Week 1 – I’m doubling down on content creation this year. I finally gave in to the reality that I do not work with 1 schedule, I work with 4 (mine, my spouse’s, my son’s and my daughter’s). I also decided to start journaling in the evening —to remember the most meaningful time of my day.*

Week 2 – I’ve been thinking about the importance of packaging. I accidentally published an article under my name (instead of sending it to a publication with a large following). I almost had a total meltdown when Lexi and Lio were both crying as loud as they could because they needed my attention.

Week 3 – I’m up at 2:30 AM almost consistently. Writing in the morning has been challenging. I hit my highest monthly earnings on Medium this month!

Week 4 – Another Filipino local store that is somewhat doing the same as this local bakery I’m making content for. I’ve been sleep-deprived so much that it is now “normal”. I’ve learned of changes at work I’m not excited about.

Week 5 – I changed my mind about the idea of using phones/TV as an alternative babysitter. One core lesson of storytelling I’m learning right now is digging into your past – back when you were a kid. One of my articles was rejected this week and I’m glad it happened.

Week 6 – I attended an Excel (Online) Summit this week to gauge the number of people who are interested in upgrading their MS Excel skills. I’m now updated with all the vaccines I should’ve had before. Our estate planning document was drafted.

Week 7 – We are about 60% done packing for (probably) the longest trip we’re ever going to do as a family. I bought an online course to learn Visual Basics. I met with an Accent Coach this week to learn more about how I can minimize my Filipino accent.

Week 8 – I’ve had what I would call a “mild depression”. I’m trying to learn to observe the “signals” of the market/platform. I joined two Discord groups this week.

Week 9 – I did not realize that Hunter X Hunter had 6 seasons! I had been getting a nosebleed, once every day for 5 days! My Medium earnings this month is about 30% less than what I made last month.

Week 10 – I attended Madeline Mann’s resume “revamp” webinar this week. I had the time to watch the whole season 5 of Hunter X Hunter. Travelling for 24-hrs straight with a toddler and an infant is no fun.

Week 11 – I was in Boracay. I was fascinated by the possibility of ancient civilizations. I’ve seen You People (just cuz it was in Flagrant).

Week 12 – I’m reminded of what I used to consider “normal” hot summer weather. Lexi is not as scared of roller coasters as me! We spent the day at the sandbar in Calatagan. After more than 2 years after her death, I finally got to visit my grandma’s grave.

Week 13 – Traffic rules in the Philippines do not seem to be as strict as it is in Canada. Lunch with family members that you haven’t seen in so many years is always too short. It’s been 3-months since I decided to post every day (except on weekends) on Twitter, IG/FB and Medium.

Week 14 – I read a few pieces of content on “content creation burnout” and why taking a break is okay. I’ve been playing with AI in writing. We took Lio to the clinic because he had a fever and a cough.

Week 15 – NAIA is pretty dead around midnight. Mie goreng – the one dish that I kept ordering when we were in Nusa Dua. Rain was pouring hard when we left Bali.

Week 16 – Thank goodness for air-conditioning because the weather is just too fn HOT! I’m a fan of Taylor Swift’s creativity. Then I ranted…

Week 17 – I felt sad, anxious, and excited at the same time during our last week in the Philippines. Cebu Pacific got us all riled up for changing our flights less than 1 day before takeoff! Konbinis not only satisfies your hunger but also keeps your pocket full.

Week 18 – This whole week was spent in Tokyo — the last part of our Asia trip.

Week 19 – This whole week was all about readjusting ourselves to our typical daily routine (before our 2-month travel). Back to our frugal habits. There have been a few changes at work since I went on parental leave.

Week 20 – I tried ChatGPT (instead of asking Google) to help me with research. I made some updates to my journal prompts. We tried doggie date this week to see if it’s an activity we can add for Lexi. It’s been 3 weeks since we got back and I am still adjusting.

Week 21 – I FEEL UNPRODUCTIVE whenever I fail to follow through with my morning routine (i.e., getting up early to work out or drink coffee). Back to meal planning and pre-packing. We reviewed our F.I. numbers this week.

Week 22 – Love the internet for FREE courses. Update on the things I wanted to focus on this year. I had an itch to organize the basement because I felt like my mind was all over the place again.

Week 23 – After 35 weeks of not worrying about deadlines, I’m finally going to be back at it tomorrow. It was my first time driving to the US border this week! I’m reminded of the importance of getting good at following instructions before deviating from them.

Week 24 – Back to work. Lexi graduated from playschool this week. Now that my old superiors have moved on to new roles, I can’t help but feel the need to also move to a new role.

Week 25 – Whenever a story ends, uncomfortable feelings of emptiness surface. An employee from another group contacted me to talk about Excel macros. I no longer feel that guilty when I skip working out in the morning.

Week 26 – Reyvi and I decided to be each other’s accountability partners. After hitting “Submit” to one of the biggest publications on Medium, I realized how the article I submitted was peppered with the word “that”. I managed to work out for 4 days straight without having to push myself to work or feel the guilt of being lazy when I skipped a day. Starting my day not knowing wtf to do no longer bugs me.

Week 27 – I decided to get back into becoming an active member of Night Owl Nation. I had a last-minute invite to talk about my salary increase this Friday. I joined Meta’s Thread.

Week 28 – Every time someone at work has an issue with the Excel tools, they come to me. The Writing Cooperative—one of Medium’s biggest publications rejected one of my articles. A NON-member’s comment about young coaches made “marketing positioning” and “specificity” much clearer for me.

Week 29 – The higher the volume (of your effort), the louder it will be, and the higher the chances of grabbing others’ attention. Instead of waiting for the algorithm to show my face to other users on the platform, I’ll say hi to them instead–a direct, sure-fire approach to tell the others I exist. Smoke came out of our AC unit

Week 30 – I missed a credit card payment due to my lack of attention. I manage my parents’ finances. We decided to buy a new AC.

Week 31 – I drove to the US border again (alone). Learning how to become a better storyteller. I was given the opportunity to work on 3 major macros at work!

Week 32 – I decided to double down on writing stories for this month…and sharing them on social platforms. I’m reminded to set up an appointment for a general check-up. I got up late a few times this week (6 AM). Whenever that happens, I feel like I wasted time that I could’ve used to write, read, work out or any other activity that could’ve made me a better version of myself.

Week 33 – I was triggered when someone disagreed with one of the ideas in my article. I attended his book launch online to get a gist of what this new book is about. I felt pain in my knees which made me worried about gout flare-ups.

Week 34 – Walked out of the bathroom, thinking about playing Assassin’s Creed—y’know, pick things up where I left off? It’s been 3 weeks since I was given a big VBA code-related project. I told myself I’m gonna focus more on practicing “Storytelling” this month than writing non-fiction articles for the biggest publications on Medium.

Week 35 – It took me a month to get the VBA-project I’m working on to work. I’m starting to use ChatGPT more and more. I still find it tough to fully accept praise or compliments for my work.

Week 36 – Worked 3-hrs of OT. Spent 4-hrs in the Emergency Waiting room this week. Going back to work in the office 3x a week.

Week 37 – Focusing on your task in an office environment will take some adjustment. I finally found another doctor (because the one I previously had already retired). I was invited to do a podcast with a fellow Night Owl Nation member.

Week 38 – “Bloodwork results are normal”, my new doctor said, “except for your triglycerides…”. The draft version of my first e-book is almost done. The current group I’m within Night Owl Nation is about to split.

Week 39 – I was successful at publishing my first e-book at the end of the month! Lio had his first birthday this weekend. Now that I’m done with the ebook, I’m going to switch back to writing articles on Medium.

Week 40 – My manager pulled me into his office for a “quick chat”. I was cold messaged by a job recruiter on Linkedin, asking if I was interested in becoming a Sales Engineer for her clients. Recorded another podcast with a fellow Night Owl Nation member.

Week 41 – Cold e-mailed a Sales Engineer on Linkedin to find out more about what’s it like to become a Sales Engineer. I’m super happy with my new N.O.N. group because we are all writers. Learning about other people’s career history made me more emphatic towards other employees whom I only knew based on their job titles.

Week 42 – It was refreshing to catch up with family members and talk about art. My posts Instagram and Medium this week gained more reaction than usual.

Week 43 – I enjoyed that short time I spent carving a pumpkin for Lexi. I was able to get into a Ghostwriting Program for free! I finally cleared out all my unfinished drafts on Medium.

Week 44 – “You have a strong core”, says the osteopath I saw this week. I’m starting to get more and more serious about ghostwriting. I updated my LinkedIn bio just because I wanna look more professional online.

Week 45 – Purchased a subscription with ‘Write with AI’. Purchased two pairs of glasses. It’s my grandma’s death anniversary sometime this week.

Week 46 – I have about 2, 798 unread messages in my inbox. I found out about George Ten–a famous copywriter on Twitter. I was able to finish 2 VBA-projects this week (WITHOUT the help of ChatGPT).

Week 47 – We were in Riviera Maya. Travelling with family reveals a lot of each member’s true character…especially when things are not working out. I felt like I wanna learn how to speak Spanish.

Week 48 – “Alexis is doing pretty well in school”, says Mr. Kindergarten Teacher. I decided to turn on my IG notifications on my phone. I’m learning a shitload of things for the sake of learning the “business” side of writing.

Week 49 – I was given the opportunity to write e-mails for the online community I’m part of. When you have your earplugs on, it’s hard to gauge how loud you are talking in the real world. I brought up the idea of applying for leadership roles to my ex-manager.

Week 50 – The lady who sold us travel insurance last month came by to assess our current policy (with another insurance provider). “How far do you need to dumb things down for everyone to get it?”. We had our team’s “holiday lunch”.

Week 51 – I was accepted to become a small group leader in my online community known as Night Owl Nation. I received recognition from my group to give me credit for the coded spreadsheets I’ve been creating for the team. Imposter Syndrome runs deep in my veins.