It seems only yesterday that we were preparing for the new year. Now, we are already navigating through the first official week of February. I didn't make any resolutions this year. I completely ignored the thought of making one since I knew that those resolutions would only last a week or two. If there's something that I'm going to do differently this year, it would be to practice living in the moment.
Two weeks before Christmas, I came across A Christmas Carol cartoon on YouTube. To my delight, I tried looking for more versions. YouTube did not disappoint. I found several versions of the cartoon, some even older than I am. Since then, I have been watching all the versions I found on repeat. My favorite version was from the 1950s. Until now, I still watch them every day, and not once have I ever felt bored. I truly enjoy A Christmas Carol for two reasons:
It was one of my favorite books in high school. It is a classic!
The simple yet powerful lessons the movie imparts
My favorite takeaway from the story is to "learn from the past, live in the present, and look forward to the future". I guess I keep rewatching the movie because I want to constantly remind myself to live in the present.
As someone who has lived her life in the shadows of the past and the regrets that came along with it, it feels like a breath of fresh air to be reminded that living with regrets makes us forget to live in the present. We miss out on opportunities that are just right in front of us. It hinders us from feeling genuine happiness. That thought alone struck me and has somehow embedded itself in my subconscious.
With my newfound inspiration and probably a mood boost since it was the beginning of a new year, January gave me some amazing moments and lessons that I would love to share.
I have worked on my stationery brand's first-ever collaboration for 2024. I started my stationery brand, Warm Vanilla Stationery sometime mid-last year and it is still fairly new with a very low following on social media. Despite the struggles of promoting my brand and having a very low reach, I felt honored to be considered to design and create stickers for Not So Mundane Studios - a lifestyle brand offering its products on Instagram.
I finally saw one of my favorite groups, Seventeen, perform live. After my failed attempts to secure tickets for their Be The Sun tour, I felt lucky this time to even get tickets. It was a fun-filled day despite the struggles and the heat. It was all worth it.
I was able to post and update my Instagram for Warm Vanilla Stationery consistently. I felt so motivated and pumped from all the ideas I had planned for my brand.
I achieved a wonderful milestone for my brand reaching 9 sales last month. I usually get 2-3 sales per month and last month's sales were a pretty good jump from my usual numbers. 🎉
My mom got me my first Lamy fountain pen. I have always wanted a fountain pen to use for journaling. I'm glad my mom agreed to get me one as a birthday present when I asked her.
I started reading The Book of Ichigo Ichie. I was originally looking for the Ikigai book. Unfortunately, it was sold out when I went to the bookstore. The only one they have is The Book of Ichigo Ichie. I was hesitant to buy it at first because it wasn't what I intended to buy, but for some reason, I just went for it. I'm glad I did! If Scrooge taught me to live in the present, this book taught me to savor the moments in the present. (I'll write a different piece about the book once I finished reading it)
I reapplied for a Japan visa and I got approved. I plan to travel more this year and be more adventurous and outgoing. I also applied for a Canada ETA because I really wanted to visit Canada soon.
I designed more sticker products for Warm Vanilla Stationery. If you're a journal sticker lover like me, you may want to check out my products and illustrations here.
I consistently did slow resistance training every week for the whole month of January. As someone who hates working out or going to the gym, I felt triumphant to even be working out at least twice a week. Admittedly, I finally enjoy doing the slow resistance training. I always feel stronger and empowered afterwards. If you're from the Philippines and would like to try slow resistance training, you can check out Elev8.
January has been great and I want to continue the momentum up to this month. If I could extend the same momentum until the end of the year, that would be amazing. Just like what I practiced last year and what I learned from reading the Atomic Habits, I will not force myself to do everything at once. I will not pressure myself to the point of burnout. I will inject new things into my routine slowly but surely.
How was your January? I hope you had a great month too. Let's make this month awesome! Share your thoughts in the comment section. Cheers! 🥂
wvd
------- 🤍 ------
No part of this blog is sponsored or affiliated with the brands, products, labels, or companies mentioned unless stated.
All contents are based on personal thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Please do not use or copy any part of this blog.
Comments