ON MY first day back to work after a long holiday vacation, I braved the commute in my usual winter gear. The icy breeze gnawed at my thighs through the two layers of my pants and the thermal leggings underneath. My upper body was sealed inside a thick coat made for -30C weather, and a knitted hat protected my head and my ears from the biting cold.
“January’s the worst,” a coworker said. “The holidays are over, the cold is relentless, and the days are shorter.”
“True,” I said, “but don’t worry. It’s only gonna get better from here.”
I figured it’s the New Year, so we could all use a little optimism.
Money
My money goal this year is to invest at least 30% of my gross salary. It’s a big chunk considering I pay more in taxes, so I split the goal into three tiers:
| Tier | Target (% of salary) | Invested (% of salary) |
| Tier A | 30 | – |
| Tier B | 20 | – |
| Tier C | 10 | 2 |
I’m okay even if I end up only investing 10% in 2026. I already allocate a portion of my income towards our company’s stock, so 10% on top of that is already plenty.
But still, a girl can dream. Let’s see where this table ends by the end of the year.
Health and Fitness
I exercised more frequently in January. No surprise there, considering I’m a normie who finds motivation in the ceremonial turning of the calendar at the beginning of each year.
| Exercise Days | 16 |
| Pilates | 1 |
| Lift + Run | 12 |
| Lift + Walk | 1 |
| Run | 1 |
| Lift | 1 |
On top of working out regularly, I also started watching what I eat. I brought my own salad every day for lunch at work (except for days when I had lunch with other people). I even drank my morning coffee black. I don’t like the taste of black coffee — and we do have premium coffee beans at work — but I still plan to carry this habit with me moving forward.
Social
We had another belated family Christmas dinner in January, then I went for lunch twice with former coworkers. This, on top of the multiple work lunches, which were all covered by the company so I ain’t complaining.
Hobbies
I read two books last month. The first was Maggie; Or a Man and a Woman Walk into a Bar by Katie Yee. It’s about a woman who learns that she has breast cancer around the same time her husband asks for a divorce. A double-zinger, as a coworker would say. The heart of this book though is not in the tragic circumstances, but in the woman’s relationship with her kids and her best friend — the love that she gives and receives to/from these people bear no conditions, and that’s as true as love can get.
The second book was My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite. This book, set in modern-day Lagos, was a blast to read. I discovered it on an Instagram reel where a bookstore owner pitches it as “the sister relationship in Fleabag meets Dexter.” That’s super accurate; I highly recommend.
Speaking of Insta, I recently deleted all the apps on my phone that show short videos on scroll. Hurrah!
Looking Ahead
I am looking forward to Lunar New Year dinner and eating lots of noodles and dau miu. One friend is also coming back to the city after yet another nomadic adventure in Europe, so I hope we can catch up.
Also, I am looking forward to staying consistent with my workout and nutrition habits. I know it’s only gonna get harder the farther we get from January but, hey — doesn’t it feel lighter when you choose to hope for the best?
May February be kind to us all.
sure. wait. what? 
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