Hello, friend. It’s been a while.
If you’ve been reading SHGW for some time, you know this isn’t the first time I’ve disappeared. In 2020, I stopped blogging because my healthcare work needed all of me. I came back in December 2024 with a big plan: two new articles every week.
That plan didn’t survive. I had left my healthcare job abroad in March 2022 to start a family, and by 2024, my days revolved around my little boy.
Then I stacked the blog on top of that, plus two other websites I was also trying to look after. Something had to give, and what gave was my sleep. I’d wait until he was asleep, open the laptop, and write until I could barely keep my eyes open. The next day I’d be tired, a little short on patience, and still feeling behind.
The Day I Realized I Needed to Slow Down
By mid-2025, I knew I couldn’t keep going like that. Then one day, the power went out.
That’s not unusual where we live. Outages are part of life here, especially during heavy rains and typhoons, and we don’t have a backup power supply. Some interruptions mean I can’t open my laptop for a day or more, and my posting schedule just breaks. Usually, I’d spend those days stressed about everything I was falling behind on.
This time it was an 8-hour scheduled interruption, and for once I stopped fighting it. No laptop, no website, nothing I could do online. So, I spent the whole day with my son. We colored together and watched his favorite show. He helped me in the garden, and in the afternoon, we took a nap side by side. While we were lying there, he told me he was so happy that I didn’t have to work.
To him, me on the laptop is me working. That day, the laptop stayed shut, and he noticed.
I’ve thought about that sentence ever since. A day like that shouldn’t need a blackout to happen.
What Changed: A More Sustainable Approach to Life and Work
I paused one of my other two websites so I could focus on one project at a time. I also stopped judging a good week by how many posts I published. A week can be good even if the blog stayed quiet.
Our days look different now. My son now attends daycare two or three times a week. The school isn’t far, so we walk there and back. That walk has become part of my exercise, along with the housework, which counts as a workout too. It’s not a fitness plan, but it’s real, and it fits our life.
That’s the idea behind this new SHGW. I’m not chasing a perfect routine anymore, only one that works for us.
What You’ll Find on the New SHGW
I’ve organized the site around five topics. They overlap, because health, money, and daily life are tangled together anyway.
Health
After more than 15 years working in healthcare, I’ve learned how important good health information is. But knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things. Here, I’ll write about eating, moving, and sleeping in ways that fit an ordinary day, like walking the school run, not buying a gym membership.
Wealth
Budgeting, saving, earning, and investing. I’ll share what’s working and what isn’t, mistakes included. Money looks different now that I’m home full-time, and I’ll write honestly about that too.
Mindset
Staying motivated, staying disciplined, and being kind to yourself when you fall off track. I’ve had plenty of practice with that last part, so expect posts from someone who still slips.
Life
Family, time, and simple living. This is where my days at home with my son will show up most, from the garden to the slow afternoons.
Build
My honest experience building online income. No overnight success stories. I’ll write about what’s slow, what’s frustrating, and what turns out to be worth the effort.
You don’t need to work on all five at once. Pick the one that matters most to you right now and start there.
A More Sustainable Way to Grow SHGW
Here’s the plan, and I’d like you to hold me to it:
- Aim for one new post a week. One thoughtful article is better than two rushed ones.
- Keep updating my older posts. Some of them need fresh information, and fixing what’s already here is better than piling on new content.
- Share more of my own stories. The best things I’ve learned came from messing up and trying again, so you’ll hear more of that.
Between typhoon season and unexpected power interruptions, some weeks won’t go according to plan. And that’s okay. I’ll focus on creating useful content at a pace that allows me to keep going without sacrificing the things that matter.
I still want SHGW to grow. But I want it to grow around my family, not instead of them.
Let’s Begin This New Chapter Together
If you want a simple place to start, I put together a free guide called 7 Small Habits That Can Change Your Health, Wealth & Life. It’s short, practical, and doesn’t ask you to overhaul anything.
And tell me in the comments: which of the five topics should I write about first?
Thanks for being here. I’m glad to be back.