2019: A Year in Review

I’m sure it’s not just me that always sits back this time of year and thinks “Wow. That was FAST!” It was a very busy year at the Fierbird household. There were ups and downs. Several friends welcome new additions to their families and one had a very tragic goodbye. It was a strong reminder that while you can try and plan all you want, things may never really go the way you expect them to so cherish what you have and hold it close.

With that in mind, it was overall a good year for the Mrs. and I. We made progress on our own personal goals while making sure that we made time for each other and ourselves. Here are some of our wins for this past year (although, I won’t speak directly for my wife’s solo personal goals):

Personal Wins

• We PAID OFF the last of our consumer and student debts!
• We hit all of our savings goals: having 3 months worth of savings in our Emergency fund, maxing out my 401K, my HSA AND our Roth IRAs.
• I exceeded my goal to donate blood 4 times this year and donated 5 times (Seriously, if you are eligible, it’s one of the best things that you can do and it’s FREE!).
• I read 22 books this year when my goal was 26, but that’s still more than double the year before so I’m still calling it a win. Planning on improving this even more next year.
• Started lifting weights and working out regularly 3-4 times per week.

Business Wins

• Officially started Fierbird Finance Coaching business in June (and the crowd goes wild!)
• Made the coveted “Women of Financial Independence Movement” list by my friend from Tread Lightly Retire Early. (Check this list out to see some of the other amazing women taking control of their finances and helping others along the way.)
• Attended the Cents Positive Retreat and met some amazing, financially minded women.
• Joined a Mastermind to keep me focused and motivated.
• Started the Money in the Media Mondays series.
• More than doubled my rate of posting to this site.
• Spread the reach of Fierbird Finance. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter!

Rental Property Wins

• Updated from 38 year old oil to gas furnaces.
• Added solar panels.
• Replaced the last of the single pane windows.
• Fixed the walls and repainted both bathrooms with a moisture barrier paint (renewed my respect for painters).
• Fenced in the backyard- our dog, Gino, is the most excited for this update.
• Most importantly: maintained our same tenants for another year!

All We Do is Win Win Win! Not Really…

When I list out just the wins, it sounds like everything went perfectly this year. This is far from the truth, but even the goals that were missed are still things that we can learn from; even if what we learn is that some of the goals we “missed” didn’t turn out to be a priority after all.

For example, we’ve been saying that we’ll paint the front door for the past year and a half. Have we? No. Do we care? No. All that means is that it’s time to take it off our list and free that brain space for something more important.

Another important lesson that I personally learned was about the non-attachment of results. When I look back at my goals for the previous two years, I had goals listed that really weren’t in my control. Our net worth was one that I had specifically spiked out as something we wanted to achieve. However, there’s no way that we could have any influence on the stock market that ended up contributing to our investments. All that we can do is influence how much we save and the universe will take care of the rest, good or bad.

Wrap It Up!

A lot of time this year was spent hiking, hanging out with friends & family and making strides towards our own personal and career goals. There were some downs, but mostly we can look back on it all and smile. I hope that you and your family can say the same. Happy Holidays everyone and Cheers to the end of 2019!

How did your 2019 go? Did you accomplish your goals or learn new things about yourself in the process? Let me know in the comments below!