Posts

Your Company Has KPIs for Everything. Do You Have Any for Your Own Life?

 That morning in the meeting, there was a thick report sitting on the table. Sales targets. Conversion rates. Customer satisfaction scores. Employee retention numbers. Every metric had an owner. Every number had a tracking system. Every quarter had a review. I sat there, looking at that report, and a thought quietly appeared: We set all these KPIs for the company. But when did we last set one for ourselves? How Companies Manage KPIs Company KPIs have a few things in common. They’re specific. Not “we hope to do well” — but “we need to hit this number by this quarter.” They have a deadline. Not “someday we’ll get there” — but “by the end of Q3.” They’re tracked. Every month, every week, someone is checking whether the numbers are on course. They’re reviewed. If the target is missed, there’s a postmortem. Adjustments are made. Companies take this seriously. Do we apply the same seriousness to our own lives? What Do Most People’s Life Goals Actually Look Like? If you’re ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Salary Day Investing — September 2026: PLTR Cashed Out, Fed Into the Dividend Machine

 Salary in. Transfer done. Shares bought. September was a down month. The portfolio dropped 2.51% , pulling the overall cumulative return back from +8.32% to +4.61% . The numbers don’t look great on paper. But September is the month I feel most settled about since I started this portfolio. September Portfolio Breakdown Stock      Opening      Closing      Change NVDA      $220.78      $228.38      +3.44% QQQ      $716.76      $739.77      +3.21% JEPQ      $60.22      $61.26      +1.73% VOO      $704.89      $700.86      -0.57% BRK.B      $504.05      $497.95      -1.21% XLV      $170.54      $168.42      -1.24% SCHD      $34.89      $32.53 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What Is Dividend Investing? A Complete Beginner's Guide — From a Pharmacist Dad Who Lost Everything and Started Over

 The first time I heard the words "dividend investing," the image that came to mind was this: A wealthy middle-aged man, collecting cheques once a year, sipping coffee on a yacht. Nothing to do with me. Until I closed my pharmacy, watched my finances reset to zero, and started rebuilding with nothing but a monthly salary — that's when I slowly began to understand something important: Building cash flow, when you're standing at the edge of a cliff, is the most reliable safety net you can have. But dividend investing isn't as simple as "buy the stock with the highest yield." That's actually one of the fastest ways to get into trouble. This article covers everything I wish someone had explained to me when I started — in plain language, no jargon. What Is Dividend Investing? The simplest version: Dividend investing means buying stocks or ETFs from companies that share part of their profits with shareholders. You hold these assets long-term and coll...
Post a Comment
Read more

Salary Day Investing — August 2026: PLTR Up 51%. I Didn't Celebrate.

Salary in. Transfer done. Shares bought. August was the best month since I started this portfolio. The portfolio climbed 5.17% for the month, pushing the overall cumulative return to +8.32% . Good numbers. But the number everyone will ask about is a different one. 📊 August Portfolio Breakdown Stock      Shares      Opening      Closing      Change PLTR      0.2064      $123.06      $186.38      +51.45% NVDA      0.15      $200.75      $220.78      +9.98% XLV      0.1637      $162.55      $170.54      +4.92% SCHD      2.3191      $33.47      $34.89      +4.24% QQQ      0.0686      $687.99      $716.76      +4.18% JEPQ  ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dividend Diary: From USD 1 to USD 2 — How Long Did It Take?

 Last month, I wrote a short post marking a milestone I didn't expect to feel anything about. My cumulative dividend income had crossed USD 1. That was July 7th. Today — less than six weeks later — the total sits at USD 2.24. The USD 2 milestone is done. What happened between USD 1 and USD 2 It didn't arrive in one payment. It came in pieces, the way it always does. After the USD 1 post, the following dividends landed: JEPQ: $0.19 QQQ: $0.02 O: $0.08 SCHD: $0.28 VOO: $0.20 Each one small. Each one reinvested immediately. Each one adding fractionally to the next payout. Together, they pushed the cumulative total past USD 2 and kept going. Final number: USD 2.24. Why the speed matters more than the amount USD 2.24 doesn't buy much. In Malaysian Ringgit, it's roughly RM10 — not enough for a proper meal, let alone anything meaningful. But here's what I keep thinking about: From zero to USD 1 took several months. From USD 1 to USD 2 took less than six wee...
Post a Comment
Read more

Salary Day Investing — July 2026: Up 0.50%, But the Portfolio Is Quietly Taking Shape

  Salary in. Transfer done. Shares bought. July was a quiet month on the surface ,the portfolio climbed 0.50% , nudging my overall return from +0.96% up to +1.46% . Not exciting numbers. But underneath the surface, quite a lot happened. 📊 July Portfolio Breakdown Stock      Shares      Opening      Closing      Change SCHD      2.3191      $31.71      $33.47      +5.55% PLTR      0.2064      $116.67      $123.06      +5.48% O      0.4      $61.96      $63.87      +3.08% XLV      0.1637      $158.66      $162.55      +2.45% BRK.B      0.048      $500.39      $511.54      +2.23% NVDA      0.15    ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Salary Day Investing — June 2026: Down 1.8%, But Still in the Green

 Salary in. Transfer done. Shares bought. June wasn't a great month. I'll be honest about that upfront. The portfolio dropped 1.8% this month, pulling my overall return down from +2.22% to +0.96% . That thin green line is hanging on — but only just. When I saw the numbers, I felt a little flat. Not panicked. Just… deflated. You build something up slowly over months, and then one rough month quietly takes a chunk of it back. But the plan doesn't change because the mood does. June Portfolio Breakdown Stock      Opening      Closing      Change BRK.B      $474.48      $500.39      +5.46% JEPQ      $61.15           $61.46      +0.51% O      $61.28      $61.96      +1.11% QQQ      $738.31      $736.40      -0.26% VOO      $695.59 ...
Post a Comment
Read more