The Wishes and the Progress: 2020 So Far, My First 6 Months of the New Decade

Hi everyone! 

So in case you didn’t know, in June, I usually reflected on the piece I wrote for my resolution by the end of the previous year. That’s how I like to keep my progress on track. As ambitious as I am, I know that there may be things that I wish I could do that might not be accomplished in the first half of the year. And that’s okay. 

Last year, I wrote the resolution that I wish to accomplish throughout this new decade. I was trying to be realistic. Boy, with all the Coronavirus, didn’t I make the right decision not to focus on the resolution for 2020 only? 

So, how’s the progress in accomplishing my goals this decade? How far is it from me to achieve it? 

The First Half of My 2020 at a Glance

Since I’m trying so hard to be positive in this period full of negativities, let’s start with a good thing about 2020… It was to accomplish my goal to visit all 10 ASEAN countries. 

I had it on my resolution every year, and it was supposed to be in one of the 30 things to do before I turned 30. But hey, shit happened, and I couldn’t make it before I turned 30, so here I am, being 31 and finally having it checked on my bucket list!

Well, I’m still yet to finish the rest of the journey around Indochina that I did earlier this year. But I’m halfway through it, and I published a post about Kampot last week. 

So, anyway… It is time to look back and see what I had in store for this decade’s resolution and how far the progress I have to make it happen!

This Decade’s Resolution and My Progress in the First Half of 2020

As you’ve probably read the piece about my resolution for the decade, you probably know that I have 6 main points that I want to accomplish.

I know some people are a bit cynical when it comes to making a resolution. But to be fair, I think having it is quite useful to some extent. For example, did you make a resolution for the sake of having it, simply because everybody did it by the end of the year? Or did you make it because you want to focus on what you want to accomplish in the future, so you can create a strategy to achieve it?

For me, I’m the latter. That’s why I regularly look back at the resolution I made so I can see clearly what I can do and how far it is until I reach the goal. If I need to restrategize, how can I do it?

So, did I make any progress? How little is it, and how far have I come to achieve it this decade?

1. I’ve paid the booking fee to buy a property that I like. I’m still waiting to hear from the bank as they’re currently processing my credit.

So yes, I’ve found my dream house. It was probably love at first sight, because when I saw the area for the first time, I could totally see myself living there in the future with all my cats. LOL. 

I already paid the booking fee for the house, but I’m still waiting for the bank to process my credit and all that. I figure that I got some difficulties in proceeding due to my status as a freelancer. 

As of now, I got some help from my local clients for all the mortgage requirements. It doesn’t guarantee me to get the credit approved. Hopefully, it will help me achieve my goal of having my own property sometime this decade. 

At this point, I feel like I finally got my shit together. So, adding a mortgage as a part of my responsibility seems more rational than my situation in the last few years. 

I’ve calculated everything before even paying for the booking fee. For example, the area of the house is within the area reached by my cats’ vet. I figure it would be an essential point since I want to take all my cats with me, and it’s super convenient to have the house-call service vet around. 

2. I’d like to think that I have, in fact, grown as an individual. 

Well, yes… I couldn’t be more thankful for my 30s. It’s like the best period of my life. I was right when I said that my 30s are like my 20s but with more money. In fact, it isn’t just about money, it’s about other things too. 

Now I could easily identify which aspect I should prioritize in my life. Back in my 20s, I thought that having a spouse and getting married would fix many things in life. But now that I’m in my 30s, I couldn’t be thankful that I got the time to grow as an individual first before having someone else to involve in my life. 

Long story short, I’ve met someone this year, and I lowkey think he’s the right person for me. LOL. 

I mean, sure I’m still stubborn as I’ve always been. But this guy is quite understanding when it comes to my antics. He likes me for who I am. And I kinda think we’ve grown as an individual that we’re ready to discuss the possibility of getting together in the future. 

3. I got more projects throughout the year, and I have a plan to start a new business line soon. 

When the coronavirus hit the world, and everyone struggled, I can’t stop counting my blessing. While some people had to lose their job, I got more projects in the past few months that have given me extra income. Given the situation, I can outsource some of my work to those who need some extra income during this difficult time. 

And since I already mentioned my boyfriend earlier, speaking of the future, we’re also planning to start a new business line soon. 

One of the things that make me think that he’s worth the effort when it comes to a relationship is that I’m not afraid to talk about my goals and dreams. Even better, not only can he support me, but he can also involve in it. That’s where the idea of starting a new business line comes up. 

We’re currently in a long-distance relationship. I know it sucks, and I never succeed when it comes to that, but my boyfriend is kinda different from most of my exes. He basically treats me as a partner, and I love that. 

With the long distance between us, we know we need a lot of money to even try to make things work. And that’s the idea of working on a business together came from. 

For now, I love and enjoy doing my work. I feel like winning a lottery as I found someone that could complement what I’m already doing. 

4. I’m handling money a lot way better than before. 

You see, with all the quarantine and the decreasing chance to travel these days, I got some perks out of it, and it’s no other than the fact that now I can save some money easily. These days, managing my money seems not a big issue for me, and it’s a good thing. 

Apart from saving up, with the responsibility of paying for my assistants, I also have to spare some money to pay for their salary. It gives me the urgency to not just spending money without thinking. I now have the reason to hold my impulsive desire to shop. 

Guess what? I even started investing my money through stocks and gold, so I think I’m quite better at money management in general. 

Speaking of money, it also has something to do with my relationship… My boyfriend really encourages me to save up. I need to have enough money to travel to meet him once we’re able to move around after the coronavirus. And that vision alone gives me enough reason to think before spending, which is a good thing. 😉

5. With all the plans that my boyfriend and I have together, the Balkan trip is now not only my goal… But also our goal together.

The thing is that my boyfriend is planning to move to Germany for his master’s degree once we can start traveling. That’s one of the reasons he insisted that I save my money these days because, as an Indonesian passport holder, we know it’ll be quite challenging for me to travel to Europe.  

God knows how it would be traveling with the passport in the future, because they may even have the requirements that are more strict compared to the current ones. 

But with him moving to Germany, and with me telling him that going to the Balkan is on the top of my bucket list, now it’s become on our bucket list to do together. And I’m excited about what’s in store for us! 

It’s almost too good to be true that only during this time when the world seems to fall apart that I’ve found someone who supports me inside and out. But hey, with all the shit I’ve been through in the past few years, I think I deserve it. 😛 

6. Maybe I don’t have to be alone. 

So, the last point that I mentioned in my resolution was that I was ready to embrace the single life. Now that you already know about my boyfriend’s existence, I just want to tell you that maybe after all… I don’t have to be alone. 

Like, I’m not everyone’s cup of tea, but maybe there IS actually someone for everyone. 

At this point, I’m just glad that I’ve found him. He’s got the patience that I need when it comes to everything that I am. My sass mouth, my personality, my trust issues… Like he wasn’t even my type at first, but even I had to give him a chance because he seems like the kind of person who is worth my time and effort. 

I barely have the courage about the future, but I could speak to him about our future plan for hours. And it’s a good thing, right? 

So yeah… As much as I enjoy my time being single, the better thing that could happen is spending your time that makes life a lot better with them. So, fingers crossed! 😀

What I Need to Do Moving Forward

First thing first, I need to launch my new business sometime this year. My boyfriend and I keep saying that the business is going to be like our first child, so we should nurture it carefully and adequately. 

Once we run the business, it will be easier to save the money for our life plan in general. And I’m not going to lie, having a resolution in my case will be nothing if I’m broke. I can’t do anything without the money to tick off my bucket list. 

So yeah, hopefully, things will go well with all the plans I have. Despite all the crazy things happening in 2020, I think my first half of the year has gone well in my favor. 

How’s your 2020 so far? Which part of your resolution that you’ve accomplished this year? Tell me in the comment, and cheerio! 😀

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