Work, health, place, and alignment
I am writing this as a marker.
Maybe I will publish a lot this year. Maybe not.
But this article is different. It is the one I can share when someone asks:
“So, how is your life going?”
The short answer: it feels aligned. And peaceful.
Work: simple tools, real pleasure
I am genuinely having fun at work right now.
A big part of that comes from how I work. My main operating system is Notion. I love it because it is alive. Not static like Google Docs or spreadsheets.
With Notion, I can:
- Onboard people with forms
- Document processes quickly
- Link tasks to milestones
- Centralize meeting notes
- Give everyone a shared, holistic view of a project
I control the project. The project does not control me.
I also use Canva, which surprised me at first. The whiteboard feature is gold. I use it to create process maps, customer journeys, and system overviews. I learned the basics of process mapping thanks to Lucidchart, but Canva feels more flexible for my use.
I have a clear visual language with shapes and colors. When I onboard a client, clarity is instant. I can even paste screenshots of real tools to connect workflows with real outcomes.
Video is another big source of energy for me.
I love Loom videos. I love vertical formats. I love cutting the fluff, telling a story, and sharing it with clients or online. Scripts become webinars. Webinars become articles. One effort, many formats.
Publishing is also simpler now. I use WordPress with the Divi theme. I keep it boring on purpose.
- One image
- Clean text
- Drag, drop, publish
I focus on visibility, readability, and usefulness. Tutorials. Stories. Checklists.
And then there is AI.
AI in Canva saves time with resizing, background removal, and image expansion. Small things. Big speed.
I also use custom GPTs so I do not repeat instructions. I chat. It creates drafts, emails, proposals. Nobody notices. What they do notice is that I respond faster and with more clarity.
That is the real game changer.
Work takes around seven hours a day. If it is not enjoyable, life becomes heavy. Right now, it is light.
Health: when money became a foundation
Health deserves its own chapter.
Living where I live helps a lot. We moved to Da Nang after testing it in 2023. We prepared for a year as a family of three, then made the move in 2024. Now it is early 2026, and we are still here.
Life is calmer.
- I cycle every day
- I go to the beach
- We take our son for picnics
- Evenings are quiet
We are far from family and business hubs like Saigon. But the trade-off is worth it. Less noise. Less crowd pressure. Less heat and humidity over the year. We are building our own cocoon.
Last year was harder.
I had severe back pain again. Herniated disc. Lower back pain. Almost constant for eight months. I tried everything. Chairs. Posture. Doctors. Exercises.
Nothing really changed.
What changed everything was financial stability.
As my income stabilized again, the pain slowly disappeared. It was a brutal but clear lesson. Hydration, sleep, posture, movement are foundations. But without financial safety, the body stays in survival mode.
This year, I decided to integrate money as a core health pillar.
Not optional. Foundational.
I track health and happiness, but now I also track finances with my wife. We built a very simple system. At a glance, we see:
- Savings
- Income
- Expenses
- Projections
It helps us decide better as a couple. And later, it will support our son too.
Money is not everything.
But ignoring it is not an option.
Life: flexibility and contribution
This lifestyle gives me freedom.
I co-work with friends. I travel easily. I visit family when I want. We even set up a dedicated office in a family house, so work stays smooth when we are back.
Remote work is not perfect for every job. It should not be a dogma. But in 2026, there is clearly a sweet spot. Reliable people can deliver while working from home and living their lives.
Right now, my life is about contribution.
- To my clients
- To my family
- To my community
I joined a collective of six citizens to contribute to the French community abroad. Some will run for elected roles. My role is more digital. Website, social media, visibility, alignment with shared values.
I also have several digital projects coming this year. I will go deeper into AI and automation. Not to do less. To deliver better. Especially in content management and project initiation.
I am also continuing to learn. I started a Google Project Management certification. I know many things already, but structure matters. It reassures me. It sharpens my work.
The focus for 2026
I do not have a rigid plan for this year.
But the direction is crystal clear.
Alignment.
Peace.
I am building my ideal life. And for me, that starts with one thing:
Trying to have a perfect day.
Every day.
Not a perfect life.
Just a good day, done well.
That is enough.
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