Better Living Notes

When Your Routine Fails, What Should Stay? Routine Recovery Series_3 There have been moments when I almost lost my routine completely. Work piled up again. Life got busy. And I told myself, “It’s okay, I’ll bounce back tomorrow.” But that tomorrow didn’t always come. There were days when I couldn’t deny that my routine had collapsed. So I did what I always do—I went back to my 10-minute walk. Before everything got so hectic, I used to walk for almost an hour and add strength training too. But when I lost that rhythm, I didn’t try to recreate it all at once. I simply started again—gently. 🔄 The Reset List: How I Adapted My Routine Here’s what I added back into my day, slowly: Sitting upright at my desk, even when I felt drained. Walking with purpose—long strides, head up. A few squats before and after meals. Chair push-ups when time allowed. Gentle stretches when nothing else felt possible. Reading quietly for 10 minutes before bed. Every one of t...

Why I Started Walking Again (And What It Taught Me) Routine Recovery Series_2 When you're burned out, rest feels like the only answer. But what if rest alone isn’t enough? I remember the first day I went for a walk again. I didn’t feel ready. My body was heavy. My mind, even heavier. But I told myself — just 10 minutes. No goals. No pace. Just movement. At first, it felt pointless. But a few minutes in, I noticed something surprising — I was breathing deeper. My thoughts slowed down. And for the first time in weeks, I felt grounded. When You Don’t Feel Ready, Move Anyway Recovery doesn’t wait for motivation. It responds to rhythm. When you move, move with focus. Exercise isn't just about fitness — it's about creating a space where nothing else matters for a moment. That mental pause becomes a powerful return to your everyday life. I didn’t need the perfect workout. I just needed to begin. And each day, I walked again. Slowly. Softly. Intentio...

How a Gentle Routine Helped Me Survive Burnout Routine Recovery Series_1 Burnout doesn’t always feel like fire. Sometimes, it just feels like fog. You’re not lazy. You’re just tired. Tired from trying, proving, adjusting, showing up. You study. You work. You show up again. And even on your rest day, you’re not really resting. Your body is lying down, but your mind is still running. Are You Burning Out Without Realizing It? You may think you're fine—just busy, just tired. But the signs of burnout are sneaky: Sleep that doesn't refresh Endless to-do lists in your mind Feeling unproductive no matter how much you do <webtoon: A person lying in bed with floating “to-do” items above their head> I want you to know: I’ve been there. The days blur. The sleep isn’t deep. The coffee doesn’t help. And the worst part is, you start blaming yourself. “Why can’t I handle this?” When Rest Doesn’t Work: What Your Body Is Really Telling You Here’s the ...

Why Buy Individual Stocks When ETFs Are Already Diversified? 10-Year ETF Reality Check Series_part 4 This post is part of a 4-part series analyzing long-term ETF strategies, risks, and smarter investment paths. Many investors lean on ETFs like VOO for broad market exposure and sector diversification. But some still wonder: if the index already includes winners like Apple and Tesla, why bother picking individual stocks at all? 📊 ETF Diversification vs. Single-Stock Potential Let’s compare the 10-year performance of four well-known U.S. giants — AAPL, TSLA, WMT, and JPM — with VOO. These represent sector leaders in technology, innovation, consumer staples, and finance. Initial investment:  $10,000 each, held from Jan 2015 to Dec 2024. While VOO delivered a solid 14.46% annualized return, AAPL returned nearly 30% annually, and TSLA an explosive 43%. However, TSLA also had a -67% drawdown — a nightmare for risk-averse investors. WMT, despite its low volatility, ou...

Debt vs. Leveraged ETF: What’s the Smarter 2x Strategy? 10-Year ETF Reality Check Series_part 3 This post is part of a 4-part series analyzing long-term ETF strategies, risks, and smarter investment paths. When 2x Exposure Isn’t the Same Let’s say you have $10,000. You want more exposure to the stock market—double, in fact. Should you borrow another $10,000 and invest it all in VOO? Or should you go with SSO, a 2x leveraged ETF? On the surface, both give you a 2x position. But under the hood, they behave very differently. The Setup We tested 3 strategies over a 10-year period (2015–2024): 💳 VOO + $10,000 Loan @ 3% interest 💳 VOO + $10,000 Loan @ 5% interest 📈 SSO with $10,000 capital (2x leverage ETF) Each was benchmarked against plain VOO with $10,000 capital. Key Metrics Compared We focused on: 📈 CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) 📉 Max Drawdown 📊 Volatility 📉 Worst Year Return Here’s What We Found 1. CAGR : VOO with 3...

Are Leveraged ETFs Really Worth It? 10-Year ETF Reality Check Series_part 2 This post is part of a 4-part series analyzing long-term ETF strategies, risks, and smarter investment paths. “Stocks always go up.” If that’s true, why not invest in 2x or 3x leveraged ETFs and make more money, faster? It sounds logical—until you face your first major drawdown. What Leverage Really Means Leveraged ETFs like SSO, UPRO (for S&P 500) or QLD, TQQQ (for Nasdaq 100) amplify your gains—and your losses. They aim to double or triple the daily movement of the underlying index. While they outperform during strong bull runs, they can destroy value in sideways or volatile markets due to daily rebalancing effects. Performance Comparison (2015–2024) We tested VOO/SSO/UPRO and QQQ/QLD/TQQQ from January 2015 to December 2024 with a $10,000 starting investment. Growth Simulations The charts below show portfolio growth. While leverage increases upside, the volatility and drawdowns grow ev...

VOO vs QQQ: Which Index Fund Wins Over the Long Term? 10-Year ETF Reality Check Series_part 1 This post is part of a 4-part series analyzing long-term ETF strategies, risks, and smarter investment paths. The Same $10,000 — Two Very Different Outcomes What would have happened if you had invested $10,000 in VOO or QQQ on January 1, 2015? We ran the numbers. The results are surprising — and a bit emotional. What the Last 10 Years Really Show Between 2015 and 2024: VOO grew to $33,714 , with a 14.46% annual return. QQQ grew to $48,963 , with a 19.30% annual return. QQQ clearly outperformed. But it came with more bumps along the way: VOO’s worst year : –18.19% QQQ’s worst year : –32.58% Higher volatility = more emotional stress Higher Returns = Higher Stress The numbers tell a story, but not the whole story. What’s often missed is how much emotional strength it takes to hold onto a portfolio when it drops by 30% or more. It’s easy to say “I’ll stay...