Happy sunny Monday, friends! I’m itching to head out for a run in this weather, but I’ll pump adrenaline into this newsletter first. I’ll keep it short and sweet, with no particular theme this week — an update as candid as can be. :)
What I’m reading…
Work emails weeee
I haven’t picked up a book lately, and that’s totally okay. Life gets busy, and it’s an impossible expectation to stay 100% on-track all the time. Growing responsibilities at work require more time spent working, but thankfully, it’s time that just flies by due to how much I enjoy it! Here are my reflections…
When you love your job, your job loves you back. Energy is everything. A deliverable or engagement fuelled by pure passion is very different from one fed by dread. While (obviously) not everyone loves their jobs, what helps is reframing “I have to do this” to “I get to do this.” We often forget (or don’t give ourselves credit for) how far we’ve come and where we are now. Career is just one of those many things — look at yourself go, dayummm!
Set boundaries. It’s up to you to decide: are you living to work, or working to live? How much of your job is a part of you? No right answer — it’s all up to you. But when you know your needs, align your work accordingly. Though I love work, I value work-life balance and need not let it infuse my personal life. My boundaries are as follows: no to extra initiatives if my bandwidth is low (delegate!), clients cannot call me anytime, and absolutely no work after 5 PM.
Have purpose and aim. Explore and experiment, but not without aim. Take the first step, but with space to re-pivot if the road doesn’t align. Carve your own path, within whatever parameters you have to work with. Work is a lot more meaningful when it serves YOUR personal growth and development, as much as you serve the world through your work.
If you’re in the trenches of work lately, I’m right here with ya! But with a positive mindset, purpose, and putting your own needs first, it becomes a lot more fun. It’s all part of the adulting adventure :)
What I’m using…
AI Interior Design
My fav part of moving into a new home is the interior decorating and design — AHHH! I can barely contain my excitement, and have been daydreaming nonstop about cute plants and cozy rugs.
I admit to have been absolutely binging #interiortok and condo/apartment tours on YouTube to collect inspiration. Then, I remembered that AI also exists: hello, Interior AI!
All you need to do is upload pics of your space and tell AI your ideal style. Whether for a new place or giving your current a makeover, this tool adds extra creative juice fuel. Check out two of my renderings below!
Got any extra condo decor tips? Send them my way <3
What I’m pondering…
Windows into the past
Yesterday, I was doing my ad-hoc photos cleanse. In case you didn’t know, I take a lot a photos… like, a LOTTTTT. (16,493 sitting in my iCloud as of Dec 2021, to be exact. And yes… these are pics I’ve already “decluttered.”)
I’m a big memory-collecting junkie, as every moment’s precious to me — alongside journaling daily, pics and vids are bittersweet windows into the untouchable past.
As I scrolled through my camera roll, I fell into a rabbithole of high school and uni memories. Prom, AYCE sushi, first day at UBC, new friends, ex-friends, beach days, case competitions, when my brother was only 2 inches taller than me, cheesy photobooths, Seattle trips, my first time skiing, hiking Joffre Lakes, presenting at Enactus Nationals, evening strolls with mom and dad that still remain a tradition, friend groups that have completely dissolved, first times meeting people who’d go on to change my life, surprise birthday parties, and… I can go on forever.
I ended up gratitude journaling about Enactus, a club I was part of for two years during undergrad from which many precious friendships were born. To this day, a solid five years since late-night internal newsletter crams and a cursed club retreat at Camp Sasamat, many of these friendships stay intact — and hopefully will for decades more.
I smiled fondly at photos (and crazy Snapchat stories), as though we keep in touch, change is the only constant. We can reunite through brunches and Christmas parties, but we can’t experience a week-long, adrenaline (and testosterone?!)-fuelled Toronto trip a second time. We also aren’t university kids anymore.
Be present. Savour where you are now. Take pics and videos to capture special times. Give your future self some snapshots to remember, for one day you’ll reminisce and realize that literally everything has changed.
It’s like that one Ferris Bueller movie quote. “Life moves pretty fast… and if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Life update…
“I’m good”
If someone were to ask me, “how are you today?” my answer would simply be “good.”
No low lows, nor high highs. No wild volatile emotions or bumpy rides. Nothing too crazy or notable to express… simply, and wonderfully, good.
I’m feeling so stable and at-peace. I cleaned my room the other day, reorganized one of my inbox folders, and touched up my website a tad. I updated my Notion spreads and KanBan boards, checked things off my shopping list, and inputted my career dev goals.
Brushing up on life admin is a great pairing with life’s simple joys. I got to try a new Matcha cafe, respond to my messages and tune into friends’ love life updates, give my mum a nice back massage, learn a couple of new recipes, sample some Chinese desserts, reunite with old friends I hadn’t seen in years, and make some chocolate mug cakes with Jayson (along with laughing on my kitchen floor for a solid hour, causing my parents to think we’d gone crazy…)
Honestly, “good” is a great place to be.
Warmly,
Meg