It's in Chapter 1 of the book I'm currently reading—Single, Taken, Or Building My Empire by Jonathan Yabut—and it says, "Please, get addicted to self-improvement."
It hit itself right in the gut.
If you know me, I am the type of person who easily gets bored in routines. I always wanted something new, something to explore, and something that would excite me. Probably also the reason why I have landed several jobs now. But, with the work I am doing right now, it fits all categories.
That's the thing: I always look forward to new things. And to be able to do that, I have to constantly find ways to improve myself because you know, that's how life is. You move forward. (Or so that's what I think it should be.)
I am afraid of getting stuck. That's the truth.
Last week, I got sick with dengue fever. It gave me one full week of rest, recovery, and realizations. I did realize that I had to do something new in my life again.
So, here I am, listing down things I have to do to improve myself further. Hopefully, this list serves as a reminder to myself that I have to give myself the nudge every once in a while.
1. As the great RuPaul would say—"Reading is what? Fuuuundamental!"
Despite the fact that I was hospitalized last week, I wasn't really planning to go to this year's Manila International Book Fair just because I know I have loads of dusty books waiting for me to flip open their pages. Right, the word I'm looking for is tsundoku, a Japanese term for the art of buying books and never reading them.
I used to be a hardcore reader, you know. I even finished Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians trilogy in just a week or so. But after that, nada. Then comes the excuses.
To redeem myself, I pledge to allot at least 15 minutes of my time every night to read some of my backlogs. This also helps me practice my vocal skills since I do oral reading.
Hopefully, by the end of the year, I finish whatever books I have pending in my bedside rack.
2. It's a fit's feat!
This year, I had a great start. After the holiday season's feasting, I vowed to myself to at least lose weight in 2019. I won this feat. From a whopping 63kg in the previous year, I dropped 5 kilos off. I got into keto. I regularly did HIIT (high intensity interval training).
Then, I got lazy.
By midyear, after travelling, it was hard for me to go back. I did sign up for boxing training, but I end up eating more than what I am supposed to be eating after every session. All the efforts in the first half of the year all went down to drain. Tsk.
So now, I am back to keto Day 1 and maybe after a week or so of restarting my diet, I'd be able to get back to the work outs. Go, strong girl!
3. Never sleep on your skincare.
Alongside the diet and exercise, I changed my skincare routine at the start of the year. But since logistically, I had problems getting supplies, I had to stop and I had to look for alternatives.
Luckily, I was able to find a nearby store that sells the products I got used to. No delivery charges whatsoever because they sell it in Glorietta. What a win.
It takes about 10 minutes in the morning to apply the toner and Day Cream, and another 20 minutes to do the full process for the Night regimen. So kids, never sleep on your skincare. No matter how tired you are. You'll be thanking yourself later on.
Also, don't forget to apply your sunscreen.
4. Work, werq, workshops!
It's funny how I have to break the news to myself very gently without breaking my heart. I won't be taking up my Master's degree anytime soon.
Due to financial and time constraints, I have to set aside this plan for a much later date. But, to compensate myself, I am now on the lookout on seminars/workshops/talks that I feel like would bring me back to the classroom set-up I am longing for. Just recently, I attended Jonathan Yabut's Boost Your Confidence—a Public Speaking workshop—which helped a lot.
I am also grateful that the company I am with right now encourages its employees to participate in these kinds of things.
Besides this, I download podcasts, like TED Talk and Adulting with Joyce Pring, that I listen to while commuting, interchanged with my offline music to make things more interesting. I get nuggets of wisdom through these podcasts that I somehow apply to my life.
Let's hone our skills, shall we?
5. Give yourself a break, not a break down.
This is a mantra I live by since I was in college: "Don't let stress overcome you. It should be the other way around."
I know it's important to give myself a pat on a back, a drink to toast, a movie to watch, or a plane ticket to fly somewhere to as a reward for all the hard work. Improving one's self doesn't always mean you're always on the go. There should be these little quick breaks in between (but not too much).
Lately, I reward myself with longer hours of sleep. Through this, I get to condition myself for a whatever's in store for me for the upcoming day because I had a good night's sleep.
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There you go. I haven't included everything in this post but I have a mental/physical note on things just so I won't forget. Hoping that I would be able to tick off this list until the year ends.
Here's to continually improving myself for a brighter future. Who knew a week with dengue would give me a renewed sense of hope? Lol.
ALSO, a mental note to update this blog more often. Should I finally get myself a domain for a proper website?
Anyway, cheers!