Income Report Jan 2022 - Started Half Marathon Training Again

Welcome to my income report for Jan 2022

In January, I have earned $564 passively in total. Less than in the previous month.

What Happened In January

Started Half Marathon Training, Again

It is going to happen. Again.

Two years ago, I and my buddies decided to take on a challenge and finish a half marathon. Some had a goal to run under two hours, some would be happy to beat the finish line. I was part of the latter group.

So I took the challenge seriously and went through 12 weeks half marathon training plan, that should transform any newbie into a half marathon runner. I even made an announcement video about it.

It was summer 2020 and I really stick to the plan, running 4 times a week every week. For a guy who never understood the appeal of running, I struggled a lot at the beginning. Just finishing a 30 min session took a lot of effort and my initial pace was slower than 7-8 min per Km.

But eventually, I learned to find and appreciate the positive side of running, such as endorphins rush, love for speed, and an excuse to eat sweets. And of course, the possibility to cross off another challenge from my bucket list.

Sometimes I wanted to give up, like when it rained all day, and I had to run according to the schedule. Or when I had to finish long-distance sessions, which were boring and tedious. Every additional km hurt so much.

But I made it to the end of a training plan, finishing 21 km under 2 hours. That moment was so exhilarating I even put out my phone for the first time and vlogged on an empty street. Sharing my feelings to the camera. I was ready for the race.

Unfortunately, the race was canceled multiple times both in 2020 and 2021. So my hard training came to nothing. And while I kept running as an alternative to closed gyms, I never run with the purpose again.

That changed at the start of 2022. First, they postponed the race date to 2.4. promising there would be no more cancellations, which I believe because the world moved on since then. And I don't see how the government would want to shut down the economy again.

Moreover, when my buddies texted me, that they started to train again, I had no choice but to take the challenge seriously, again. So I made a new plan, an 11-week plan, that should get me back on track.

This also means I will have much less time and energy for anything else. Running 5 times a week just takes a toll on my body and mind. Especially long-distance days are a complete bust. I just finish the session, turn on autopilot and watch Netflix, I am capable of thinking at all.

I also have to stop my after-Christmas weight loss plan. And start eating candies and chocolates again, to increase my training performance. You don't know how much pain you get when you run long distances on keto. It is like trying to walk while being on life support. There is just no juice left in your body. Ketones burn too slowly to give you enough oxygen.

So far, I cannot beat my best time due to different weather conditions and the weight of my clothes. I run much faster while wearing shorts and a shirt, instead of with multiple sweaters and winter jackets on.

On the positive side, running during winter is less demanding, water-wise and heat-wise. I can finish 10 km with a small bottle of water and I don't feel too overheated.

Anyway, half marathon training will be my main topic for the next three months so don't expect any progress from any other areas from me.

Live projects

Good House Music

At the time of writing this post, it grew to 369 subscribers. A 3.3% increase over the previous month. I have uploaded 5 DJ mixes and 4 new single tracks. The most viewed track recorded 81 views.

I am at 204 total uploads right now and the view count is flat for the past few years. Some of my older performing mixes stopped performing, instead, some new single tracks picked up the steam.

It feels like a neverending grind. But I shake that feeling whenever I edit and listen to my new mixes. It's like fuel, that drives my life, giving it a unique soundtrack every week.

I will keep posting single tracks, because some of them might stick, and I will definitely make a mix every week regardless of the mood. I also have an idea of how to push this channel further. Next month, I will do a little experiment so let's see if it works out or not.

I will keep uploading till I reach 269 uploads, then we will see if it is going anywhere.

Personal Youtube Channel #1

In the previous month, I posted 2 new videos on my personal Youtube channel.

I am way behind the uploading schedule, even though I was so motivated over the holidays to try new types of contents types and formats. But so far, it fails on my lack of time.

On the positive side, I feel my production flow is much more streamlined than it was a year ago. So it is only about execution and grinding the content out regardless of the quality.

I am also learning how to vlog in English. It is super hard to talk to the camera with my stuttering, Asperger, and depressed facial expression, but it's about practice. In a few years, I hope to be able to convey my thoughts fluently in English right on the spot. I know I can do it.

I will keep uploading till I reach 246 uploads, then we will see if it is going anywhere.

Personal Youtube Channel #2

In the previous month, I posted 2 new videos on my personal Youtube channel.

This channel is slowly dying and despite the declining view counts, I get a surprise thank you email from time to time from one of my subscribers, who encourages me to never give up and keep posting. This is so damn motivating.

I then realize, that it is about building a community of like-minded people, who like my personality and my content, so I cannot expect the growth others have. Even in real life, I don't have many friends, so I should also discount the number of people, who might find my content compelling.

I will keep uploading till I reach 30 uploads, then we will see if it is going anywhere.

Financia

I made no progress in January, again.

But I won't give up and I will finish this feature no matter what, so I can devote my time to other dev projects I have in mind.

Income Report Breakdown

P2P Lending

I am still keeping a few dollars on my account with an Autotrader turned on.

Savings Accounts

Right now, I still keep a small portion of money in savings accounts to cover my living expenses.

The repo rate keeps going up every month or so. But not savings rate. Banks just want to bank on interest differential, giving their customers much less. I just hope the inflation will peak soon and goes down in the future because while it is nice to have a 5+ savings rate, a two times higher inflation rate means I am poorer every day.

The worst is there is no way out. Inflation skyrockets, salary stays the same, and the economy is being dumbed down by rising repo rates. It is what staglaftion looks like. There is no winner here, everyone will be poorer.

If you put cash into savings accounts, you lose buying power. If you put cash into stocks markets, you will lose money due to rising rates. If you put money into gold, well you may beat inflation, but you have to cash out in time. Crypto is hugely correlated with stock markets.

So the least evil scenario here is to have money mainly cash, then gold and stocks, and wait for the sign of inflation decline. In the meantime, invest time to learn new skills that can lead to higher income.

Stock Investing

January was another brutal month. I took the biggest loss ever and it affected my mental health significantly.

There was no other reason for FED tapering sooner than later. The sell-off from ATH lasted longer than I ever saw in the past. Six consecutive red days and a 500 points drop in a matter of a week is not something for fain-hearted.

Of course, If I have waited for another week, I could be at break-even, but in the meantime, I could get a significant unrealized drawdown. It is better to take a loss and start again, hoping for the best.

Now I think we are at the beginning of a bear market. Outlook is not good with Ukraine tension, inflation, and FED plans. And, while I am confident in the macro trend, I am scared to short this market.

My mind cannot cope with the idea of shorting, betting on a fall. It is not natural.

So far, my stock trading journey is not successful, but I knew that given my luck. It is just I have no other choice than to try if I want to avoid being homeless when I retire.

Used Stuff Sales

My path to life minimalism went well in the previous month. I have sold Nokia 5110 batteries, the fewer material things I own, the more freedom I get.

Plans, dreams, and wishes

My goals for February are the following. Keep running.

That would be it. Thank you so much for following me on this journey and see you in the next report.