I know it’s a little early for a review post, but my birthday’s coming up so…it’s existential crisis time! Who else is not ready at all for 2020??
Bad health isn’t always visible
2019 was a pretty bad year health-wise. My bad diet and lack of exercise finally caught up to me. I don’t “look unhealthy” on the outside, but my immune system was shot.
It made me realize that bad health doesn’t always show itself in visible ways. Somebody can “look fine”, but they could be dealing with chronic disease, digestion issues, insomnia, ect.
It took burning out for me to realize just how important it is to practice good lifestyle habits. I feel like nobody realizes the importance of being healthy until they experience the consequences. Yet, it’s become the norm to be “too busy” to prioritize health. I’m glad to be part of a generation that’s challenging this and being vocal about self-care.
You can take a big step forward, but in the wrong direction
In late 2018, I had moved up in my career. I got a promotion, was able to take on responsibilities that interested me, felt challenged at work, and felt connected with my co-workers. Yet, a part of me still felt unsatisfied. I was in a motivation slump.
You can walk a great distance before realizing that you’re not going the direction of where you want to be. However, this familiar path is all you’ve known and you’ve made quite some progress. So what do you do?
Do you forge on and try to find satisfaction in this path? Or do you stop everything and reroute yourself?
I feel like there’s no right or wrong thing to do here. It depends on your circumstances. In my situation, I pulled the brakes and rerouted. I was fortunate enough to be able to take the reprieve I needed.
2019 taught me to keep your eyes on your priorities and assess yourself as you go. Not all progress is “good progress”. You have to stand firm in your best interests because nobody else will.
Show you’re not okay
You’ve probably heard the quote “it’s okay not to be okay” and thought “well, duh.” But putting it in practice is entirely different isn’t it?
Admittedly, I’m pretty bad at hiding my emotions. I’d bottle things up until the boiling point and thought that showing emotions in a meltdown meant being genuine. I’m sure I’m not alone in this either.
As kids, we’re taught to look up to adults. In a way, we’re convinced that adults are supposed to be perfect. They’re supposed to be composed, never need help, and never show vulnerability on the outside. But that’s not true. So forget about “saving face”. If you’re not okay, don’t hide it. You’d be surprised just how many people will open up if you take the first step by being honest.
Can you relate to my year? What have you learned in 2019?
Hugs and kisses,
~Jin
You can also find me on my personal blog
Life Outside of Design Studio 
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