I woke up thinking about the things I can do to make my year a better year for me. If I believe these habits can bring a smile on my face, I believe it works the same for you. Small little simple habits that  are easy to follow.

Sleep at least 7 hours a night

Sleep is essential, and like every soul, it needs rest. I sleep 8-hours on a good night to wake up feeling refreshed, lighter and in a better mood. My mind was ready to kickstart as ideas and plans flowed through me easily. I know myself the best— hence getting any sleep less than 6 hours a night will turn me into an angry bitch but of course, who’s to blame but my own self for not putting down the screen. 

Scrolling through the night, thinking to myself that I can still operate on 5 hours sleep. Of course, we can all still operate even on 3 hours of sleep (on some days), but we operate differently. Our emotion, perspective, tantrums and productivity are compromised when we sleep less.

Try making a simple habit of getting 7 hours of solid sleep every night— of course partying till late night once in a while is okay but always kick yourself back to a disciplined sleeping schedule if you want to make the most of your day time. Trust me on this, I’ve been both the pleasant person and an angry bitch depending on the hours I’ve slept. Be the pleasant person.

Walk as much as you can

Living in Malaysia where walking is not really an option to get anywhere except if you’re going to the mini mart just in front of your house, there’s barely a proper pavement for pedestrians in where I live. Nevertheless, walk as much as you can. Take the stairs when you can, drive to the nearest park and walk among the lush green trees and grass. If exercising is not your cup of tea, walking helps you to keep your body moving. Especially if you’re working on your desk 9 hours a day, take a brief walk to your pantry every hour. Walking helps to tear you away from your work as you refresh your mind with a breather— and your body the movement they need.

Check in on friends and family

Now that the pandemic has reached a full year, we’re still socially distancing from our friends and families. Everyone is busy with their days and their lives— and the pandemic isn’t treating everyone kindly. Everyone is struggling a little more trying to keep afloat on their boat. Text your friends and check in on how they’re doing, send a greeting to your grandmother and ask if there is anything you can help with. Spark conversations with your contact list because who knows, you might just rekindle an old friendship.

Spend time with yourself

We’ve been spending so much time at home recently, with the quarantine and movement control order still in place. As the number of cases rises into alarming digits these days, it’s wise to just stay home and enjoy your own company. I find this truly a difficult concept to practice after being attached to a partner— I felt like I barely spent time with myself.

Taking a few days off just to relax, play and have fun by myself nurtures your inner child. The person who holds you dear which has been neglected as we’re all consumed by friends, families and partners. Make up a movie date for yourself, bring yourself some good treats and read a book. Start a hobby or take walks by yourself. Just immerse in the time you’re spending with yourself, you’ll learn to be happier.

1-minute rule

I find myself misplacing things pretty often because of my laziness to just put them back at where they belong. On some days, my bed is not made or my health supplements aren't taken. These things only require 1 minute of my time, yet I procrastinated hence not getting them done. If something requires only 1 minute of your time, like putting back your books or making your bed, do it. You’ll find your life more organized if you do these small little things

Read your affirmations daily

And so, I bloomed. Like a peony unfurling its light petals towards the bright sky.

I wouldn’t wish to prattle on with purposeless words in today’s post, but to keep it simple and easy to remember when I needed a little evidence of my own power + aptitude.

What I have achieved in 2020:

• Learn new lessons in personal growth and put them into action
• Bought a house (currently in a housing debt but excited to own a cozy home)
• Published articles and got paid for them! You can read my works here.
• Started a side hustle online business here
• Hit my savings goal of RM8,000 this year

They seem like pretty big accomplishments that my 2019 self would have a hard time believing she can achieve— but then hey, she did it! Of course, all these achievements are made possible because of the help from others, some in very uncanny ways.

Everyone has small little things that can be called achievements, if you feel that you have not done anything this year, dig a little deeper— or it may just be on the surface. Something as easy as waking up every morning is already an accomplishment.

Give yourself a pat on the back, I believe you have your own list of achievements.

Everyone makes autumn a season of creativity and slow-living. Dressed in cute cotton frock, layered with a knitted cardigan, sipping on hot tea while gazing at the beautiful autumn foliage. These are the things I love yet am not allowed to experience, living in a country where it is summer all year round.

The autumnal equinox marks the start of delving deeper into your soul to find creative energy. 

Autumn is not about new creative pursuits but sometimes it is about understanding your why and sitting down to piece all your work together. For me, this season, although I am not able to enjoy the chilly winds and longer nights, is all the same.

I take this time to reassess myself and my work. This year especially, I will be using the notion of autumn to think about my self-growth. 2020 has been rocky until now. For 11 months, I was in a constant battle to better myself + work, and right now when autumn has made its mark, I want to throw my sword down and just relish in the temporary peace.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Creating is what I like, this space is my creative space. An atelier that allows me to be creative and experiment with my thoughts + imagination.

My writing is not great, I’m not someone who’s gifted with words. I just make it happen with a lot of reading + writing practices.

As I sit down to think, there are so many unaddressed problems with my creative spurts. I have these moments sometimes, like a quick introspection moment. Today is the same, fueled with the energy of autumn (or still summer, in Malaysia. Nevertheless, a great time)— and here is what I found out about my creative works.


1. Inconsistency in my writing style is a struggle to overcome 

My writings sometimes pleases me, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes I write in different tones and rhythms. Where is my consistency? The path to find the perfect blend between my creative style and what others like to read would be tedious and never ending.


2. The stress of not churning out quality content discourages me.

The reason I write is to ramble about things I find difficult to cope with in my daily life. To occupy my mind when monsters lurk. Writing is my escape, yet sometimes I feel stressed and pressured to deliver a quality piece of work.

I have love for gaming, a little for lifestyle and a lot for self-development and slow living. But sometimes I catch myself drifting from my niche— talking about finances, quick hot travels and fashion. Is this something acceptable for my readers? Or should I just write whatever that pleases me?

Although solutions to these problems are something I may have to think about, it won’t hinder me from learning and developing my skills. Perhaps more reading and practicing will guide me along the path. 

Elin Loow wrote a lovely piece on what we should seek to enhance our creative gifts. Read here.

This season of creative work introspection has brought so much awareness about my creative work. It doesn’t matter where you stand, but introspection of your work is something that needs to be done regularly. There may be no autumn in Malaysia— everyday is the same: sunny, hot and sometimes a little rainy but that shouldn’t stop me from accepting what the right time can offer.

How to save money is one of the search terms I have been googling the past week— to learn, adapt and do. How to save your money is something we have to decide ourselves, some save 30% of their disposable income, some a little more or a little less.

Today’s post is about the types of savings we should all have. To live a smooth and sustainable lifestyle, we must have different types of savings. The main idea is knowing when to use them and what each saving is for. Here are a few fun saving fund ideas to explore. Let’s take a look.

What kind of savings should I have?

1. Slush funds

Let’s not associate slush funds with black funds in this post, but think of it as petty cash. I’m talking about money put aside for small little inconveniences. What constitutes small little inconveniences, you ask? Perhaps something like a sudden need to get some stationeries, or to fix a broken lamp in your room. Instead of dipping into my regular savings account, these slush funds are small amounts of cash (~RM300) put aside in my room that I can take out at any moment. 

2. Regular savings 

I’m sure everyone has their own regular savings. I have a regular saving account that I monitor daily. What money comes in and what money goes out (to my other accounts/expenditures). This regular savings account holds much more cash in it than my slush fund. All my income comes into this account before I rearrange + re-allocate to different funds. My regular savings account is usually used to cover more expensive or fixed commitments. From groceries, shopping, spa treats to bills. This baby does all the tough work.

3. Cash cushion / Emergency Fund

Oh, everyone has heard of this as well. Emergency fund is basically cash that you can access when you really need money. As my 2nd line of defense (the first being my “slush fund”) I do not tap into this fund at all unless it is truly needed. 

This fund is used when you meet an unexpected emergency, such as in the events of job loss, medical emergencies, etc. How much should I be saving for my emergency fund? A good measure of amount in an emergency fund is a 3-6 months worth of expenditure, but if you can afford more then definitely put in more! My emergency fund is a solid 3 month expenditure and it is growing slowly (you know, it's tough saving money). This fund must be very liquid and not used for investments because you must be able to use it immediately when needed.

4. Gift funds

Something I picked up from Jessi Fearon in her post, I think a gift fund is such a brilliant idea! We’re always gifting something to someone on special occasions— birthdays, weddings, Christmas, just because, etc. When the festive season comes around, we’re often spending more than we planned on gifts. It makes me salty having to dip into my regular savings to pay for gifts, truthfully. Having a gift fund not only helps you to budget, it also makes you feel better not having to dip into your other savings. Debt-free and worry-free gifting season!

I allocate a fixed amount of RM600 into my gift fund in the beginning of the year and budget my gifts according to the fund. If there are leftovers after the year’s gift-giving, the amount will rollover to the next year.

5. Retirement fund

I’m 26, why am I talking about retirement funds already? You see, I’m a worrywart especially when it comes to my future retirement. Think 30 years into the future— would I have sufficient funds to stay alive? I am a firm believer in hustling hard while you can, generating as much money and saving as much while you can. Because when age and time catches up with you, you’ll have lesser means to earn. This is when your retirement fund steps in to keep you afloat.

My retirement funds are in the form of FD (fixed deposit). And I have a good reason for it. This fund is something I don't want to use to invest, but I want to keep it safe— and I mean, very safe. A small amount of interest is sufficient. I pump in additional cash every month to keep it growing but the central objective is to keep it safe.

Do you think you have the right savings all set up? That was the 5 types of saving everyone should have and I believe having these funds can help to be more money-savvy as well as prepared for any unexpected financial issues. Before you prep your other funds, always make sure you have the first 3 down, the “slush fund” + emergency fund + regular savings.

How I wished schools had taught us the proper ways of budgeting, saving and financial management— in fact, schools should be teaching money management to encourage students to understand the value of money, the pains of earning money and how easy it is to manage your finances.

Yes, you read that right— How easy it is to manage your finances. 

Before I get started, let me give you a quick grasp of my current financial situation.

"I can finally fit into this community where morning routines are praised."

But I learned that morning routines are not for everyone

Did I follow through my morning routine? No. I may have practiced my perfect morning routine for a good few days before it fell through entirely. Why is that? Perhaps I do not have enough discipline? Or does my morning routine need a good tweaking?

Allow me to admit my shame. I beat myself up for not following through a morning routine like everyone else.

I felt like shit. Am I unworthy to be part of the world where everyone has a productive morning routine?

I realised that stumbling in the morning, looking for my in-room slippers while I waddle to the washroom is my morning routine. Or I wake up and plug in my earphones to catch up on Netflix before I get up from my bed. It varies, but it makes me feel good.

I’m a morning person, I wake up early to start the day— but I do not have a productive morning routine because going with the flow is how I do things. Having a strict routine makes me feel overworked + overwhelmed.

Image from Pexels

But morning routines are a part of self-help. Shouldn’t you need it?

Yes and no.