Tips On How To Get Your Life Together

🌸 Wrapping Up Summer

The last few days of summer are filled summer reading, journaling, baking, antiquing, and going on short trips. Today, I'm headed to Texas for the weekend to attend a conference! I will update you guys on the trip!

morning greens 🥑🥗

𝔣𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔥 𝔠𝔬𝔣𝔣𝔢𝔢 + 𝔣𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔥 𝔣𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔯𝔰 + 𝔣𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔥 𝔞𝔦𝔯

Traits I’ve Noticed in Confident People 

Disciplined - if a target is set, it is achieved 

Speaking - Can speak multiple languages. Can express thoughts clearly even if vocabulary is limited. The listener understands their point. 

Strong extroversion socially - can approach and talk to new people with ease, but also make them feel comfortable. Good at following up, asking questions and inserting little stories about themselves without exposing too much 

Strong general knowledge / industry knowledge. They know what they’re talking about 

Hard to please but not arrogant about it. They won’t readily accept a fact or opinion, even if the majority agrees - they’ll debate with it, think over it, play the devil’s advocate

Good posture

Strong set of principles and self control. There’s no shame in wanting to say, help someone, choose not to drink socially, buy a coffee for a poor person on the street; they don’t hesitate to do good deeds 

Hygienic. Clean, groomed, well dressed, well maintained. 

Observant and proactive at the same time. Can pick up on body language relatively easily - can sense discomfort or unease in someone and do something about it. 

Have a strong sense of self identity. Can be opinionated but open to challenges. 

ten habits to adopt for a beautiful life 💭

+ curated shopping: rather than over-consume in fast fashion and trends, buy fewer, high-quality items. frequent vintage shops, boutiques, or markets where you can find unique, timeless pieces.

+ focus on wellness and exercise: consider activities that are beneficial for the body and calming for the mind, such as yoga, pilates, or long walks in nature. choose activities that allow you to connect with your surroundings and maintain balance.

+ mindful eating: prioritise healthy, whole foods and cooking meals from scratch. organic produce, artisanal products, and perhaps even locally sourced ingredients could be staples in your kitchen. eating is a mindful practice, enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

+ cultural engagement: regularly visit museums, art galleries, and theatres, or participate in cultural events that inspire and enrich their creative spirit. value learning and exposure to the arts as a way to keep life vibrant and intellectually stimulating.

+ reading and continuous learning: develop a well-curated collection of books, including classic literature, philosophy, and art, and dedicate time regularly to reading and reflecting on what you've learned.

+ minimalist technology approach: stay up-to-date with necessary technology, but maintain a minimalist approach to its use. limit screen time, avoid social media distractions, and instead prioritise face-to-face interactions or hands-on activities.

+ intentional socialising: carefully cultivate your social life, with a focus on deep, meaningful connections rather than frequent, casual interactions. you likely enjoy hosting intimate gatherings at home, where you can experience conversation, ambiance, and connection.

💕💕💕💕

Your current and future self is determined by:

• What you eat

• Who you spend your time with

• How you treat your body

• What you read

• What you listen to

• Who you follow

• What you think about

• How you invest in yourself

Upgrade your inputs, upgrade your life.

Little things to upgrade your morning routine

Always start your morning with a nice drink like a coffee, matcha, or tea.

Say good morning to your pets, you can also text your friends and maybe, make some plans!! <3

Set an alarm so you wake up on time and don't feel rushed, for me, it's usually enough to just sleep with my blinds open!! :)

Open your windows to let some fresh air in, also make sure to check if any of your plants need water!!

Make-up and music. I love doing my make-up while listening to one of my playlists, it's the perfect way to set the mood <3

Positive affirmations!! You can write them on sticky notes and put them on your mirror so you'll see them while getting ready!! :)

Prepare a cute outfit the night before, and make sure to check the weather so you can plan ahead!

Don't skip breakfast, If you are busy, you can meal prep some overnight oat or chia pudding the night before.

Try reading at least 10 pages in the morning, it will help you feel more refreshed.

Make sure to check your bag, so you don't forget things like your lip combo, keys, and headphones!! Nothing worse than sitting on the subway without headphones (me rn) :((

As always, please feel free to share your own suggestions and tips in the comments!! I hope you all have a beautiful Monday/Week <3

✩‧₊*:・love ya ･:*₊‧✩

start romanticising your reading

TLDR: choose your read, curate your space, and engage with the text

About three years ago, I was in the biggest reading slump. It was so bad that it had gotten to the point where I couldn't even read one sentence without picking up my phone to doom-scroll. At that point, I genuinely thought I could never ever get into reading again.

However, when I started romanticising my reading, I was able to finish a whole book in just one week. By romanticising my reading, it was no longer a chore, instead, it felt like an enjoyable experience where I could get lost in the emotions of the story.

────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ────────୨ৎ───────

"How do you even romanticise reading?"

step #1 - choosing your read

pick something short and easy to read - a short story, a poetry collection, a graphic novel, an old favourite or comfort read

judge a book by its cover and pick something with a cover-art that interests you

pick something that matches your mood/feeling, here are some of my recommendations: want something gothic and eerie, filled with old secrets? We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson want something bittersweet and nostalgic with heartache? Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi want something empowering and thought-provoking? And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou want something whimsical and soft, filled with dreamy illustrations? Anne of Green Gables: A Graphic Novel by Mariah Marsden, illustrated by Brenna Thummler

step #2 - curate your space

replace your main lights for ambient lighting - fairy lights, candles, salt lamps, mushroom lamps, warm coloured LEDs

turn on some background music to build atmosphere for your book - 90s jazz for classic books, orchestral music for fantasy books

have a drink or snack that you love - I recommend an iced mocha or matcha for summers, and hot chocolate or green tea for winters

sit somewhere comfortable or somewhere that builds atmosphere - I have my bed next to my window which means it's comfortable when I read and I can also hear the crickets during summer nights

step #3 - engage with the text

use coloured pens or markers to highlight or underline your favourite quotes, and you can even assign different colours to different emotions

stick custom bookmarks or themed stickers to mark meaningful chapters or sections

start a collection jar with paper notes of your favourite quotes that you can read at the end of the year - you can write down the page, chapter, and book so you can always go back to where these quotes came from

jot down your current thoughts and feelings about certain chapters and sections so you can revisit the book in the future to see how your thoughts and interpretations have evolved over time - I like to date these annotations so I know exactly when I wrote my annotations

Remember that progress is still progress, even if it's small 🧸