From Annoyance to a Plan

Hello~ It is 4AM and my sleep schedule is out of wack. I’m not too bothered over it given I’m on early maternity leave and my main job is to keep healthy and rest enough to let our little boy grow until he’s ready to come out. Easy concept, sometimes hard to implement.

I can’t help but to think ahead to the future. I’m secure for about 1.5 years, possibly even up to 3 years (the last 1.5 unpaid), but being very financially aware it keeps gnawing at me.

The reason for this is definitely to do with COVID. Given I worked as a spa & sports’ centre admin, the company took a proper hit from the shutdown. And right now the economic chaos regarding it, it seems like it’s gonna be forever, making me want to scramble to secure my future income ASAP. I know in 2-3 years most likely things will level out and possibly go back to normal, but trying to assure that to my hormonal brain is a task and a half.

I’m also continuing with Codecademy, doing projects and working through the modules, hoping maybe by the time my 3 years are up, I will be able to make a career pivot.

Update: I promptly fell asleep while writing this post and woke up before noon again.

After getting some good sleep, I had enough. I sat down with a cup of Earl Grey and wrote up a general outline of the big events/plans in the following 3 years. It’s lifted the burden of those abstract formless thoughts floating in my mind over and over without any concrete frame.

To give a quick rundown, here’s the gist of it, every goal is meant by the end of that year:

• 2020
  • Have the baby
  • Slowly start working on driving license again if opportunity arises
  • Continue Codecademy course with a leisure pace.
• 2021
  • Finish Codecademy course
  • Make a presentable web development portfolio
  • Work on driving school, if routine is established, get driver’s license.
• 2022
  • Definitely get a driver’s license!
  • (If we get a kindergarten spot by then) apply for web dev work/internship/vocational studies
  • Peruse freelance options and use them.

So that’s my rough plan, you can see my options include a lot of ifs, but that’s okay. Being a first time parent I have no true idea of my available energy levels in the following years, so I’m trying to not set myself up for failure. It’s not too common here to be a SAHM (stay at home mother) past the 3 year maternity leave, which is also why there’s so much weight to these thoughts. Overall, it’s been a productive enough day, time for another nap!

Thanks for reading and Until next time!

-Ann

Listening to: The Psychology Podcast – 28.Learning how to learn