Well friends, as the curtain draws to a close on 2022, let’s take a pause looks back over the past year, and benchmark our progress before planning the next year ahead.
I do this to keep myself accountable and inspired on this journey called life. As a reference point feel free to check out my 2021 Benchmarking Success and previous years Good Bad Ugly Reports.
The past maybe dry cement, but I believe it’s also important to also celebrate how far we’ve come, reflect on where we could have done better and put myself out there publicly as a form of motivation to do the work, I need to do in making my plans a reality.
I hope that you find my wins, stumbles, and insights help you on your own journey to getting the most out of your life.
Each year I ask, and I answer three basic questions.
What went well?
What didn’t go well?
What to do better?
Feel free to apply a similar format and use for your own journal.
As I like to begin on a positive let’s cover the wins of 2022. Here’s what went well in the year that was.
The Good. What went well in 2022?
What a year!
We sold our car. Whist not a major milestone in life, the price we got was well “good”. After purchasing the car in 2014 and selling in 2022 the car only depreciated $5,000. Since I had all but written the value of the car down significantly, the sale price we achieved with the benefit of Covid (yes covid did have some upside), supply chain delays and the buoyant 2nd hand car market was a gift we were happy to accept.
We also bought a new car a Subaru Forester :)
We sold our investment property in March. Again, thanks to the tailwind of cheap money, increased regional migration and FOMO we were able to sell our unit in Clifton beach (now in hindsight) for top dollar. The proceeds of which have afford us to fund extensive renovations to our other apartment in Sydney. More on this a little further down.
We got to travel overseas. After two years of only seeing family and friends via zoom, we finally got to see them in person. In May, Malaysia opened their international borders and in November finally Japan opened. Aside from the digital apps, covid certificates, and cost of flights, the wait, frustration, and effort was ‘good’ actually no, awesome, to be able to travel overseas once again.
I put a deposit down on a property in Japan. Yep, crazy I know, but you only live once YOLO. With all systems go I should be heading to the Japanese Alps in March 2023 as well as a long list of to do’s including renovations, yep, I must be crazy!!!! improving my Japanese, hunting for powder snow and somehow juggling a travel between Australia, Japan, Malaysia and elsewhere.
Finished studies, not quite yet! Well, I thought I had only to complete 4 subjects before attaining my Graduate of Financial Planning Diploma, of which I achieved either distinctions or high distinctions in, yeah! Then I was informed I had one more subject <insert crying>. Anyways I’m nearly done, and I’ve registered to do my final subject starting January 2023 and completing in March 2023. One last push!
Renovations finished, nearly! I can’t take any credit for this because Ros has been managing the entire process virtually from Cairns, in addition to video meetings, phone call after phone call, emails, and site visits.
Due to Sydney’s crazy once in a century rains, re-tilling our balconies took over 6 months, added to this supply chain issues has resulted in our kitchen still being on a boat, now somewhere in the Malacca Straits on its way to Sydney! New ETA mid- January 2023. After a full gut of the entire apartment, new floors, bathrooms, balconies, kitchen (TBA) and stopping watching our bank balance drawn down past (too embarrassed to say), we’re look forward to the next phase… furnishing.
Holidays, Honeymoons & Conferences. Cairns is pumping once again! Over the last 12 months our social calendar has been chocked full of family and friends deciding to make the journey up to Cairns. So, whist it’s not been so good for the waistline, after 2 years of virtual isolation catching up with everyone has been amazing!
The Bad. What didn’t go so well in 2022?
Just as 2022 was filled with Good, it also had its measure of bad!
Renovations. Deciding to embark on renovations was always going to be a big challenge, even more so when you have a perfectionist mentality and having to manage the project from afar. Delays, cost blowouts and frustration I believe are just part of the course, however, add rain and trying to manage a business, studies, selling assets and more to say the least has aged in addition to testing relationships.
Asset valuations. I know its only a devaluation of assets on paper, but it still stings. By mid-2022 and off the back of the Covid-19 bounce (which surprised everyone) valuations reverted back to 2020 values (down approx 20% from all-time highs). Conversations with clients proved equally challenging especially when mainstay balanced portfolios also took a hit. Rising interest rates and falling bond values made it feel like there was no where to hide, in addition to an equity market downturn and the increasing costs of living. That said, our approach is and has always been to focus on what we can control, i.e., our behaviour and accept that markets will continue to be volatile whilst we recalibrate to the new world, post covid, along with ongoing global tensions and things being more expensive.
Studies. Whilst I did include this in the good, discovering that I had one more subject still to complete, felt like winning a race then later learning you’d been disqualified. A heart-breaking image I know, but also character building. So, after a few weeks of cursing and throwing a little pity party, all I could tell myself was to suck it up because you’re almost done. But it still sucked!
The process of buying a property in Japan. In two words, flying blind. The delay of Japan opening their international borders, Japan’s property purchasing process in addition to the language barrier I would put on par with renovations. The only problem was trying to do this on top of everything else we’ve been trying to do in 2022.
Whist finally I was able to make an inspection in November (Note for those interested, you must physically inspect a property before you can submit an application), later I discovered that my Apostille Authentication (international identification process in Japan) had expired, and I had to start the process again from scratch Ahhh! Anyways, it’s a process. Eventually I was able to inspect some properties, submit my application and my deposit has been accepted. A huge thank you to Taka and Aya, we're nearly there and I look forward to skiing, onsens, sake and delicious ramen together when I return in March 2023.
Looking back, at the events of 2022 and trying to process all that we have achieved and the challenges we’ve had to endure, on balance we’re moving forward.
With all your being, know that ‘You’ simply getting through Covid and the last 12 months ‘You” are a champion, an anchor in the storm, ‘you’ are hope to the broken hearted, YOU ARE IMPORTANT and just being ‘You’ makes the world is a better place.
The Ugly? What am I going to do better in 2023?
Working it, ain’t never pretty, hence the ugly! And there’s a lot of work ahead in 2023.
We still have home renovations to complete, studies to be finished, travel overseas, improving my Japanese and renovating the apartment there. More frequent trips back to Malaysia to be with Ros’s family and aging Mum, and several other plans that I’m keeping close to my chest, so not to jinx their success.
While 2022 was more skoshi stu tsu (little by little) I’m confident 2023 will be one of, no holding back.
There will be time’s I fail, but I know I will be doing so falling forward. The past is dry cement, but the future is not. One step at a time, do the work, and trust the process, continues to be my mantra. As they say, ‘An inch of action will take you further than miles of good intentions, every time’.
Bring on 2023.
Why do I do this?
The value of sharing my success, failures and intentions is layered.
Firstly, it holds a mirror up to my recent successes and failures. It also reveals to me the repeating patterns of my successes and failures. It also helps me to clarify my wanted future goals, if they are wishes or are they truly important enough to me to become lifelong habits.
Secondly my hope is that sharing with you my past years successes, failures and future goals also helps you on your own journey toward achieving a better future for yourself and those important to you.
Do the work: Success comes from the commitment to do the work i.e., small, regular, repeatable actions, simply doing the work, increases our probability of success. Nothing more, nothing less.
Enjoy the process: In short; enjoy doing the work, trust the process and let go of the outcome.
It also means turning up, and not giving up. Maintaining focus on the task at hand and not being distracted by the noise of others airing their frustrations and fears.
Let go of the past successes and failures and be more present, so that you will be in a better place, state of mind and readiness to face the future.
Value you more: As the famous John West add says ‘it’s the fish that John West rejects, that makes John West the best”. Keep what helps you and let go of the things that hold you back.
Trying to Be Better not Bigger: Since 2014.
If these experiences and aspirations of mine help you realise a better quality of life and go on to help others, then we’ve both done our part in making the world a better place. This may sound cheesy, however it’s the lens I choose to see life through.
And so, draws the close on 2022. Thank you for reading my posts throughout the past year and I look forward to sharing more of what I have learnt along the way throughout 2023.
Have a fantastic year ahead.
Cheers Peter
This post was written by Me, as such they are my personal views and not financial or general advice.
You should always seek independent financial advice when it comes to choices about your personal finances. This is one area of your life where it’s worth paying for it to be done right.
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