In 2022, I took a year long break from fully engaging in my personal social accounts as I was really getting to learn the ins and outs of the marketing world. This past November marked one year since I started working my dream job at an advertising agency, and aside from honing in on my craft and trying to navigate the industry, I’ve gone through so many life changes since.
Here’s some of what I’ve done to improve my life, in general:
I committed to going to a gym at least three times a week. I learned the hard way that starting your fitness journey begins entirely with your first steps and yours alone. Going off Youtube workouts was fun at first, but I realized I was never completely comfortable associating home with working out especially since I was now working from home. Separating home from work was now out of the picture one I built a comfortable work station, so I was more than okay finding a reason to get out.
I prioritized a mess-free but comfortable work area. It wasn’t easy figuring out what helped boost my work efficiency, but a clear work desk was one of them. Because I don’t have an office but a desk in my bedroom, there was a lot of reorganizing that had to go into this space. It started with a new desk with more storage and ended with making sure that the only things out during work ours were actually work related. I also learned that mental health breaks really are essential when suddenly eight ours of your day are online and not for social reasons.
I focused on my goals day-to-day, but only measured progress at the end of the week. It sounds a little confusing, but essentially, every morning was a new day and a new goal, adjusted as needed based on how I felt. I paid more attention to what my body could take, and this helped me be a little more forgiving if I missed some health goals. I didn’t check for any weight loss during the week, and I only measured my progress after a couple days of rest. This was my way of turning my fitness goals into a routine that just had to be done, like brushing my teeth, instead of something that was goal-based like trying to have a smaller waist.
I was proudly vocal about what I was doing that I felt was improving my life. At 28, the amount of people I talked to regularly has slimmed down to the friends who have similar goals and values as I do. This was so essential to making sure I had a good support system; people who were willing to give advice if I needed it and knew that criticism isn’t what helps me thrive. At each step, when I learned new things about how my body worked or what didn’t help, I’d share it with my good friends, and we’d have many conversations about what worked and what didn’t.
2022 flew by but not without its struggles. I started trying to improve my situation late August, and now I can start 2023 with all these good habits and goals that aim for a higher standard – instead of flying blindly. My goal for 2023 is to share my progress and all the little bits I’ve learned here to help whoever else is looking for a way to start. I’d like to get into a weekly posting schedule, but no worries here if I can’t commit!
If there’s anything I’ve learned from these small but impactful changes, it’s that taking a break every now and then doesn’t hurt because progress truly does make perfect.
Lumiscript 