Writing a new year's resolution was once a cliché to me, because I had never set any goals for my life. But 2019 was a game-changer. I started to make plans to pursue work-life balance, and it turned out to be a motivating and rewarding year to me. To fuel up my running engine, a yearly reflection and new year's resolution is on my to-do list today, the first day of 2020.
My goal this year is to balance online/offline activities by distinguishing between 1) important and trivial matters, and 2) beneficial and detrimental habits. In order to do so, I reviewed my BuJo, listed down some patterns of behavior and activities I did last year, categorized them into 3 types: good-to-go, better-stop, and action-to-take, and decided whether I should keep it, break it, change it, or let it go.
Online activities
👍 Good-to-go
Maintain SS Portfolio & Blog (conquer my fear of writing and publishing)
Work on Side Project, a travel app with a developer friend
Exchange design trends and inspirations with colleague Jasmine
Learn Motion Graphics on AE
Listen to Podcasts & Audiobooks (I'm currently into cognitive psychology and neuroscience!)
Take photos of an interesting book, a creative artwork, a good meal, a nice weather, an unknown plant, a different perspective of a city, and post on Instagram as meditation journal
👎 Better-stop
Feel frustrated and defensive sometimes when my designs are being criticized reasonably but bluntly
Play mobile games (Two Dots & Penguin Isle) in zombie mode to release work pressure on weekdays, but actually increases eye pressure and fatigue
Watch movies or tv series while eating lunch at work causes bad digestion
👉 Action-to-take
Acknowledge my feelings and others’ perspective without judgment; let go of my resistance to change and grow (because design is not a fixed state), and be open and curious to experiment
Break off mobile games indulgence on weekdays before sleep, replaced with listening to audiobooks, writing BuJo, or doing meditations
Listening to chill music (classical, jazz…) instead of watching movies during lunch
Plan new entries for SS Blog, and try to stick to the weekly writing schedule
Allocate a consistent time slot for side project and motion graphics tutorials
Offline activities
👍 Good-to-go
Exercise 3 times a week (yoga, jog, aerobics dance)
Drink 2 bottles of water (about 1600cc) at work every day
Go to bed before 12AM and have sufficient 8 hours of sleep
Read at Eslite bookstore during lunch break
Sketch endangered animals on weekends
Enjoy weekend coffee time with my parents (once we took turns reading a picture book “Hundred: what you learn in a lifetime” and shared life experiences together!)
Watch movies & tv series with Mom on weekends (The Mandalorian is our favorite!)
Plan weekend trip and explore an unfamiliar city with Rita
Try new experiences (create ceramics pieces at Yvonne’s studio, make a chocolate cake at a baking studio, design hand lettering holiday cards)
👉 Action-to-take
Reflect BuJo weekly to keep track of my goals and moods
Work on my financial plan and balance sheet monthly
Try new experiences: watercolor online course, hand lettering tutorial, a new language lesson, a new city's adventure with friends, cooking for my family...
Pantone Color of 2020 is Classic Blue: "it's a color that anticipates what's going to happen next," and "provides an anchoring foundation." This vision became my inspirations (waves & anchor) for this post's cover image. I look forward to seeing a year of potentials and possibilities with calmness and confidence.
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