Hold up! I haven’t been blogging for a month and it’s already July? Where has all the time gone? Nothing like a good reminder from fellow bloggers that the first half of the year is over, and it’s time for a reality check (If you’re interested, Smith’s post was the one that inspired me to do the same).
The beginning part of the year was a difficult one. I had quit my job in July last year because the time had come for me to chase my dreams. There was nothing holding me back: I had no commitments, no kids, no debts and all my siblings had graduated from university and could support themselves or help with the family’s expenses. It was time to do what I needed to do, if I didn’t want to be one of those dying elderly who regretted not doing things while they had the chance to.
The transition to what I’ve got now was very difficult and it’s hard to explain it to someone who’s never gone through it. It’s not just about the finances, but also about the emotional turmoil and the uncertainty about everything – what to do next, which direction to head towards, whether I had made the right choice, whether I had the support of those around me, what if I failed, what if I succeeded.
Would I volunteer at an animal shelter? Do I have more free time now that I am not in a 9-to-5 (or more likely a 7-to-7)? Should I have more free time to take a break and re-asses my life and career? Why am I feeling guilty for taking a break? Shouldn’t I be working my ass off for my next career venture? Am I using my time efficiently? Am I doing things that matter?
The list of questions always went on and on, and so no doubt that it always tired me out. But the one thing that remains is this: What have I achieved since the beginning of the year?
If I could list it out, that would look something like this:
- worked on my jewellery business (Trouvée.Co), got affiliates on board, collaborated with other brands and bloggers
- travelled to Paris and Royan for my final summer break, and filmed some good videos for Trouvée.Co
- great detox from social media (going to continue this)
- improved in French from my weekly French classes
- became a private educator in ‘A’ Level Chemistry
- gave an interview to a French radio station (listen to it here)
- gave a workshop on Korean makeup
- started to like Ultimate
- practised Pilates and/or other forms of workout every week
- kept a good watch on my diet
- made new friends by attending networking events
- finally learnt how to style my hair daily
- became a one-time hair model for a local salon
- made more beauty and style videos, and in doing so, learnt some new skills
More recently, I decided to embark on another new venture in the field of real estate (especially since the BF and I have decided to stay in Singapore for good, instead of moving to France), and so now I’m going for night classes every weeknight in addition to everything above. It’s super intense, and there’s so much law to remember that I feel more like a law student then a real estate student. I won’t say I’m enjoying it very much because there’s just so much content, but it’s what’s needed to be done and so bite the bullet it is.
Before travelling to France in June, I had begun to stay off social media as I felt it wasn’t making me very happy. The 2 weeks in France thereafter proved my decision to be a right one, and I have never been more determined to make this a longterm reality. I realised how much I’ve missed real human contact and being in real-life situations that were completely outside of social media. This meant that I was creating meaningful relationships with people that I never knew (not even on Instagram), I re-connected with myself and my aspirations, and I was more at ease with nature and the world. I’ve since placed a new emphasis on real-life interactions. It has been nothing but a huge relief.
Oh, and the thing about styling my hair? You may be shocked, that a beauty blogger like me has never styled her own hair until now. I have always been too busy focusing on something else (mostly working towards my dreams) that my hair was the least of my worries 100% of the time. (At this point, I have to say that I don’t care if you’re the mother of a 3-month old child. You’re never the only one who has no time for your hair and has legit hair problems.) I had never invested in anything other than shampoo and maybe a conditioner or two. The time I had during this transitioning months gave me new opportunities to try out different things like curling my hair and using dry shampoo. The thing of note was this, that after all these years, I finally had time to pay at least some attention to my hair.
My long break is over, and deciding on my career paths from now has never been better for me. I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can finally go towards it. I am finally free to chase my dreams, and I haven’t been happier about it. It’s not an easy journey, doing all that I do now, but I know that it’s what I need to do to get to where I want to be in life.
So hopefully, 6 months from now I’d be a certified RES (fingers crossed, please wish me luck), fluent in French, able to throw a disc far enough to impress myself, growing Trouvée.Co even more and staying healthy. Of course, being able to travel more often would be a bonus!
Have you done a reality check for yourself? What does it look like, and what do you need to change or continue?
Keep working towards those dreams,
Roxanne