I've been thinking a lot about 2010, and the challenges, surprises, and joys that the this new year shall bring. But before I go over 2010, it's important to look back at 2009. If I had to summarize 2009 in a couple of words, I would probably choose uncertainty and defense. I recall at the beginning of that year, no one knew precisely how bad the recession was going to be; the chance of another great depression was still on the table. I know plenty of good people who were severely impacted by job loss and financial chaos.
At work there was another round of layoffs which added to the uncertainty. Job loss in my case would be fairly catastrophic since the work visa I'm on doesn't allow me to stay in the country if that were to happen; furthermore, my green card application was completely frozen because my company did a large layoff.
The strategic position I took in 2009 was defense. Hold the line and defend what you had. I completely stopped even looking at my investments in the stock market as there was a ton of damage; at the same time I didn't bother selling anything because I wasn't going to participate in panic selling. Instead I was just stockpiling cash so that I could live and fight another day when things started turning around.
2009 indeed presented a lot of challenges and there were plenty of tests of character. There were plenty of situations where doing the right thing carried a high cost with it. The quote that kept coming to mind was, "the right thing to do and the easy thing to do is rarely the same thing."
After much deliberation, the theme for 2010 will be empire building. Much of the first two years living in California, I really didn't know how long I would last out here. For those who've seen my apartment, you'll know that it looks like I could just pack up and leave on a whim. A finance guy doing paper work for me said it best when he said, "you're like a ghost, it's as if you don't exist." This year I am dropping some anchors in California because I've come too far to withdraw now. This is the year where hopefully a lot of long term investments start paying off. This is the year where I hopefully catch up to peers.
One of the more recent developments is that I purchased a car after saving for one quite some time (been car-less for a long time). You ask why? Canadian credit history counts for nothing in the US, so my credit score is fairly crappy in the US. This meant a significant down payment was required. In either case, added mobility and independence is going to save a lot of time. (Blog post later about the car).
Another cornerstone of empire building is obviously finances. This year I hope to aggressively increase my credit score in the US as I treat that as a badge of honour. I did take out a car loan as a way to build up that credit score (which is something I thought I never would do, since I'm no fan of debt). I hope to greatly reduce the car loan debt this year as well since the interest rate is high, but I will leave a little around for credit score purposes. The other goal for this year is to get rid of my secured credit card and get a real credit card.
Investment wise I am planning on re-entering the stock market. The goal for this year is to properly diversify my holdings and reduce my risk exposure. I'm not as young and reckless as I once was anymore, so no more crazy speculative stocks. I have important things to save for.
On the work front, I also have high expectations for 2010. I continue loving my work, and I hope I continue to grow momentum this year.
I hope to increase my cooking abilities this year as well. I do have a number of folks calling me Chef Chan these days. I do intend to upgrade some of my kitchen equipment. The majority of my equipment is entry level gear from IKEA. The first thing I wanted to upgrade was my knives; one of my good friends bought be a set of German knives for Christmas. Second item is a really good cutting board. Third on the list are rectangular plank dishes for serving (they look really cool). I've noticed from my cooking photos that I've been doing a lot of meat dishes, so I think it's time to diversify into seafood. At my church in San Jose, I have started joining a monthly cooking small group.
In terms of church, I have been sitting on the side lines for a while now, taking a break and just sitting in services, rejuvenating and just enjoying church. I've been keeping a fairly low profile, and most people don't know that they have a sound technician in their midst (they're always in high demand). Things will change this year, it's time to switch back to active service in the ministry.
Of course 2010 will have its share of challenges and roadblocks. Of course some of my best laid plans that I wish to pursue are futile unless certain conditions that I deem impossible, changes. With that said, one of my friends gave me this great quote. "When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God." With that in mind, I'll keep the hope alive.
Here's to 2010. Faster. Better. Stronger.
