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Somewhere along the coastline, I am mulling
over what I thought I would accomplish during the year. Looking back, I feel
like I did my best and left the rest to outpour or go to the dogs. Now I want to make New
Year Resolutions. But first, a glimpse of flashback. Just a petty one.
First, I must be thankful to the Almighty for thus
far he has brought me. ‘Nimeuona mimi Mkono wa Bwana, kweli’ (sic). He stood by
me and now I can attest that his mercies endure forever. I was beginning to be agnostic,
but I can affirm that I am truly religious. The potency of my faith though shriveling,
I can only hope it will bloom in the new year as I steady up and begin the year
in style.
Obviously, I will start with what never worked. The
first ought to be a quest to find a job that is not only pensionable and
full-time, but also a job that I am joining and feeling like I am enjoying what
I do. The one that I can apply the skills I have learnt over time. Like the
first job I had. It was just what I loved but it was not what I wanted to do.
The good thing about my current job is flexibility. Though it does not put me in
a financially secure position, but all in all, it comes to my aid in many ways.
I am still hoping that some day I will get a job in
the investment industry and apply the little knowledge I have learnt. On the contrary,
I hate internships. Especially if they go nowhere and I am told to be patient
in the job until an opening arises.
Number two has to be getting a girlfriend,
something that leads to an engagement and finally marriage. I recently had a
chat with a lady friend and she was being told to move in with a dude
who was interested in her even without dating and she never loved him. I told her that love grows
overtime and it will be a thing of the past if she moves, learns to love and
hope that things will work out. Her family was of the view that she moves in
with her ‘probably fiancé’ even if she does not love the guy. I concurred with
the family then realized that I would hate to move in with a lady just because
I love her. At least, taking time to know who you are going to spend the rest of your life with is crucial before someone moves in with a man.
You just don’t move in like that. It should be a process, not an event.
Consistency and discipline are issues that I am
really struggling to deal with and they come in at number three. I have not been as
consistent as I would love in being disciplined. I have been wobbly so much that I am currently not
having a plan. My plan was to have completed 21 courses on Financial Modelling,
9 courses on data science and lastly finish reading the content of CFA level
Two. You know what, there is no hurry. I am in Africa and a black nigger for
that matter. Plans, circumstances, opportunities, strengths and weaknesses change
but only God does not change.
Lastly, I have been postponing writing my posts in
time for scheduled appearances on my blog. This has been a big battle and it
makes me think that I am not a stickler to following routine. I had a time-table
I thought I would stick to. I had so many options in my mind I did not know
what to do. I have let them to come into fore when they want. After all, I am not
a programmed machine to stick to routine. I am very flexible. That is why I
have not thought of writing about a certain specific topic for some time now.
About that job thing, sometimes I sit down and
wonder if I can get my grove back and get into gainful employment with regard
to what I would like to do now. I have experimented a lot. And its high time I
started getting serious with life. I have morphed in different ways. Especially
when it comes to writing. One day, I will be like guaranteed-age whisky. Crisply
matured and with a distinctive style of prose. The kind that is synonymous to
yours truly.
On to accomplishments. I have been able to work consistently
save for a week when I was revising for exams and the holiday I took in order
to refreshen up. Yes, I took time off to go and ponder about life. Celebrate Xmas and travel to new locations. I did not go
to the beach though, I just went to the countryside, and went to look for adventure.
I also love the fact that I have developed come
craze in writing. I have what I call the morning pages which are random thoughts
that have filled a book and I am now on the second one. The bad thing is that
the content does not flow, the good thing is that I have written to the best of
my ability without referring from anywhere in free flow which takes half an hour everyday. The morning pages have helped in me
easily writing more than 2000 words in one sitting straight outta my mind. I
had hoped to write in all the weeks this year, but I am not sure that will possible
anymore. I erred on countless occassions when I was feeling lethargic. The far that I have reached deserves a full large pizza to celebrate
the achievement. I will struggle to finish it wioth a two litre soda.
Another plus has to be developing a saving culture
that I started a few years back. Yes, I am a saver, but I also need to be an
investor. To invest and reap from the fruits of my labour. I wish I this blog
was an investment. It would have been providing me with returns even if small.
It is not even a cash cow, it is where I hide. Luckily, I am outdone with why I operate it. Next
year will be the fourth consecutive year of updating it on a regular basis. I
think past the fifth year, I will enroll it to square it out with other seasoned
contestants in a bid to be a known blogger. Whether I get the award or not,
that will not be the motivation behind listing it, the real motivation will be
getting new readers. Well, there is that aspect of pride in winning but the
real one comes from knowing that you have made an impact and made someone
laugh, wish they could do something like me or
just flipping through the net and they think they need to read something new.
Next year’s resolutions have to be very few. First
I plan to move out and go stay on my own in a small room, A quiet place where
there is no brouhaha. A sanctuary. Next to a gym with a palatial view of the
horizon if lucky. Watching how Americans buy houses has made me believe that you
certainly need to have a view when looking for a house. A view is an added aesthetic
value that makes a difference when looking for a house.
Another resolution is to complete my financial
modelling course. I started it with zeal and excitement. But that has wilted
over time and I need to rejuvenate the skills because ‘I don’t know tomorrow’.
Perhaps I may be called to an interview and told to model a company’s future
cashflows and share price and being this lethargic bugger, I tell the
interviewer that I need time when I should have done the thing in less than an hour.
What I have to realize is that practice segregates the chaff from the wheat.
Modelling requires constant practice and that is the reason why I will look for
a way of keeping tabs with this skill. Just for fun even if I don’t get a
job. Plus, it will help me forget that I am not employed in the investment
industry if I combine it with reading CFA Notes, collecting and analyzing daily
data from the NSE and applying for relevant jobs.
The final resolution has to be to be passing with
flying colours my repeat exams. I know what went wrong and I will try as much
as possible to work on it. Also, I want to be updating the blog on a weekly
basis in time. I have earmarked Friday as my day. It will be at 1100 hours.
That was the time we normally took our break from the daily hustle of learning.
In the meantime, let me hope that I will also build
my own house in shags. Hope that I will get a girlfriend and probably a real child. Forget about Spock and McCoy.
As I imagine that I am at the coast savoring the cool
breeze next to the sea, I am wishing that one day it will become a reality.
Hasta La vista baby.
[Picture Source: My own]
