I’ve been gifted a book called Get Your Sh*t Together (gee bestie, thanks for the tough love), and wanted to share some musings. From one person trying to get their life together to another.
Photo by Max Felner on Unsplash
Life is not a short story
Wouldn’t it be great if our biggest problems can be neatly wrapped up in an introduction, rising action, climax, and conclusion? Reality is that circumstances change, problems come and go, and we go through multiple “character arcs”. We’re never “too old” or “too experienced” to not have our life together.
There were times I did have my career and personal life together, but things changed. There were times I got it back together, and things changed again. Life throws harder and harder challenges at us and we have to grow. Growth, like periods, can be a painful cycle. Whenever your circumstances change and you have to get back on top of everything, you’ve just reached the next character arc in your story.
There is no “make it or break it”
Empires can’t be built overnight. But at the same time, they won’t fall overnight. This was my most memorable takeaway from Lilly Singh’s book.
I do get where the make it or break it idea comes from. There are critical moments in sports, and we all know about celebrities that fell from grace. Here’s the counter argument. In sports, people who pull through in those critical moments have a pattern of dedication and hard work. Celebrities who “ruined their careers” have a pattern of issues that lead up to the moment.
No singular moment or decision will ruin your life. On the other hand, no singular moment or decision will turn your whole life around. Getting your life together and keeping it together comes from a mundane pattern of productive behavior.
Seriously, watch TV
I’m not kidding. Watch TV, or cartoons, or anime. Just indulge in fiction.
At the very least, it’ll get you out of your own mind (a win for overthinkers like me). For me, and many people in my life, it really does help when things get difficult. I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of comfort and inspiration from shows and anime. It can take a while to find shows and characters that connect, but once you do, they really stick around to help.
In the spirit of the recent series finale, I’m giving a shoutout to Bojack Horseman. As someone who deals with depression and anxiety now and then, this show makes me feel less alone. Whenever my overthinking brain gets too loud and I want to sit in a corner all day, I think about a quote from the show. Fellow Bojack fans will remember this scene, and if you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend. “It does get easier. But you have to do it every day. That’s the hard part.” Remembering that scene gives me the push I need to get at least something done on those overwhelming days.
Hugs and kisses,
~ Jin
You can also find me on my personal blog
Life Outside of Design Studio 
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