonathan Haidt
You’re smart. You’re liberal. You’re well informed. You think conservatives are narrow-minded. You can’t understand why people follow [certain] religions or working-class people vote conservative parties like the ANC or Republican Party. You figure they’re being duped. You’re wrong.

Humans are deeply intuitive creatures whose feelings drive our strategic reasoning. We are both selfish and groupish and our minds are designed for groupish righteousness. It is our groupishness that leads to our greatest joys, our religious divisions, and our political affiliations.

My biggest takeaway is the importance of culture and religion in creating effective moral societies. If you destroy those and you destroy societies.

Until next time,
Happy Reading!
Chief

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

How many books are you targeting to read this year? Remember, leaders are readers! Are you one?

For more book recommendations, feel free to check out my previous blogposts on some of the great books I have read over the last couple of years:
– Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021
– A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021
– My 4 Favourite Books in 2017
– 22 Great Books I Read in 2016
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments For Your Time – Series 1
– 5 Invaluable Nourishments for Your Health – Series 1
– Are you Investing in Your Marriage?
– 19 Invaluable Nourishment(s) For Your Marriage

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Photo credits: Shizphotography

Thank you!
Dee

Have You Set Your Goals? 2nd Book Worth Reading in 2021

One week down into 2021, have you set your goals for the year yet? Are you half-way there or are you still undecided? You see, if you want to have a remarkable year, it can’t just happen. You have to plan for it.

Abraham Lincoln said, “If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.” Nothing is more frustrating than chopping wood with a blunt blade, and nothing is more frustrating than going through life without focus. Taking the time to sharpen the axe makes the task successful. Most of us fail in the preparation, not in the task itself.

Today I just finished reading my 2nd book of 2021: One Word That Will Change Your Life, Expanded Edition by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page. The book outlines the power and process of discovering your ONE WORD for the entire year and how it will impact many dimensions of your life. Whether you are like me (who writes detailed goals every year) or not, setting One Word for your 2021 is worth giving a shot. Below is a snippet of what the book says:

Each year, resolutions are rarely kept, and goals are often easily forgotten. But One Word sticks. One Word creates laserlike focus that lasts. When you find your word for the year, it will change the way you think, the words you speak, the attitudes of your heart, your relationships, and even your actions.

Similar to buying a new car and suddenly seeing the same model everywhere you go, you’ll begin to see your One Word everywhere. One Word will give you clarity and focus for the challenges of a busy, stress-filled world. Just as a light focused becomes a laser that can cut through steel, a life focused with One Word becomes a force that can cut through the status quo. One Word is both simple and powerful. Simplicity, done right, will always bring impact.

Once you pick your One Word, write it down and post it in prominent places, such as in your kitchen, in your car, in your planner, on your desk, or in your locker at school so you see it regularly. What gets your attention gets your focus; what gets your focus gets done. The opposite is also true: Out of sight, out of mind. It is imperative that you regularly see your word.

Second, share your word with your Stretch Team—that inner circle of friends and family most important to you and whom you trust without hesitation. Your Stretch Team consists of the people who stretch you and help you grow. Give them permission to ask you about your word. This keeps you accountable for staying on track. When you share with them how you are being shaped by your word, they will be inspired to join in the process as well.

After reflecting on my 2020 goals, my One Word for 2021 is ELEVATE! Selecting it has helped me finetune my 2021 goals which are 95% set. Every time I go for my run, I get an idea of how I can elevate my 2021 goals in each of the six dimensions of my life: business/financial, health/physical, spiritual, mental, career, social and family. I am excited to finalize them over the next few days and see how the year unfolds.

What’s your One Word for 2021? Are you going to set it? For an action plan and simple process on how to discover your One Word, you can download your free One Word Action Plan here. Feel free to also grab a copy of the book on Amazon or your local store. It was a very short read and took me 40 minutes from beginning to end.

I ask again: What’s your One Word for 2021? Are you going to be the person who spends 6 hours sharpening his axe or are that person who spends 8 hours chopping wood with a blunt blade?
Have a say in making your 2021 remarkable!

Until next time,
Happy Reading and Investing in Yourself!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

A Book Worth Reading and Listening to in 2021:

I Just finished listening to and reading my 1st book of 2021: The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life by Robin Sharma and I absolutely L♥️VED it!!!

I tried listening to it via Audible twice in 2020 but never finished it. So I decided to listen to it again from scratch, this time round listening while reading the soft copy at the same time, pausing the audio regularly to highlight the key points in my soft copy version whenever something stood out to me. And several things did stand out! I did this 1st thing in the morning for about 2-3hrs over the last 3 days when both hubby and baby girl were asleep and got to thoroughly re-appreciate the importance of owning my morning free of any distractions.

I also got to appreciate Robin Sharma’s writing style in this book which is very different from most non fictional books I typically read or listen to. It’s a mixture of fiction and non fiction shifting from vividly described scenes and narrations to paragraphs of wisdom which you want to highlight or take screenshots of.

I listened to it at 2x speed which allowed me to cover the book over ~5.5hrs (as opposed to ~11hrs). The extra time I took was for note taking and I must say, I took some rich notes which I am glad I did. I look forward to re-reading them over and over and implementing them in my life with some tweaking to fit my lifestyle. Pockets of knowledge gold is what I would call them! A glimpse of my favourite parts include the following:

The way you start your day dramatically influences how it unfolds. Some people get up early but destroy the value of their morning routine by watching the news, surfing online, scanning social feeds and checking messages. This way they miss out on doing the things that would allow them to leverage the quietude of this special time to help them maximize greatness so awesome days show up consistently.

Empire-makers and history-creators take one hour for themselves before dawn to cultivate their highest assets and prepare themselves for a world-class day.

Implement the following 20/20/20 Formula first thing in the morning for the next 66 days:
1^st 20 min: Move
Do some intense sweaty exercise. This will revolutionize the quality of your days.

2^nd 20 min: Reflect
Journal/meditate/plan/pray/contemplate. This will help you re-access your natural power, boost self-awareness, dissolve your stress, fuel your happiness and restore your inner peace in an era of acute overstimulation and excessive activity.

Final 20 min: Grow
-Review your goals or
–Read a book that will improve your understanding of how the best lives were made or an article that will refine your professional prowess or
–Listen to an audio book/podcast on how the virtuosos accomplish their unusual results or
–Watch an educational video that will show you how to lift your relationships or increase your finances or deepen your spirituality or
–Study online.
Remember, the leader who learns the most wins!
[You can watch Robin’s Sharma’s 5 min video about The 20/20/20 Formula here]

It’s not only the calibration of the first hour of your day that’s mission essential for leadership excellence and exponential productivity but also the management of the last hour of your evening, if you’re truly serious about experiencing premium results.

The above is just a snippet of the gems in the book. If you’d like to learn more, I would recommend grabbing a copy (both audio and soft/hard copy if you can).

I am certainly looking forward to my next reads and have already lined up my list of 20 books I’d like to read/listen to in 2021. Imagine how many books you can read or listen to in a week/month/year if you just carve out at least 20 min or an hour each day!

For more book recommendations, feel free to check out my previous blogposts on some of the great books Chief and I have read over the last 8 years:
– Chief’s 5 Favourite Books in 2019
– Chief’s 7 Favourite Books in 2016-2018
– My 4 Favourite Books in 2017
– 22 Great Books I Read in 2016
– Chief’s 1o Favourite Books in 2015
– Are you Investing in Your Marriage?
– 19 Invaluable Nourishment(s) For Your Marriage

Also watch out for my next blogpost on My Favourite Books in 2020.
Remember, “Victims have big TVs. Leaders own large libraries.” Which one are you or would you like to be in 2021?

Until next time,
Happy Reading and Investing in Yourself!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

Reflection of My 2020 Goals

What a year 2020 has been! Each year a time like now, I am grateful for the goals I set at the beginning of the year because it allows me to look back and see what I have been able to achieve by the grace of God.

This marks my 6^th blogpost reflecting on my annual goals. The previous 5 can be found here:
– Reflection of My 2019 Goals
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

So how did I fare in my 2020 goals? Most of them were similar to my previous years’ ones with some bit of tweaking as they are in line with my overall long term goals.

1. BUSINESS/FINANCIAL:
a. 1-2 new passive investments by Dec
I thank God we were able to make 1 additional small passive investment in 2020. If there’s one thing the COVID 19 pandemic has taught everyone, it’s the importance of not being 100% reliant on a salary. Our ultimate goal is to get to a point where we generate passive investment income equal to 50% of our combined salaries through investments that do not consume much time. Not sure if or when we’ll ever get there but little by little we try to do something.

b. Another debt repayment by Dec
Most of our passive investments are partly financed by debt, which has enabled us to do a lot more than we would have been able to accomplish with savings alone. Each year, I am always striving to pay down our debt(s) as quickly as possible! I dislike being in debt or paying interest. My husband, on the other hand, believes in the multiplier effect of healthy well calculated debt. He always makes fun of how my day to day job involves offering debt investments to businesses whereas I don’t like personal debt. It perhaps is a woman thing or just my personality. So I keep at it. I am utterly grateful to God that in 2020, despite the pandemic, I was able to fully pay down not just one but two of our debts. This will however be short-lived as we’ll most likely be embarking on another passive investment(s) in 2021. Aluta continua!

2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Meet weekly Vitality goals
We are part of Discovery Vitality which incentivizes its members to exercise each week by setting exercise targets for each member and rewarding them if one meets their weekly target. This year, I achieved my weekly target more than 90% of the times! Even during the lockdown when we were not allowed to exercise outside the house, I discovered apps like Adidas Training that gave me varieties of indoor workouts. With the easing of lockdown, I resumed running and hiking and being outdoors has never felt more amazing. In Dec, I challenged myself to run 100km and it felt great to achieve it just before Christmas. This has certainly been one of my fittest years!

b. Fit into flat tummy clothes (62kgs) by Jun 20
After having procrastinated my “Project Return Back to Sexy/Flat Tummy” several times due to breastfeeding, in Jul 2020 I found a sustainable program that allowed to me to finally lose inches without dieting/starving/compromising my milk supply. For more info on this, you can check out my blogpost How I Lost Inches In 6 Weeks – Part 1. Since then, I have continued with this lifestyle and it feels amazing to finally fit into all my pre-pregnancy outfits whilst still breastfeeding:-)

3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
2020 was my 6^th year doing BSF after having enjoyed studying Revelation in 2015-16, John in 2016-17, Romans in 2017-18, The People of the Promised Land (i.e. people in the Bible such as Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, David and Solomon) in 2018-19 and Acts and Letters of the Apostles in 2019-20. In Sep 2020, we commenced the study of Genesis and as usual, it’s been great unpacking the word!

For the last 2 years, I’ve been doing the classes online (via Zoom) as opposed to going to physical classes and I absolutely love them! The fact that I don’t have to commute to and fro has worked perfectly for me. With the pandemic, most of the physical classes ended up being held on zoom as well – so my hubby who used to do the men’s physical classes ended up doing his classes on zoom as well. BSF International is free and has thousands of classes all over the world. Whether new to the Bible, a seasoned reader, child or adult, BSF offers classes for every age around the world. There are now hundreds of online Zoom classes offered at various times all days of the week – There is sure to be a class that’s fits your schedule according to your time zone. Sign up for a class near you today!

b. Family devotion every week
The family devotion I had in mind at the beginning of the year ended up being slightly different but somehow better.

(i) 1st, we started taking baby girl to Sunday School as soon as she turned 12 months – the one where you drop off your child and pick them up after the service. Yes, at 12 months. It is never too early! I must admit, it was a bit difficult for me at first and I was the first one to dash out of church to go pick her immediately the Pastor said Amen;-) However, it was great to finally listen to the entire sermon from beginning to end without chasing after a toddler in the parents’ room! Our church also has a really excellent kids’ program that caters for different age groups ranging from ages 1 to 12 years i.e. toddlers (1-3 years), pre school (4-6 years), grade 1-4 and grade 5-6. With the lockdown, they continued airing amazing pre-recorded short services for the different age groups with the content changing every Sat night and I must say, this is one of the best things ever. Whereas I usually limit my little one’s screen time during the day, every evening we usually put for her the toddler and pre school services for her to watch and she absolutely loves them!

(ii) Every evening before bed time, hubby usually reads bible stories to baby girl (as well as other story books). Once they are done, I usually join them where we pray together as a family. In the mornings when I go to feed her, I pray with her as well. It continues to bring me lots of joy when I see her putting her hands together every time when it’s time to pray. I pray she may grow into a God fearing young lady!

(iii) With the lockdown, we decided to start doing weekly family devotions together with my hubby’s side of the family. It’s been great catching up and praying together as a family each week and seeing God answering our prayers one after another. I am thankful to be part of a family that prays together.

4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
I am a huge fan of listening to audio books via Audible. I was doing great until I discovered podcasts earlier last year! Honestly speaking, how did I only discover podcasts in 2020? I am hooked! I love that they are short, I can fast forward the speed to my liking and can jump from 1 podcast to the next depending on which topic I am interested in each day. They are also free of charge! I used to track each podcast I listened to initially but eventually, I lost count. One thing is for sure though: I listen to at least 1 podcast each day and certainly listened to over 100 podcasts in 2020. My favourite ones included:
– Gems and Nuggets Podcast Series by MaryAnne Mwaura
– Your Next Best Self with Dr. Patricia Murugami
– Marriage Today with Jimmy & Karen Evans
– Life with the Lindseys
– Our Love Journey with Mpoomy and Brenden
– Conversations with Mpoomy and Yolz

You can find these and other podcasts on several avenues including Apple, sound cloud etc. Having said that, I still managed to finish reading/listening to 15 books in 2020 which was not bad at all:-)

b. Continue learning basic Zulu
This is one of those goals I did not achieve at all! I paid for an online pre-recorded course which was valid for 12 months. However, after doing a class or 2, that boat sailed! Our nanny speaks Zulu to our little one 80% of the time and English 20% of the time. When given instructions, baby girl understands both Zulu and English very well. Soon, when she starts speaking Zulu, mommy and daddy will have no clue what she’s saying with the exception of a few phrases here and there:-)

5. CAREER:
a. Change jobs
After having spent about 7.5 years in my previous role, I went on a sabbatical from end of Mar (2 weeks after the lockdown commenced in mid Mar). I am grateful to God that despite the pandemic, I was able to find a new role which I commenced in mid Sep that I absolutely enjoy!

b. Close 2 deals
In hindsight, this was an ambitious goal given that I was on sabbatical for almost 6 months. However, before leaving my previous role, I worked on a $28m healthcare opportunity in Morocco which received investment committee approval. The deal was eventually concluded a few months thereafter.

6. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Destinations
With the pandemic, our travel plans did not go as expected. The plan was to go to Kenya for Christmas as well as one other destination but that did not happen. We however managed to at least do 2 local trips in South Africa as well as several day trips over the weekends once the lockdown eased up:

(i) We did a week-long slackpacking hiking trip along Kosi Bay which borders Mozambique with our little one (who was 19 months old at the time) on our back. I initially wasn’t sure how we were going to do it with her but it turned out to be absolutely amazing. We hiked different terrain (grasslands, wetlands, forests, dunes, beaches), crossed over lakes, snorkeled and swam!

(ii) We also did a weekend getaway in Mpumalanga where we got the chance to hike the Blyde River Canyon (the 3rd largest canyon on earth) and feed a hippo.

(iii) During the weekends, we also managed to hike over 17 different hiking trails all over South Africa.

7. FAMILY:
a. Attend moms & tots classes
At the beginning of the year, we transitioned from moms and babes classes to moms and tots classes (for 1-3.5 year olds) which I attended with my little one. When the pandemic hit, the classes ended up being held on zoom. We however resumed resumed physical classes later in the year and baby girl and I had loads of fun!

b. Take baby girl for swimming classes from Feb 20
We also took baby girl for swimming lessons as soon as she turned 1 where she was taught how to float should she ever accidentally fall into a pool. Unfortunately with the pandemic, her classes were cut short for 6 months. She however resumed classes towards the end of the year and she now can swim very well for an under 2 year old.

Wow! I am thankful to God for all I was able to accomplish despite all the challenges 2020 came with. I absolutely enjoyed the 6 months I spent at home with my baby girl and the opportunity I have had to be engaged and present in her formative years. I have come to embrace the new normal of working from home. I pray for God’s continued protection over our lives and yours. May 2021 bring with it better days, answered prayers, abounding blessings and favour upon favour. May God’s will be fulfilled in our lives and may we continue to be a blessing to others.

How did your 2020 go? Have you set your 2021 goals? One thing is for sure, I never regret setting these goals each year. They keep me focused, accountable and give me something to work towards. If this is not something you normally do, would you consider giving it a shot?

Until next time,

Happy Reflecting!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee

Reflection of My 2019 Goals

It’s that time of the year when I get to reflect on the year that has been. I usually do this in Dec/Jan but this time round I am late! Well….better late than never:-)

Jan 2019 marked the arrival of our baby girl, princess and sweet little dream come true, Emmanuella, which means “God with us”!

With the baby, I had to set fewer/easier goals, be easy on myself in terms of the timelines and accept that I wouldn’t be able to achieve some goals. I therefore gave myself grace and room for extension or postponement when I needed to.

This marks my 5^th blogpost reflecting on my annual goals. The previous 4 can be found here:
– Did You Achieve Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2018 Goals
– Have You Written Down Your 2018 Goals? – Reflection of My 2017 Goals
– Why Writing Down Your Goals is Important – Reflection of Our 2016 Goals
– Dee’s 2015 In Review

So how did I fare in my 2019 goals?

1. BUSINESS/FINANCIAL:
a. 1-2 new passive investments by Dec
Our quest to have “side hustles” that do not consume much time continues and I thank God we were able to make 2 additional small passive investments. The ultimate goal is to get to a point where we generate passive investment income equal to 50% of our combined salaries. We are still miles away from achieving that but are cognisant of the fact that each investment we make gets us a step closer and so we continue to keep at it each year. After all, Rome was not built in a day!

b. Another debt repayment by Dec
Most of our passive investments are partly financed by debt. This has enabled us to do a lot more than we would have been able to accomplish with savings alone. I am however very careful about how much debt we take on and each month, I am always striving to pay it down as quickly as possible. Every single spare penny I have literally goes towards it. Meanwhile, while I am busy reducing our debt, Chief is busy thinking how we can take out more debt to invest more! Therefore I did not achieve this goal in 2019 (as the more we do, the fewer the opportunities we have to make repayments). It is however still a goal of mine to repay debt and I pushed this out to 2020. Let’s see whether I will achieve this as Chief will most likely come up with more ideas about another this or that!

2. HEALTH/PHYSICAL:
a. Run 100^th Parkrun by Dec
This is one of the 2018 goals I pushed to 2019 after falling pregnant and having to cut back on running. Determined to finally achieve it, every weekend since I was cleared by the doctor post my surgery (except those we were out of town), I showed up for the 5km Parkruns (even when I was full of milk:-) or a few minutes late because I had to breastfeed before leaving the house). In Oct 19, I proudly ran my 100^th park run – 2 months ahead of my Dec 19 target! What a joy it was!

b. Project flat tummy/return back to sexy by Aug
I was very lucky that I didn’t put on much weight during my pregnancy. However, this is one of the goals I had to push out to 2020. Given that I chose to breastfeed (and was still at it 12 months post baby), watching my waist was not an option as eating well is necessary for lots of milk production. Besides, with breastfeeding, I was always hungry! I drank lots of porridge and ate carbs I ordinarily wouldn’t eat! In addition, I barely had the free time to work out much as my breaks at work were spent expressing/pumping milk for the baby. And in the evenings, as soon as I left work, I was dashing home to release my nanny. My consolation was the close to a hundred 150ml sachets of expressed breastmilk I had in my freezer at 12 months. At least I had enough stash of liquid gold to keep my baby going for another 6 months before I decided to finally stop expressing/pumping milk at 12.5 months. I however carried on with breastfeeding twice a day which is less demanding. Mommy did her best!

3. SPIRITUAL:
a. Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) every week
I struggled to get back into BSF the 1^st few months after having the baby. I however discovered I could do it online (via Zoom) and resumed classes in Sep when we commenced the book of Acts and Letters of the Apostles. I absolutely love the online classes! The fact that I do not have to commute to and fro and could choose a class time that works for me was a game changer! This marks my 5^th year doing BSF International which is free and has thousands of classes in over 70 countries. There are also now hundreds of online Zoom classes offered at various times all days of the week – There is sure to be a class that’s fits your schedule according to your time zone. Sign up for a class near you today! We will be commencing the study of Genesis in Sep 2020.

b. Family devotion + home worship every Sun
I resumed going to church about 4-6 weeks after having had the baby. The parents’ room became our new spot in church. Over and above going to church together as a family and doing our individual devotions, I was hoping we could also do family devotions and home worship every Sunday as well. We however didn’t get round to doing the latter regularly. Hoping we can find a way of incorporating it in 2020. In the meantime, I have been praying with baby girl every morning and evening. It is a joy seeing her putting her hands together whenever I say “let’s pray”. May she grow into a God-fearing young lady and may we model a good example for her.

4. MENTAL:
a. 20 – 24 good books
I knew this was an overly ambitious goal as there’s barely any time to read a book post baby. I however managed to finish reading 22 books and I was reading my 23^rd and 24^th books by the end of 2019. I did this while baby was asleep (instead of sleeping/watching TV/movies/series’) as I to tried to elighten myself while navigating this new journey (from no cry sleep solutions to becoming babywise, stimulating baby developments, introducing solids, nannies etc.). Whereas majority were on parenthood, I also listened to a couple of audio books (via Audible) on marriage and personal development in my quest to continually develop myself.

b. Continue learning basic Zulu
From my interactions with the cleaning lady/tea lady/driver in the office, I managed to pick up a few more Zulu words and phrases. Whilst still very basic, I could at least exchange a few words/phrases with them each day.

5. SOCIAL:
a. 2 Destinations
Travelling together is something we love to do and I am thankful thankful to God that we were able to do not just 2 but 4 holidays in 2019, all with baby. I like to tag her along so that she gets to experience new things with us and fit into our lifestyle.

(i) We did a long weekend getaway in BelaBela where we joined Chief for golf (he played while we drove in the golf cart:-))

(ii) Celebrated our anniversary in Japan:

(iii) Did another long weekend getaway in Knysna:

(iv) And celebrated Christmas in Dubai:

6. FAMILY
a. Have my mum over in Jan/Feb
I am thankful my mum came to visit in Jan-Feb 19 immediately I had the baby and took care of us for 1 month. She fed us, bathed us, groomed us, sun-basked us, put us to sleep, gave us company and gave us abounding support beyond measure! What a blessing it was having her around! I can never say thank you enough. May God bless her soul! My mom in love also came to visit twice (on one occasion with my grandma in love and on the other occasion with my aunty in love)! What a blessing that was too and they got to join us for baby girl’s dedication in church.

b. Attend moms & babes classes
After going back to work, weekends became the key times I had to spend proper time with baby. I specifically chose a moms and babes class which I attended with my princess since she turned 2 months and we had lots of fun!

c. Kenya Trip in Dec for family to meet baby
We also managed to take baby girl home in Dec where she got to meet the rest of our family and friends. She had 2 ceremonies (gucugia mwana) hosted by both our mums where she was blessed and prayed for! We truly celebrate her!

I am thankful for the year that was. As usual in life, it had its highs and lows! I believe God has a purpose for everything that happened and I will continue to trust Him. Comitting 2020 unto His hands and praying for His continued guidance, blessings, favour and answer to prayers. May He open doors and enable us to continue being a blessing to others.

How did your 2019 go? May God guide you as you think through and write down/revise your 2020 goals (especially in light of what’s happening with COVID 19). To a new decade abounding in blessings!

Until next time,

Happy Reflecting!

If you enjoyed this post, kindly rate it by clicking on the 5 stars below:

For more invaluable insights on my journey of marriage and life, do pop into the “Devotions/Life Insights” section on my blog every now and then.

Thank you!
Dee