Stop Dabbling and Start Winning at Life

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I feel like now is a good time to share my Medium article with you, as I am no stranger to the art of dabbling. In fact, I recently started dabbling in a new side hustle (all the details are on #Twitter), so I am not immune to trying out different things. However, I realize that in order to achieve my long-term goals or any lasting success, I need to first learn how to master my focus.

This article was originally posted on Medium on April 19, 2023. I don’t have new blog posts because I have been so invested in my side hustle. Don’t be surprised if I cross-post Medium articles for the time being. It is worth mentioning that if you use the following link to read this article and you are already a Medium subscriber, I will earn a small commission. It might be only a few pennies but it’s better than earning nothing at all. This article is behind a paywall on Medium but I want to make it available for everyone to read.

♡ Medium Article: Stop Dabbling and Start Winning at Life

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/

Mastering Your Focus to Achieve Lasting Success

(っ◔V◔)っ Serious Questions: Are you a dabbler? Do you find yourself constantly jumping from one thing to the next, without ever really committing to anything?

If you found yourself nodding in agreement to these questions, then this blog post is definitely for you. It’s time to stop dabbling and start focusing on what really matters.

Dabbling may seem harmless, even fun, at first. You get to try out new hobbies, explore new interests, and network with like-minded people. But here’s the thing — it is actually a trap. The more you dabble, the less focused you become on your life mission. You waste time doing things that don’t really matter and forget about what’s most important to you. After a while, you may start to realize that you’re not really getting anywhere. You’re not making progress, you’re not achieving your goals, and you’re not truly mastering anything.

“Jack of all trades is a master of none.” — English Proverb

The Dangers of Dabbling

Whether you’re a blogger, a Medium writer, or a social media influencer, it’s important to avoid the trap of dabbling and focus on creating quality content that resonates with your audience. Despite my best efforts, I often find myself trying new things and dabbling in various projects, such as running this blog, writing articles for Medium, and recently starting a side hustle on Redbubble. I am all too aware of how easy it is to get distracted by the seemingly more exciting activities life has to offer.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/

(っ◔V◔)っ You might be dabbling without even realizing it if you’re struggling with any of the following problems:

  1. Lack of expertise: Dabbling in multiple topics or platforms can prevent content creators from developing expertise in any particular area, limiting their ability to create content that is both impactful and tailored to their specific target audience.
  2. Lack of focus: Without a clear direction or strategy, content creators may struggle to stay focused and make progress towards their goals, leading to reduced output and a lack of motivation to reach the desired objectives.
  3. Inconsistent content: Dabbling can lead to missed deadlines, inconsistent content schedules, and a lack of engagement due to an inability to create useful and engaging content that resonates with their target audience.
  4. Burnout: Constantly switching between topics or platforms can be a major source of stress and frustration, leading to burnout.
  5. Missed opportunities: When content creators don’t commit to a specific niche or stick to one platform, they may miss out on opportunities to build a loyal following or establish themselves as experts in their field.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

I want to bring awareness to the fact that dabbling in too many different areas as a content creator can be detrimental to your success. You don’t need to spread yourself thin across multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, TikTok, starting a Podcast, writing a book, and God knows what else. You have a finite amount of time and energy — remember that.

Experimenting with different things and exploring new interests is an important part of personal growth. However, if you want to make a big impact in your life and reach your goals, it is important to stay focused on the tasks at hand rather than dabbling in a variety of activities. Finally, if you found this blog post interesting, or even if it just changed your perspective on things, please let me know in the comments below ↓ Your feedback really matters to me.

Thanks for stopping by! ❤️

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June Goals | Summer 2023

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Oh my goodness, it feels like time is flying by so quickly and it’s already June! I feel like I just blinked and now the calendar has changed to Summer 2023. It’s been abnormally warm here in Alberta with temperatures higher than normal for this time of year. On top of that, we didn’t get any snow during the month of May which is highly unusual. In the past, snowfall was still a common occurrence during the month of May, but this year that wasn’t the case. Thus, the warm weather is likely here to stay for some time. That being said, the wildfires in northern Alberta are causing smokey skies, which makes it hard to enjoy the nice weather.

That’s my life offline; online is a different story. These days, I’m having a blast creating anime-style artwork using a cool AI generator I discovered on #Twitter, which has forced me to learn and understand the basics of how Discord works. When I’m not tweeting anime art, I post poetry, blog posts, Medium articles (Good Lord, am I still going on about this?) and pics of my cat. Unfortunately, my cat is ill so any prayers would be appreciated. You can follow me via the following link:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

🅷🅴🅻🅻🅾 🆂🆄🅼🅼🅴🆁 🅷🅴🅻🅻🅾 🅹🆄🅽🅴

I Just Had an Aha Moment and It’s Wild!

In fact, it’s so wild that I am making a major pivot and wholeheartedly embracing the entrepreneurial life….yikes! But let me explain. After giving it a lot of thought, my biggest realization is that no matter how much I enjoy writing for passive income Medium, writing for the sole purpose of earning money isn’t enjoyable for me. Honestly, I have no desire to become a freelancer, do affiliate marketing, write product reviews (I am naturally inclined to live a minimalistic lifestyle), copywrite, create eBooks, and so on – it’s undeniable that success in these fields is deeply rooted in blogging and networking. Sorry, but I won’t compromise my happiness for the sake of earning a few more cups of coffee.

This deep realization has caused me to pause and truly ask myself the question: what am I truly passionate about? The answer came to me in an unexpected way last week. It was almost as if it had been there all along, buried deep within my subconsciousness, and was just waiting for the right moment to present itself. My childhood experiences have had a lasting impact on me, and many of my interests today stem from things that I enjoyed as a child. Although I had many hobbies as a kid, writing wasn’t one of them.

Now I am going off on a tangent, so I digress. Here are my upcoming goals for the month of June:

JUNE GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Plot shift availability for the rest of June to August
  • Catch up on work emails + look for upcoming MLL courses
  • Start working on a side hustle → add at least 5 items to my catalogue

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Find my Posh habit-tracking planner → I need to start using it
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
Photo by Miesha Maiden on Pexels.com

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

After careful consideration, I decided to include my new side-hustle under Career Goals even though there is a lot of overlap between this and my Personal Goals. It is quite possible that in the near future, I may need to create an entirely new category specifically for my side-hustle goals depending on how things go. After all, I have a history of beginning new projects only to eventually lose interest and abandon them.

Even though I am not focusing all of my energy on Medium this month, I am still actively engaged on the platform, and will continue to check in regularly. If I do end up writing anything, it is highly unlikely that articles will be written specifically for Medium; instead, they may be published on my blog first and then shared on Medium.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

May Recap | Spring 2023

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Can you believe that the month of May has already come and gone? It’s simply astonishing how quickly time passes us by, it really feels like it was just yesterday! Seriously, how is it already the end of May? It seems like time flew by in a blink of an eye and I didn’t even have a chance to take it all in.

This month has been incredibly busy – I worked on my anniversary day and Mother’s Day, so I decided to take the day off on my son’s birthday as a special treat. Yes, it was important for me to take that day off so that I could spend quality time with my family and enjoy the special occasion.

Feeling Burnout with Medium

As of late, I have been feeling increasingly frustrated with the Medium platform. My traffic and stats are at an all-time low and my follower count has stalled. Not only that, but I made a measly $0.78 USD this month which is maybe enough to buy a chocolate bar from Dollarama. Personally, I just don’t see how Medium makes any practical sense unless I want to devote 3-4 hours/day engaging with other writers, leaving comments, networking, etc. I don’t have time for these things when I could be doing something that takes me closer to my goals.

If you’re not already following me on Medium, I highly recommend it. I’m not planning on abandoning that platform, however at this time I will no longer be publishing original articles there. That being said, I’m considering transferring the previously written articles to this platform so that my followers here can have access to them as well.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

MAY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Don’t call in sick this month I didn’t miss any days of work during the month of May! I didn’t get sick nor did I need to take a mental health day. Yay, me?
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL modules No need to catch up on the MLL modules; most work emails have been taken care of, but not all.
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes I organize my backpack every week. I’ll remove it from next month’s list of goals.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap Yes, I am doing this right now. I have no plans to abandon my blog.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog I am unsure if I should continue to pursue this goal. The outcome these past 2-3 months was not as expected and I don’t want to give up, but I am uncertain about whether to invest more energy into this hobby.
  • Announce the winner of the giveaway in a blog post You can read that blog post here! ✨💫
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Managing my family’s busy schedule is exhausting. Text message reminders are helping me stay on track with all of my appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 + finish diamond tournament 💎 I completed the diamond tournament and felt slightly disappointed afterwards, so I am no longer as enthusiastic about competing. Nevertheless, I still plan on learning German but will take my own time to do so. If by chance I drop out of that league, then it won’t be a problem for me anymore.

Health Goals:

  • Continue to track steps + upload progress on Twitter After returning from Singapore, I failed to maintain a daily goal of 10,000 steps and became complacent. Feeling frustrated with the lack of progress, I gave up on reaching that goal. I want to get back into fitness next month.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸 Unfortunately, no progress has been made on Level 44 even after numerous tries. I’m still stuck there!
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app → 1 Gallon of water per day My experiment of drinking a gallon of water each day using a large jug lasted ONE DAY! My husband complained about my water jug taking up too much space, prompting me to ditch it and stop tracking my water intake. Next time, I will keep my 32-oz water bottles chilled in the fridge. I really want to do better next month.
  • Simplify my diet and reduce my intake of processed food This month, I was unable to stick to any particular diet and I ended up feeling really terrible and bloated. Does anyone have any suggestions or tips on how to reduce bloating? Trying to find a healthier way of eating for the long-term would be greatly appreciated.

And there you have it! Despite the fact that I worked hard and there were many distractions this month of May, I still feel like my discipline wasn’t up to par. My health goals were completely neglected and this is something I regret and fully intend to correct in the future. With that being said, I know that I can always strive for more and do better in order to reach my goals. I know I won’t be ready for bikini season but it doesn’t mean I can’t wear sundresses! I just want to wear sundresses without feeling bloated and uncomfortable.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there. Exciting changes are coming soon, and I’ve been hinting about it on Twitter.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

7th Blogiversary Giveaway Winner! ✨💫  

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𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤….

….….….

….….….

….….….

ℝ𝕠𝕤𝕖!

Congratulations, Rose! I am absolutely delighted to let you know that an email will be coming your way soon.

If you haven’t heard of the incredible blogger, Rose, then you are truly missing out. She blogs about topics such as cosplay, anime, anime reviews as well as all things kawaii. Her blog posts are both informational and entertaining; full of interesting facts and insightful analysis which makes it one of my absolute favorite blogs to read.

♡ Link to Rose’s Blog: https://wretchedanddivine.wordpress.com/

✿ A Quick Note for My Readers ✿

I would like to extend my most sincerest appreciation and gratitude to everyone who participated. Despite the fact that it was somewhat anticipated that the overall turnout of Canadian readers would be low, I am still deeply humbled and pleased by those who took the time to enter the giveaway.

This is my first time organizing a giveaway, and admittedly, I’m still feeling anxious about making sure that the package arrives safely to its destination. I want to ensure everything goes according to plan. Nevertheless, I remain hopeful that everything will work out in the end.

Thanks for reading! ♥

Last Chance to Enter the Giveaway!

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Hey everyone! This is your final and last-minute reminder that the giveaway is closing tomorrow at midnight ET, so don’t forget to enter for a chance to win! I’ll be randomly drawing the name of the lucky winner later this week, so be sure to watch this space. If you need a reminder of the rules, they are listed in detail below ↓ Just click on the link to enter the giveaway and you’re all set!

•✧ GIVEAWAY RULES!! ✧•

1️⃣ This contest is limited to WordPress bloggers only. To qualify, you must have a blog on WordPress and be following this blog. Following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz) is optional.

2️⃣ This contest is limited to Canadians only. If I don’t get enough entries, I’ll include the United States too.

3️⃣ No purchase is necessary to enter or win. I will pay the shipping fee.

4️⃣ You’ll have to be comfortable sharing your email and address with me if you win.

5️⃣ Entries close at midnight ET on May 22. I will announce the winner during the week unless the winner chooses to remain antonymous.

6️⃣ The winner must provide their address via email or text message to claim their prize by June 1. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

✰ MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOUR ✰

13 Reasons Why I Unfollowed Your Blog

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The blog title is somewhat of an exaggeration and should not be taken literally. I wanted to create a similar blog post as the one I wrote some time ago, titled The 6 Most Annoying Types of Blogs. If you’re having trouble finding the blog post or just want a link, then I’ll make it easier for you and provide the link below ↓ I am experimenting with new formatting in the WordPress editor:

The 6 Most Annoying Types of Blogs

To Unfollow or not to Unfollow, That IS the Question.

Before anyone gets too worked up over my title, there’s a good chance that I didn’t unfollow you. Even if I happened to unfollow your blog, it could very well be attributed to WordPress’s quirky behavior. Okay, let’s say I did unfollow your blog. If that’s the case, then I would really appreciate if you kept reading in order to gain a better understanding of my thought process prior to unfollowing someone on WordPress.

Also, It’s important to keep in mind that the strategies outlined in this list aren’t limited to WordPress blogs, but they can be applied to other popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to name a few. I believe that this subject is closely related to the problem of annoying blogs, as it’s typically one of the main reasons why people choose to unfollow someone. Below ↓ I want to show you 13 Things that bloggers do which may prompt someone to unfollow them. Please note that the following list is in no particular order. Let’s get started, shall we?

13 Reasons Why I Unfollowed You on WordPress

1. You complain too much. I get the sense that your life sucks: there is too much bitching, whining, or complaining. If you see me constantly trying to give you advice, that means I want to help you. But seeing the same shit over an over and over again tells me that you don’t listen or you aren’t willing to take advice from anyone. I’m likely to unfollow your blog if the content is predominantly negative, so it’s best to keep things uplifting.

2. You teach me stuff that I already know. I am sure you put in a lot of effort and research into writing your blog posts. Though, if you seem to be replicating other people’s work and not contributing any originality in your blog posts, then it’s evident that your writing style does not fit my preferences. It is nothing against you, but this is simply my view.

3. You did the research but the execution sucks. Your blog posts have a lot of merit and you have raised some excellent points that I hadn’t considered before. Your blog posts look professional and well-crafted, and it is clear that a great deal of effort has gone into creating them. However, the execution of the content could be improved; you seem to be missing some very important and obvious points which could be key takeaways for readers.

4. You’re always trying to sell me something. It’s obvious that you’re putting in a lot of effort to persuade me into buying something and your marketing strategy is quite apparent. Unfortunately, not many bloggers have the expertise to incorporate ads tastefully without it looking too spammy. I will be sure to unfollow/unsubscribe if I see posts from bloggers that are trying too hard to make a sale.

5. You didn’t proofread first. Grammar and spelling errors are unfortunately all too common, which can a pet peeve for those who take pride in their work and expect the same of others. The lack of interesting visuals and creative writing style can also make the content appear visually dull, leaving a less-than-favorable impression on the reader. This is why it’s so important to be diligent in proofreading your work and use images where appropriate to add another layer to your writing.

6. TMI seems to be your niche. I’m already at my limit when it comes to the number of personal diaries and oversharing posts about sexual encounters, erotica, and other topics that fill up my feed. I have already chosen a few blogs that provide me with interesting content, but adding any more would just be too much for me to handle.

7. You’re obnoxious. That can range anywhere from inappropriate content like sexually explicit (see point #6) to questionable lifestyle choices. Controversial content is OK but keep it classy, please. I am not even bringing politics into this. If your moral compass is completely different than mine, then we’re not on the same vibe! ✨

8. You’re not being authentic. The inauthentic nature of content is painfully obvious, and it can be very tempting to try to fit in with the crowd. It’s always best to make sure you are staying true to your own unique voice and perspective. In the blogosphere, being yourself is much more valuable than blending in with everyone else.

9. You write like your age. I want to make this perfectly clear. I’m not saying that I don’t follow tweens and teens on WordPress, because I do. There’s a 14-year old entrepreneur who I follow on #Twitter, for example. I prefer to follow blogs and social media accounts with professional writing styles, regardless of someone’s age.

10. You post ++++ times a day. In my opinion, posting several times a day is too much for me. There are already quite a few bloggers who share multiple posts per day that I follow and have developed strong relationships with. My reader is already oversaturated with this type of content, and I feel that it would be best to avoid saturating it even more.

11. Your blog posts look like FB statuses. If I come across yet another blog post that is void of words and/or only contains pictures, I will unfollow you and move on. Keep the status updates for Facebook where they belong, and please don’t expect us to make the effort to click on a title that eventually reveals nothing but a post with no words. Nothing frustrates me more than when people post without any real purpose or value.

12. You’re too indecisive with your blog. What do I mean by this? You jump from one domain to another, constantly changing your blog’s name in a way that makes it confusing for readers to keep track of – either by making it unrecognizable or changing it too frequently. This can make it very difficult for your readers to keep up with who they are following, and can be a huge detriment to building an audience. Make up your mind and stop being so wishy-washy.

13. Your blog isn’t user-friendly. It seems like your blog’s link may be broken, or it is not properly optimized to be user-friendly. This makes it difficult for readers to leave comments, and as a result, many visitors may have stopped commenting on your blog posts. If you don’t use WordPress hosting services, your blog may not meet the standards needed to keep current readers engaged, potentially leading them to become frustrated and unfollow your blog.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

If you are a blogger, regardless of your level of experience, it is essential to understand how to engage with your readers in a meaningful manner. Even though you are the owner of the blog or website, this does not give you full freedom to post whatever content you want, that is, if you wish for people to remain loyal followers. Rather than posting any kind of content, it is wise to curate useful and relevant content that resonates with your followers while maintaining a level of professionalism and friendliness.

I’d like to make it clear that the reasons I’ve listed are not necessarily representative of everyone else’s reasons. It’s likely that my list looks very different than yours does. If this blog post taught you something or made you think about the way you go about blogging differently, feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment below ↓ I will try to reply to your comments on my days off.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

great-vibes.regular (1)

May Goals | Spring 2023

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Okay, I know what you’re thinking – I’m so late getting around to this monthly goals blog post for May 2023. You’re right, I am late but let me explain. Last weekend, I was working from Friday to Sunday, so I was M.I.A. It was also my seven-year (marriage) anniversary. At least we had cake, but everything was so rushed that I didn’t get a chance to enjoy it. I wish I could say that May has been a piece of cake so far, but that’s not the case at all!

For those of you who have been following me on Twitter, I will continue to add updates of my progress, such as completing a challenging workout or achieving another Duolingo lesson. Additionally, I may post small pieces of creative work, like poems, pictures of my cat, and photos of my favorite beverage lol Twitter is where I tend to open up and share my thoughts. You can follow me via the following link:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

🌸 𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝒽𝒶𝒹 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑀𝒶𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈! 🌸

👉Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik

I’m Tired and Grumpy. That’s a fact.

May has so far been exhausting, with mundane assignments and monotonous daily duties. My workload is especially demanding this month to the point where I am completely drained and lack the energy to do anything else. Fortunately, I haven’t experienced burnout yet, but tiredness and lack of interest in things are affecting me. I’ve been feeling quite anti-social lately, but I’m still managing to remain organized and productive. My secret? Writing out my monthly goals lol It has given me a sense of direction and purpose in life that I didn’t have before. Though I’m still trying to figure out how to maintain my productivity on a daily basis, the process of setting goals each month has at least given me a sense of accomplishment and control over my life. Yes, I believe this is something to celebrate! Please pass the cake!

MAY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Don’t call in sick this month → Stay healthy!
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL modules
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Announce the winner of the giveaway in a blog post
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 + finish diamond tournament 💎

Health Goals:

  • Continue to track steps + upload progress on Twitter
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app → 1 Gallon of water per day
  • Simplify my diet and reduce my intake of processed food

And there you have it! I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of May. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below ↓ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. Additionally, I am hosting a giveaway for my Canadian readers to celebrate my 7th blogiversary!

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

April Recap | Spring 2023

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I finally have a chance to sit down and write this month’s blog post as it has been an incredibly busy few weeks for me. Between the demands of my job, my household duties, and taking care of my children, I simply haven’t had the time to write until now that my husband is away on business trips. Despite all that, I can finally sit my butt down and write this blog post. I am working tomorrow so I don’t know when there will be time to draft a blog post for the monthly goals I have for May 2023.

Surprisingly, I managed to stay productive with my writing habits this past month in spite of being away in Singapore for the first two weeks of April 🏝️ It wasn’t until April 17 that I got back into the swing of things and started writing blog posts and Medium articles again. Unfortunately, I have limited time and energy now that Becca is at school and I am back at work every. single. week (Friday – Sunday). I apologize for any delays in responding and I’m doing my best to use my free time to catch up. Thank you for understanding.

More Articles for You to Read 📖

On Medium (@sereneluna), I have the freedom to express my honest and sometimes controversial opinions regarding topics related to freelancing, entrepreneurship, and other fields (eg. what defines a toxic person?) that I may not be able to write about on my blog. I’m not an entrepreneur, but I still find practical advice from successful entrepreneurs helpful for personal development. Listening to podcasts hosted by successful entrepreneurs and life coaches is a great way to gain valuable insights.

Here are the Medium articles that I posted during the month of April, which doesn’t include the articles I already uploaded on this blog. For those of you who are members on Medium, if you click on the links below and read these articles, I will earn a small commission to help fuel my steeped tea addiction. Thank you, in advance! ✌️💕

Medium Article Links:

1️⃣ Related Article: Somebody Cut You Out of Their Life, Now What?

2️⃣ Related Article: Stop Dabbling and Start Winning at Life

APRIL GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Prepare to go back to work next weekend Yes, I went back to work on April 22nd, and I haven’t had to call in sick yet *knock on wood* As stated above, I work Friday – Sunday (evenings).
  • Catch up on work emails I am still catching up on emails. There have been lots of changes at work, so I have been receiving a lot more emails than usual.
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes I do this on a weekly basis and will reorganize my backpack tonight. I have already printed my notes.
👉 I am finally uploading the screenshot from last month!

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I uploaded more blog posts this past month than I usually do. In total, I uploaded 4 blog posts in April! I think that is a new record for me 🙂
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog I have yet to share the Medium articles on this blog. Is anyone interested in these articles?
  • Write an article about Medium 1-month trial experience Since Medium traffic in April was at an all-time low, I didn’t think many people would read my post so I wrote a rough draft of it on my phone. It’s possible that I’ll upload it at some point though.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments Despite my enthusiasm for tracking habits, I haven’t taken the time to use my fancy planner this year. I’m still using my basic one, and I’m not sure why I haven’t been more diligent when it comes to staying organized.
  • Daily Duolingo practice  + weekly friend quests I made it to Diamond League and am back to grinding for XP on Duolingo! *grumbles* I simply don’t benefit from learning German if I am not grinding for XP and competing in the leagues.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress Nope, this did not happen. I have given up on the treadmill because my clothes are fitting tight again and I feel like crap. I figured that I need to focus on my diet and hydration right now.
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee I drank whatever I wanted in Singapore, which included a lot of sugar cane juice! When I returned home, I went back to drinking water, tea, and some coffee.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app By default, this app tracks my steps. I wasn’t too active with the social aspect, so I didn’t really plant virtual flowers. That being said, I still use the app on a daily basis.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time My diet suffered A LOT during the month of April. I felt so dehydrated and gross by the end of April but I couldn’t go back to eating a high carbohydrate diet. I was feeling the adverse effects of consuming too much sugar from all the fruits and snacks I was eating, so I decided to switch to a more intuitive way of eating. As a result, my body naturally gravitated towards intermittent fasting (IF), which is similar to what I used to do years ago before IF was popular.

(っ◔◡◔)っ FYI: If you’re not already following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my health & fitness progress, and you can get real-time updates about my day-to-day life there.

•♡•♥•♡•♥•♡•

P.S. As a special celebration for the 7th anniversary of my blog, I am holding a giveaway exclusively for my Canadian readers! If you live in Canada and already following my blog, you need to act fast – the deadline to enter this giveaway is May 22. I’ll announce the lucky winner on this blog so make sure to watch this space!

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

Things that Make Me Happy

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I recently published a blog post about the Things that make me unhappy and it seemed to have resonated with a lot of readers. If you haven’t read it yet, here is the quick link to that blog post so you can catch up:

♡ Related Blog Post: Things that Make Me Unhappy

Naturally, it made sense to make another list, but this time focus on the Things that make me happy. Such an original title, I know! 😅 Anyway, here is my list of 11 things that make me happy. Please keep in mind that this list is not presented in any particular order. Each list is unique to the individual, so my list will likely differ from your list. Let’s get started, shall we?

A List of Things that Make Me Happy

1. My cat, Timon. Timon is an absolute blessing in my life. We adopted him in Spring 2019, when I was really depressed and feeling overwhelmed with anxiety. Even now, when I’m anxious, the warm cuddles from my cat bring me immense comfort and joy 🐈‍⬛💕

2. My family. Apart from my immediate family which includes my children and husband, my parents who live across the country are also a key part of my family. Despite our past issues, we try to stay connected through phone calls and have found that it is much easier to get along when we aren’t living together.

3. Steeped tea & MCDs coffee. I’m a huge fan of Tim Hortons steeped tea and McDonalds coffee. Even though I can make the coffee from home, nothing beats the joy of buying it. Steeped tea is something that I simply can’t replicate and will go out of my way to get, even though these feelings of happiness are fleeting.

4. Bubble tea. I think I enjoy bubble tea more than the average person, even though the pleasure is only temporary. Unfortunately, I can’t afford it on a regular basis, so it has become something of a guilty pleasure! Although I can make it at home, I still prefer to buy it at a tea shop. It’s more fun that way!

5. Bubble baths. I absolutely love taking hot, bubble baths to warm up on cold days where I live. They give me a much-needed break from the chill and serve as an escape for some relaxation and self-care. Not only that, but it also helps to reduce stress levels and soothe my mind.

6. Walks in nature. On a beautiful day, I will take a pleasant stroll outside. 🌞 Walks outside are far more enjoyable than walking on the treadmill. I try to limit my indoor time to three days or less, as feeling trapped indoors for extended periods of time can be mentally exhausting. The longest period of time that I stayed indoors without going outside was a depressing 3 weeks – something that I never want to experience again!

7. Saving money. I tend to prioritize saving my money rather than spending it because the feeling of having a substantial amount of money in my bank account is much more satisfying than the fleeting pleasure of buying something. Moreover, I enjoy living a debt-free life as I have worked hard to get to this point and would like to maintain it.

8. My iPhone. Despite my struggles with smart phone addiction, which I previously mentioned in [this post], I am incredibly thankful for my iPhone SE. While it may not be the newest model on the market, it still works and brings me immense joy every day. My iPhone allows me to stay connected with people all over the world! 🌎

9. My blog. I am eternally grateful for having my blog and access to the awesome WP community, as it has allowed me to build strong connections with people who share similar interests and passions. I’m filled with joy to respond to comments and connect with my friends on this platform. Every single one of you leave such beautiful and kind comments, which I always look forward to reading each day.

10. Podcasts. If you see me with airpods in my ears, it’s almost certain that I’m listening to an educational or self-development podcast. Podcasts are my go-to source of entertainment and I often find myself learning something new. Occasionally, I’ll listen to some music, but almost exclusively instrumental pieces; lyrics tend to distract me too much.

11. Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (ACNH) has been a source of great fun to me. Even though there’s other games to play on the Nintendo Switch, I still find myself playing ACNH often. Animal Crossing has provided me the opportunity to step away from my depression and concentrate on building something beautiful.

Screenshots are my own → I am always improving my 5-star Island!🏝️🍒

(っ◔V◔)っ Please Note: Unfortunately, I cannot give players a tour of my Animal Crossing Island without renewing the online subscription first, which is a scam in my humble opinion. I am not paying for it this year! 🙇‍♀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

As you can see, there are 11 items on my list again which was intentional btw. I wanted to ensure the negative list and positive list were evenly balanced. And like I said last time, if I sat down for an hour to really reflect and journal about it, the list would be much longer. Overall, I think that it’s important to take time out of your busy day to think about the things that bring you joy and to practice gratitude. I highly encourage you to create your own list of the things that make you happy.

Thanks for stopping by! ❤️

Virtual Diva: Powered by AI

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Disclaimer: I decided to take a leap of faith and try out AI-technology to help me write a poem. To my surprise, I was amazed at the capabilities of the AI technology and how it could craft words together so effortlessly. I am truly impressed by its potential for creating unique pieces of content, even with challenging prompts. If you like this poem, feel free to check out my other poetry musings here. ✨

↓ 𝕊𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕝 𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕟 𝕥𝕠 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕡𝕠𝕖𝕞 ↓

P.S. You can also connect with me on Twitter (@hellokitty8404), and I encourage you to subscribe to my blog so that you can receive the latest updates from me. Additionally, I am hosting a giveaway for my Canadian readers to celebrate my 7th blogiversary!

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

Thanks for reading! ♥︎

Forever Stuck Leveling Up: A #PikminBloom Review

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Before I begin, I am reposting my original Medium article on the blog. However, this blog post is the most comprehensive and up-to-date version of the article, as I have edited it to reflect some updates. I am not being endorsed or paid to write this review. However, if you are already a Medium subscriber, I might earn a small commission for my Medium article. It might only be a few pennies, but it’s better than earning nothing at all. Here is the link to the original Medium article:

♡ Medium Article: Forever Stuck on Level 42

Since fall of 2021, I have been playing this cute little step-tracking game called Pikmin Bloom. It is very similar to its older cousin, Pokémon GO since both mobile games were developed by Niantic.

I’m not going to explain how this game works, so if you’re interested in learning more, I’ll leave a resourceful link for you here:

👉 https://pikminbloom.com/en/

At one point, there were 60 levels but the game has since been updated to reflect the need for additional levels. In the beginning, the levels are simple and easy to complete, but as you progress in the game, it becomes more difficult with each level. The game is very simplistic and adorable in my opinion, and it has a lot of decent side quests to occupy your time with.

Personally, I am absolutely obsessed with this adorable little game that is available as an app on my phone. My followers on #Twitter are probably annoyed by my tweets and rants about it! This game has become such a big part of me that I have even included it in my Twitter bio 😅 I am indeed a #PikminBloom enthusiast and I am not ashamed.

What Makes This Game so Great?

The Pikmin Bloom mobile app is a spinoff from the Pikmin Bloom video game(s) which I have never played. Sure, leveling up can become a grind, but I think that’s what makes the game exciting to play. Those things that we have to work hardest for are often the most rewarding.

At first sight, this game may appear to be just like any other fitness game but there are hidden depths to it. There are side quests and other challenges which you can complete, helping you stay motivated and engaged with the game for longer. Despite my best efforts, I found myself stuck at level 42 for 8 freaking months!

When I wrote this article, I was struggling to advance to Level 43 because of the number of flowers needed. However, I managed to move on to Level 44, which I am currently stuck on. Unfortunately, I am still having difficulty advancing any further as there is a necessary flower requirement that has proven to be an obstacle in my journey. Ironically, the flower requirement for Level 44 is the same as the one I had for Level 42 😑 This is an ongoing struggle of mine and it is almost laughable at this point.

As you can see, I have let my steps accumulate but I am disengaged with the game itself. I tried doing additional side quests, collecting cool postcards from around the world, and leveling up with team players who I found on #Twitter, but that’s where the fun stops.

I stopped caring about the steps. I stopped putting in the hard work and I have become complacent. At one point, I resorted to my treadmill back when I still cared about steps. Then I quickly learned that there was an additional challenge to this game: You need to plant flowers!! 🌼

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬?

I’m having a hard time leveling up because it takes too much time and effort to plant more flowers, and the inconveniences outweigh the benefits. I know this is a lame excuse, but please hear me out. Living in Canada is already quite challenging as it is, and here’s why:

🌸 My grass is not that green

I live in Canada, and the grass here is not nearly as green as it is where you are. Rather than being sunny and warm, it’s snowy (and cold!). So why would I want to go out when I could stay inside? It might sound a bit ridiculous, but when it’s below freezing and there’s snow on the ground, the chore of planting virtual flowers in a game is humorous because it doesn’t represent real life.

I would like to see the game’s design reflect the real-time weather conditions in more immersive and realistic ways like it’s done with Flight Simulator. My husband is excited about the future of the Flight Simulator update, so he’s been telling me a lot about it.

🌸 Treadmills are only good for steps

I used to use my treadmill when I first started this game. But then I found out that there was an additional challenge of planting flowers. You can’t plant flowers on a treadmill because the game does not count walking in one spot as square footage for planting. Treadmills are only good for adding to your daily step count.

(っ◔V◔)っ Game Update: After I posted this article, I like to think that the developers listened to me, as now I can plant flowers while on the treadmill. As you can see, I still suck at planting virtual flowers.

🌸 I have limited phone data

I live in Canada where phone plans are expensive for what they are. I have limited data on my phone, and have used up my data trying to plant flowers outdoors. I seem to have a 50% success rate planting flowers at locations with free WiFi but the game eats up my phone battery like it’s a snack.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

I am very curious to know if you have played the Pikmin Bloom mobile game. What level are you currently stuck on? Please leave your comment below ↓ and join the conversation!

P.S. You can also connect with me on Twitter (@hellokitty8404), and I encourage you to subscribe to my blog so that you can receive the latest updates from me. Additionally, I am hosting a giveaway for my Canadian readers to celebrate my 7th blogiversary!

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

A Giveaway, Maybe?

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Lucky Number 7️⃣

For me, the number 7 has always held a special significance and has been linked to luck in my life. On May 7th, I married my SO and this year marks our seventh anniversary together. Additionally, this is also the year of my 7th blogiversary and coincidentally, it is also the same year that my daughter turns 7 years old – making it an even more remarkable milestone to celebrate.

Celebrating my 7th #blogiversary with a #givesway! 🎉🥳

⑦ ⑦ ⑦ ⑦ ⑦ ⑦ ⑦

I knew that I had to do something special for my readers and decided to try a giveaway for the first time. This is a great opportunity for me to give back to you guys who have supported me all of these years. The prize is a Meditative Adult Coloring Kit from Costco, which might be useful to anyone who enjoys this activity. You may be wondering why I chose this particular item as the giveaway – and let’s just say it’s a long story that I rather not get into.

If you want to see what the adult coloring kit looks like, I took a some pictures with my phone. You might have noticed that the price tag is still on it. I am not going to bother removing the price tag because it will make a sticky mess.

•✧ GIVEAWAY RULES!! ✧•

1️⃣ This contest is limited to WordPress bloggers only. To qualify, you must have a blog on WordPress and be following this blog. Following me on Twitter (@serene_hilz) is optional.

2️⃣ This contest is limited to Canadians only. If I don’t get enough entries, I’ll include the United States too.

3️⃣ No purchase is necessary to enter or win. I will pay the shipping fee.

4️⃣ You’ll have to be comfortable sharing your email and address with me if you win.

5️⃣ Entries close at midnight ET on May 22. I will announce the winner during the week unless the winner chooses to remain antonymous.

6️⃣ The winner must provide their address via email or text message to claim their prize by June 1. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

➤ Click here to enter the giveaway

✰ May the odds be ever in your favour ✰