Starting your year well with Ctrl-Alt-Del

RECENTLY, someone on my Facebook asked me to use one-to-three words to describe how the start of 2023 has been for me so far. I posted “Ctrl-Alt-Del” (Control, Alternate and Delete). What do I mean? To control, is to take charge. To alternate, is to find a replacement and to delete is to remove.

How can these three words help us start our 2023 well? Let’s apply them to what I term as the three enablers to a good life – personal growth, health and wealth.  

Personal growth

Control: Start 2023 right by first taking charge of what we put into our minds. The Think-Feel-Act cycle is a neuroscientific concept positing that how we think creates our feelings, and how we feel drives our actions. So, if we want to drive our personal growth in the right direction this year, start first by feeding our minds with positive thoughts and wholesome content. This means to control what we watch and read.

Next, take charge of our time. Focus on activities that are relevant to our life purpose and will help us achieve our life goals. But at the same time, do not just crowd out our calendar. Always have margins. Remember when we were in school, and we had to draw a margin on the left side of our jotter book before we start writing? That is what margins are for, to create space. Space for us to breathe or accommodate activities that may not directly lead to our goals or purpose, or things which come up unexpectedly, but we want to give time for, like being with a friend in need.

Alternate and Delete - We have always been told to remove our bad habits. While that is true, it is inadequate and ineffective if we do not replace them with good ones because a void that is not filled will be occupied again. In the same vein, remove our limiting beliefs and replace them with a positive mindset that is always looking for possibilities instead of obstacles. Because you will get what you look for.

Recently, a family member who was struck with a severe illness was initially depressed that she could no longer do the many things that she loves. When I asked her to focus on what she can do instead, it changed her perspective and she realised her life can be exciting once more, though in different ways.

Health

This year, take charge of our physical and mental health. Remove unhealthy foods from our diet and replace them with healthy ones. Also, take charge of our exercises and sleep, i.e. schedule ample time to work out and rest. Allaya Cooks-Campbell, a staff writer from BetterUp wrote an insightful article on the seven types of rest that we all need, and I encourage you to read it.

In addition, remove the negative voices in our lives and replace them with positive ones. That is how we can “Ctrl-Alt-Del” our health. In 2021, I had to courteously get out of a WhatsApp group because the constant griping was sucking my energy dry and affecting my health. Do consider if you need to do the same.

Once we have decided on how we want to take charge of our personal growth and health, and the areas or activities we want to remove and replace them with, we can now work on our wealth to enable these decisions.

Wealth

Control: Instead of living like there is no tomorrow or always assuming that there is one, live with WISDOM (With Intention, Seize Daily, On Mission). Start by being intentional to spend below our means and allocate a portion of our surplus to enable our personal growth and health decisions outlined above.

But at the same time, set aside enough to invest for the future. As we do that, ignore the short-term noises today and take charge of our emotions. If we have invested in the right things, stay invested and keep investing. On 13 August 1979, during one of the worst times in US financial markets as inflation soared and equities tanked, a now legendary cover story from BusinessWeek emerged, declaring the death of equities. Today, BusinessWeek has been sold to Bloomberg L.P., but equities continue to thrive.

Alternate and Delete: If we have not already done so last year, January is a good time to review our budget to remove high or unnecessary expenses and replace them with more value-for-money alternatives. Do also take some time to review our investments; remove bad performing investments and replace them with better ones. Also remove our expensive and unsuitable insurance and replace them (where possible) with cheaper and more suitable ones.

How have the first three weeks of 2023 been for you so far? For me, I am still working on my “Ctrl-Alt-Del”. For those of my generation, you will know that “Ctrl-Alt-Del” are the keystrokes for Microsoft DOS (Disk Operating System) to reboot a computer.

A new year gives each of us the opportunity to “reboot” our lives and start all over. If 2022 has been a bad year for you, don’t be too hard on yourself. Put it behind you and start afresh. If last year was a great year for you, may this “reset” take you to greater heights. Have a blessed Lunar New Year!

Christopher Tan is CEO, Providend Ltd, Singapore’s first and probably sole fee-only comprehensive wealth advisory firm. He can be contacted at chris_tan@providend.com