Saturday, December 31, 2016

Reflections of 2016

2016 has been a fruitful year. Unlike 2015, which I seemed to have wasted it away, this year has been a year of changes. Looking back, here are my reflections of this year.

WORK

This is an awesome "achievement" for me because I hit my first one year mark on a single job! It is not that I like to job-hop but life is too short to stay in a place you dislike. I almost wanted to give up at the start because of the lack of proper training and that my work was so difficult to understand. I also knew that there were certain aspects of the job that I hated doing, those mindless scanning and arranging of paperwork.

Thankfully, I told myself that I would give myself a year and I persevered. In this industry, I also had access to fitness classes and equipment, which became my source of motivation. After I got familiarized with my work, it suddenly came to me that I have stopped learning in this job.

Re-watching Jack Ma's career advice video, he said "before 30 years old, follow somebody". It is not which company you go, but which boss you follow. This is a clear guide that I needed to start moving. In the process of me considering my options, office politics started coming in within the same department, which makes my leaving more inevitable. I had to leave all the negativity and this stagnant situation. And so, I fulfilled my one year promise to myself and it's now a new beginning again.

GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

Staying in the same job position for a longer period of time has made me see more potential in myself. I should be doing something greater. In the past, I used to think that I just wanted a stable office job with a great work life balance. This is a Monday to Friday 9 - 6pm job, and I mostly leave on time. But I became bored and started to see no meaning in my work anymore. It is a mundane routine and I don't get much job satisfaction.

I don't see myself improving in terms of skill or communication. I wanted to see more in myself. I started rethinking about my strengths, about my interests and how I can develop them. I started reading because knowledge can change a person's perspective in a way you will never expect (especially after I found the Overdrive app together with the database on our national library  <3). I will plan ways to learn up certain skills which can be self taught. This year, I also started watching the old Disney movies, which provide so much inspiration when you watch them as a adult (I have never watched many of them). I am ready to discover a whole new world.  


FITNESS & HEALTH

As mentioned earlier, I have staff access to fitness classes which I made good use of. Prior to this job, I was putting on weight before I even realized. My office pants started to become uncomfortably tight as each day passes and my face was much rounder. I disliked taking photos then. Once my probation was over, I began my disciplined fitness lifestyle, with the goal to make my pants fit better. I brought my own lunch, which was really unappetizing. Because I do not like using the microwave, meal prep does not really work for me. I wake up early in the morning to steam my lunch. I go for morning classes on alternate days so I really have to wake up very early. It energizes me throughout the day! But I get tired easier after work.

Nevertheless, I persevered and people around me noticed the change. My face was the first to slim down. My body shape still looks pretty much the same, but just more toned I guess. Eventually, my stomach faced gastric problems and I stopped bringing food because they were cold by the time I eat them. I still make better food choices but I don't eliminate any food types. I reduced and eventually stopped going for classes because it was becoming tiresome. I came to discover I have high arched feet and the weights were probably causing them to hurt due to immense pressure on the heels. I continued my fitness lifestyle with jogging and doing circuit routines at home instead. I tried a 21 workout plan on Nike+Training app, and by the end of it, I can do the exercises that I could not do before.

As I'm writing this post right now, I have also just registered for Sundown 10km run next year. I have not even completed a single 10km till date so good luck to me. My longest so far is 7km, which I never thought was possible before this year. I have to thank my job for helping me to start off and achieve this. I have never been as fit as I am now.

Most importantly, my office pants are no longer tight :D.

LIFE

After a couple of years as a "real" adult, it feels like I don't even have a personal identify. I don't even understand myself, nor do I know who I really am. It has been a difficult time trying to figure things out and I am still in the process of doing so. However, I feel that things do happen for a reason and I will just let nature take its course. I realized that nobody and nothing can truly be your source of happiness. You have to be the one making happiness possible. Nobody can tell you the right way. You have to be the one to discover it by yourself. Be brave.

A good friend of mine got married this year, and I was her bridesmaid and emcee. I don't think I would have the courage last time to take up these roles, and it is definitely a good change to take up small "challenges". It helps me to grow.

On last year's anniversary, my bf brought me to Forlino for a fine dining experience. However, he did not get me any physical present or card, which made me really unhappy. To me, a physical item matters for keepsake, which is also why I don't fancy food as presents. He told me that experience should be the more important part and that photos serve as memories too. I took his point down as one of the things I can improve upon, and I think I'm doing good. In fact, I realized how the lack of space tends to make me stressed up. De-cluttering your life of the many things really helps to clear your mind. I reduced spending on clothes especially, saving up for the upcoming trip. And for the first time, I am looking forward to my trip for the whole experience rather than for the shopping spree like the past few times.

In 2017, I would do my best to embrace changes and take up challenges along the way. I would make conscious effort to gain knowledge and pick up skills. Overdrive shall be my best buddy, providing me with works of great writers. I would also like to write more on this space. I will believe in myself and my ability.


~ From a changed, slightly more confident woman.