2024 Goals and Resolutions – Q4 Update & Wrap Up

On the one hand, I can’t believe it’s already 2025. It felt like 2024 flew by in a blink of an eye. It seemed five minutes ago that Mrs. T, both kids, and I were welcoming 2024 at our friends’ place and checking out The Infinite.

Then on the other hand, lots of stuff happened throughout 2024. Due to working in high tech, a lot of surprises happened and there was no lack of excitement. A lot of things also happened at home, especially all the different trips we went on throughout the year. 

2024 was the sixth year that I created goals and resolutions at the beginning of the year. I then shared my progress every quarter. I found the quarterly updates quite useful and they also keep me accountable. I believe readers also enjoy these regular updates (please let me know if this is not the case!).

For 2024, I created 13 goals and resolutions for myself with six of them being year-long goals.  

With 2024 behind us, let’s find out how I did.

2024 Goals and Resolutions

Here’s the summary of my 2024 goals and resolutions. 

Tawcan 2024 goals and resolutions Q4 Update
Final update for the tracking spreadsheet

I am happy to announce that I finished many of my goals. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish all of them.

Financial Goals

Dividend income over $55,000 – Done. A+ $57,412.72

Woohoo, we not only completed the goal but exceeded the target by $2,412.72 or 4.39%. This means we were slightly ahead of our dividend income projection from January 2024.

Tawcan's dividend income projection (Updated Jan 2024)

I don’t plan to adjust the dividend income projection for this year so that I avoid chasing high dividend yield stocks. 

Travel hack to earn $2,000 equivalent of points – Done. A+. $4,006.52 earned.

We did an excellent job earning rewards points via travel hacking. For those of you not aware, we apply credit cards strategically to earn welcome bonus points. We usually apply for a new credit card when we have planned big expenses. 

Throughout 2024, we applied for the following credit cards and earned the equivalent dollar amount.

  • TD Aeroplan: $35k Aeroplan points or $735 equivalent
  • RBC WestJet: $600 worth of WestJet dollars
  • TD Aeroplan: $15k Aeroplan points or $315 equivalent
  • Scotiabank Passport: $425 worth of Scene+ points
  • American Express Gold: 81k Amex points transferred to Marriott Bonvoy (plus 30% bonus) or $1,010.88 equivalent
  • American Express Business Edge: 74k Amex points to Marriott Bonvoy (plus 30% bonus) or $920.64 equivalent.

By applying for six credit cards throughout 2024, we earned an equivalent of $4,006.52. A pretty good deal considering all the spending was planned. 

In case you’re looking to travel hack and earn some points, you can sign up the following using my referral links:

  1. American Express Business Gold Rewards Card – Earn a welcome 50,000 Membership Rewards points by spending $5,000 in the first three months. 
  2. Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card – Earn 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $3,000 in the first three months.
  3. Marriott Bonvoy American Express Business Card – Earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points by spending $5,000 in the first three months. 

Reduce # of individual stock holdings to 40 – Not done. B+. 43 stocks

We didn’t reach the goal of reducing the number of individual dividend stock holdings down to 40. We ended the year with 43 individual stocks in our dividend portfolio. We went from 42 to 43 in Q4 due to the TC Energy Corp and South Bow split.  

At the beginning of the year, we started at 46 holdings, so reducing from 46 to 43 should be considered solid progress (or 42 if you don’t count the TC Energy Corp and South Bow split). 

The thing is, we really don’t want to arbitrarily close out a position simply for the sake of achieving this goal. We want to be smart and rational whenever we decide to close out positions.

In case you’re wondering, we closed out the following positions in 2024:

  • Metro (MRU.TO): Sold at ~$68
  • Suncor (SU.TO): Sold at ~33
  • Starbucks (SBUX): Sold at ~$80
  • Johnson & Johnson (JNJ): Sold at ~$150
  • Magna International (MG.TO): Sold at ~$56 

All five of these stocks are up compared to our closing price. This is mostly due to the hot 2024 market. But we did well given that we re-invested the money elsewhere such as QQQ, CNQ, BAM and WCN. 

Blog Goals 

Continue publishing a blog post every Monday – Done. A.

Another year in the book in which we published a blog post every Monday. I am very proud and pleased to accomplish this goal yet again. This marked the fifth year that I published a post every Monday or 260 posts in total.

Planning and writing ahead have worked very well for me and I plan to continue to do so the same this year. 

If you have any post suggestions, please let me know. 

Write & publish a 10 year review post – Done. A.

It’s hard to believe this blog celebrated its 10-year “blogiversary” in July. Here are 10 lessons I learned from 10 years of blogging. 

One big lesson I learned from 10 years of blogging? Blogging is hard. It requires a lot of work and planning. If you are blogging simply to make money, you will stop after a few months. 

My biggest takeaway from 10 years of blogging is that I really enjoy connecting with like-minded people. Both the personal finance and FIRE communities is very strong and closely knitted. 

Personal Goals

Do 1 minute plank each day – Done. B-

I’ll be honest, I didn’t do 1 minute plank consistently throughout the year. I gave myself a B- grade because I probably only did a plank about 80% of the year. 

For these yearly long goals that require daily actions, the biggest issue is staying consistent. For example, when I was travelling, I would often forget to do a 1 minute plank at the end of the day. 

One lesson I learned is that if I set a yearly goal again, I should consider setting one so it doesn’t require daily actions. This should help keep me stay motivated. 

Read for 10 minutes before bedtime – Done. A-. 23 books read

Like the previous goal, I didn’t read every single night before bedtime but I did read consistently enough to finish 23 books for the entire year.

In Q4 I only finished two books. Mostly due to the fact I was travelling for work quite a bit (and also going to bed later than I planned). 

In case you’re wondering, here are the books I finished in 2024:

  • A Column of Fire
  • We were Dreamers
  • The Armor of Light
  • Harry Potter and Half Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows
  • Low-demand Parenting
  • The Readaholics and the Faleon Fiasco
  • Mind change
  • On Wings of Eagles
  • Macrame Murder
  • Crowned and Moldering
  • The Aspirational Investor
  • Finding the Magic in Middle School
  • Same as Ever
  • Death of a Vivid Reader
  • The Wisdom of the Council
  • The Readaholics and the Poirot Puzzle
  • The Little Book of Bull’s Eye Investing
  • Gothic Galla
  • The Value of Nothing
  • Genius Makers
  • Chicken Soup for the Soul – True Love
  • Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter 

My favourite reads of the year were – The Armor of Light, Same as Ever, The Value of Nothing, and Genius Makers. Genius Makers was quite interesting as it was all about the evolution of AI.

Reduce Body Fat to 15% – Not done. B- 16.8%. 

I worked out consistently in 2024 but didn’t pay as much attention to my weight and body fat percentage. Rather than focusing on numbers, I simply looked at myself in the mirror and observed my body. 

Overall, I have a good body tone with a six-pack slightly showing. While I don’t have huge arms and bulging biceps (not my goal), my arms are toned so I’m pleased with my progress.

Perhaps tracking body fat percentage isn’t a good goal and there’s a better metric to track? I need to do some research and figure it out. If you know a good metric to track, I’m all ears.  

Minimize social media on phone (15 mins X, 15 mins Instagram) – Done. A.

I successfully stayed off X (formerly Twitter) throughout 2024. After Musk’s purchase of Twitter, I don’t find this social media as good as before. As a result, I wasn’t as active on X on my phone and on my laptop. 

I also didn’t check Instagram as often on my phone as I used to.

Overall, I’m very happy with accomplishing this goal. 

Clean up the garage

We finished this goal in Q2 but at the end of the year, the garage was a little bit messy due to us using the garage for storing pumpkins from the backyard. 

Fun Goals

Rent a Model Y for Iceland trip – Done.

We rented a Model Y for our eight-day Iceland trip in June. In case you’re wondering, here are the trip reports:

Lögberg area

I enjoyed driving a Model Y in Iceland. For now, we have no plan to replace our ICE with an EV. 

Visit Taiwan with Family – Not done. 

We planned to visit Taiwan in 2024 but decided to postpone the trip for a variety of reasons. The plan is to take Mrs. T and both kids to Taiwan in 2025.  

Omakase with Mrs. T – Done. 

The original plan was to take Mrs. T to one of the omakase restaurants in Taiwan. But since we didn’t visit Taiwan in 2024, I had to do something else.

So in November, we went to Itosugi Kappo Cuisine in Vancouver and enjoyed an omakase lunch. Mrs. T and I enjoyed it so much that we might go back to the restaurant again. 

Summary – 2024 Goals and Resolutions Q4 Update & Wrap Up

Overall I think 2024 was a very successful year. I accomplished 10 of the 13 goals. For the 3 goals that I didn’t complete, I was relatively close on two of them. The last one, a visit to Taiwan with family, was not done due to a change of plans.  

How was your 2024? Did you accomplish the goals and resolutions you set out at the beginning of the year? 

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20 thoughts on “2024 Goals and Resolutions – Q4 Update & Wrap Up”

  1. Hi Bob,

    What are your thoughts on the covered call ETF’s (such as HYLD/HDIV) that have come?

    Do you think they would play a good part to bring in extra income if they are about 5-10% of a portfolio?

    Thanks

    Reply
  2. This year, I spent a few days in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. I was really impressed with the city, and I am sure your family will enjoy Taiwan! Best wishes!

    Reply
  3. Hi Bob
    I always look forward to your blog! Please keep it coming!
    I have a post idea if you wish to oblige.. Can you share suggestions on how you determine which stocks to purchase? I keep hearing about fundamentals but I don’t know what that entails… What is your method?

    Reply
  4. Hi Bob, love your blog! I learn something new every time you post and enjoy reading content from a fellow Canadian. I have a question re: credit card points/travel hacking. If you sign up for a new credit card (i.e. Westjet), take advantage of the bonus points, and then cancel after 6-12 months, how long do you have to wait before signing up for a new account and qualifying again? I could call Westjet to ask, but the 90+ mins wait times for their contact centre is really annoying. Any details you can share from your research on this topic would be appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hi Mary,

      Thank you very much, I appreciate your kind words.

      In terms of reapplying for a credit card, I usually cancel just before renewal then wait for at least a year before reapplying but some people say 6 months is sufficient. It kind of depends on the credit card company.

      I’ve applied WestJet card multiple times, typically cancel after about 6-8 month once I get the welcome points then reapply after about 10 months.

      Hope this helps.

      Reply
  5. Good for all the goals you have met. Even at 16.8% body fat that is an amazing achievement nowadays with all the processed foods out there.

    Reply
  6. Great post. My thoughts on the two points you mentioned related to physical health goals:
    1) if you set your plank goal again, make it a morning thing – get out of bed and hit the floor. It’s easier to get it out of the way first thing in the morning rather than later at night when you’re tired from your day.
    2) if you don’t want to track body fat, track waist measurement instead. It’s less stressful and gives you a nicer metric vs overall health (I.e. high belly fat = higher risk for cardiovascular issues, for example)

    I love reading these posts and seeing the progress, keep on keeping on

    Reply
    • Hi Alfie,

      Thanks for the suggestion of doing planks in first thing in the morning. That makes a lot of sense. Also a good way to start the day.

      Yup, have been tracking waist size too.

      Reply
  7. This is really amazing. I can’t believe you got it all done. I use a similar spreadsheet and my grades aren’t nearly as good, but at least I did well on the big ones.

    I found one thing helpful on those everyday tasks. I give myself a grade from 1 to 5 at the end of the week. So if I miss one day, it’s still a 5. If I miss a couple of days, it’ll be a 4. Then I aim to get something like 200 points (averaging 4 points per week) for the year. It helps that I don’t have to log the task every day.

    Reply
    • The Amex do have annual fees, typically between $99 to $129. I didn’t deduct from the gains but the net gains are still really good when you take the annual fees into consideration.

      Reply
  8. Excellent recap Bob and to be honest some amazing achievements. thanks so much for sharing and bringing us along on your journey. Something to ponder for a post which may benefit you down the line…Higher yielding but relatively safe income stocks or ETFs for those that are retired and seeking a little growth but a steady income stream e.g. should one look at a closed end fund like EIT.UN which pays and has paid a monthly $.10 since 2010 per share. Or a reit like AP.un which pays a monthly $.15 per share vs or in line with an ENB or T stock. As well as an ETF like VGRO.

    Reply

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