Hello Grasshoppa,

2023 has passed, and now we find ourselves at the beginning of 2024, where many of us are setting our New Year resolutions. It’s always good to have resolutions, but sticking to them is more important to ensure we can achieve what we’ve planned. There’s something I often share with my loved ones and friends—despite the hardships I’ve faced in some parts of my life, I feel blessed to live the life I want. Even though I haven’t achieved my lifetime goal yet, just being able to live the life I am currently living fills me with extreme gratitude.

2023 was another blessed year for me, where I could live happily and healthily with my family and friends. Being happy and healthy is truly a blessing. On top of that, I could experience some things I had planned to do before the pandemic, such as traveling and competing in a few dream competitions that were on my bucket list.

To give an overall breakdown of my 2023, my overall income from my work and business dropped compared to 2022. Overall, I experienced a 40% income drop compared to 2022. It was a bit of a pinch, but overall, I am still happy. My investment income increased by 300%, thanks to the dividend earnings from some of the companies I have invested in over the years. Compared to 2022, my 2023 investment amount is lower, as I spent most of my money doing things I wanted to do during the pandemic, such as traveling more and competing.

As for the BBM blog, I am always excited to share my views on personal finance and investments. Sometimes, I also share random topics or views that I think might be interesting to you. BBM readers are always there, but my yearly wish remains the same: I hope we can stay engaged rather than it being just a one-way interaction. I have always wanted to stay engaged with you all via my social media or even in the comments.

In my traveling and BJJ journey, I traveled to six countries this year and competed in three competitions. I participated in two competitions on my bucket list: the BJJ Asian Open Championship and BJJ World Masters Championship. While I did not win any medals in the Asian Open, I won a silver medal in the World Masters. Additionally, I was promoted to brown belt by my coach on December 31st, 2023, in Bali.

2024 will be no different in terms of my life goals, where I will continue to increase my retirement fund, keep updating the BBM blog, continue to share my passion for BJJ, and explore new countries. I am confident that 2024 will be a better year for all of us. We just have to set our goals and keep working towards them. We can do it.