December 2024 Semiannual Review

In this blog post, I'll be diving into a review and analysis of the goals I set back in June. We'll take a close look at whether they're still on track and worth pursuing. Furthermore, I'll be crafting a fresh set of goals to steer my journey forward.

Summary

❌Goal 1: ​Alternate the learning of a new yo-yo trick and cardistry trick every weekend

• Document each new trick in a draft blog post

Due to a hectic school schedule and other commitments, I haven’t been able to stay in my room on weekends to practice these tricks. However, with my recent change in accommodation, I’m setting a goal to revisit and pick up these hobbies again soon.

❌Goal 2: Master Japanese at the N4 level

• Utilize online resources like https://freejapanesebooks.com/
• Aim to pass the N4 Japanese mock test by year-end 2024
• Consistent practice with daily Duolingo and Anki flashcards

This hasn’t gone as smoothly as I’d hoped, largely because of my commitment to learning a completely new language—Italian—for my university studies. As a result, my first term was mostly focused on studying Italian rather than Japanese. However, I plan to resume my Japanese learning journey in the coming terms.

❌Goal 3: Anime video editing and blogging

• Edit 1 Anime video each month
• Write a detailed blog post about an Anime every month

I’ve completely lost interest in watching anime regularly during the school term. Being realistic about my current interests, I’ve decided to remove this from my goal list.

Goal 4: Practice trading skills with 50 paper trades

• ✅Complete Adam Khoo's Stock Trading courses II by August
• ❌Maintain a detailed trading log in Excel

It’s less about losing interest and more about the time constraints that make it difficult to consistently practice trading. Perhaps it’s wiser to focus on investing for now instead of trading, so I’ve decided to remove this from my goal list.

✅Goal 5: Fitness goal and balanced diet

• Adhere to workout plan consistently
  • Instead of a workout plan, I have now currently joined Kendo, which works as an 'exercise session' for me.
• Maintain awareness of dietary choices

❌Goal 6: Expand literary horizons

• Regularly explore new reads via Goodreads
• Select standout books for detailed blog reviews
• Publish one book review per month

Although I’ve managed to read a couple of books, I haven’t written any complete book reviews or summaries in the past six months, which means I’ve fallen short of achieving this goal.

Goal 7: Blogs writing

• ❌Produce 7 more book review blogs
• ✅Share 10 insights on university experiences
• ❌Reflect on 5 internship encounters
• ❌Recount 5 memorable high school moments
• ✅Share 29 more blogs on personal interests
• Pen 29 musings on various topics

Total: > 65 blogs published for this year.

Maintaining a consistent blogging routine during the school year has been challenging. However, with the short break before the next term, I plan to focus on writing more blogs. My priority will be to consolidate and reflect on the different modules I’ve taken this term.

Goal 8: Self-study ICAEW CFAB syllabus

• ✅Complete Law studies by August
• ▶️Complete Management Information studies and Principles of Taxation studies during vacation

❌Goal 9: Explore into philosophy and psychology

• Watch Crash Course series on psychology
• Read 2 books each on Philosophy and Psychology
• Craft a blog on any Philosophy's topic during August
• Craft a blog on any Psychology's topic during December​

❌Goal 10: Cultivate classical music appreciation​

• Explore and take down notes on classical music compositions
• Compose at least 3 blog post on any chosen pieces

I’ve completely forgotten about the above two goals, but my interest in them hasn’t faded. It’s just that they’re not a priority right now. That said, I should work on making them a consistent part of my life by rethinking how I plan my weeks in the coming months.

Goal 11*: Sketching and Painting

• ▶️Produce 1 set of sketch every month
• ❌Paint at least once every month

Each sketch has been taking longer than expected due to the level of detail I’ve been adding, so I’ll be adjusting the frequency of my sketching sessions. On the other hand, I haven’t had the chance to start with painting tools and likely won’t anytime soon. As a result, I’m shifting my focus entirely to digital art, which I can conveniently work on using my tablet.

The main changes to my goal-setting will involve loosening my expectations and reducing the number of goals, as I don't anticipate the upcoming university term being any less busy.

Goal 1: ​Alternate the learning of a new yo-yo trick and cardistry trick every weekend

• Document each new trick in a draft blog post

Goal 2: Master Japanese at the N4 level

• Utilize online resources like https://freejapanesebooks.com/
• Aim to pass the N4 Japanese mock test by year-end 2024
• Consistent practice with daily Duolingo and Anki flashcards

Goal 3: Regular participation in Kendo club in SMU

• Improve on my Kendo skills while maintaining a relatively active lifestyle

Goal 4: Expand literary horizons

• Publish at least one book review in the next quarter

Goal 5: Blogs writing for the upcoming quarter

• Produce 2 book review blogs
• Share 5 insights on university experiences
• Share 5 blogs on personal interests

Goal 6: Self-study ICAEW CFAB syllabus

• Complete Management Information studies and Principles of Taxation studies

Goal 7: Cultivate classical music appreciation​

• Explore and take down notes on classical music compositions
• Write 1 blog post on the chosen piece

Goal 8: Digital art

• Produce 2 set of sketch
• Start exploring the usage of colours

Stay tuned for Quarterly Review

at the end of March 2025

At the end of March 2025, I'll be conducting a review and analysis of my updated goals, questioning whether they're still worth chasing after.