March Recap | Spring 2021

I wanted to upload a new blog post highlighting my goals for the month of March but I was working yesterday evening. And earlier this week, I was too exhausted to do anything productive. I am a very last-minute person when it comes to blogging because it is not my top priority these days, so consequently, my blog posts tend to be a bit late. As of late, WP has changed the settings yet again so I am not very eager to use the WP editor. A blogger suggested that I write my rough drafts elsewhere so I am trying Microsoft Word now. If this works, you might be seeing more blog posts from me in the future.

Although March started off slowly, I did end up picking up more shifts mid-March. In terms of the habit-tracker, I stopped using it because I find that a basic list is fine for my needs. I have simplified my life so much that nothing is overly complicated anymore. Furthermore, I believe that much of our anxiety and depression stems from having overly-complicated schedules and lifestyles. Don’t get me wrong – I still get anxiety and depression, but it’s manageable despite doing things that are still anxiety-provoking. I also pride myself for living medication-free and am living proof that one can work through their problems using a holistic approach. 

Learning to Let Go 🧘‍♀️🌱

I feel less guilty declining shift offers as long as I do not have to interact with people. Much of my shift offers are done through texting/email which I am totally fine with. I ended up picking up extra shifts this month and my once-barren schedule for March quickly became a colorful mosaic. I am the type who feels like it is my obligation help out wherever I can, while forgetting that I have other things to do like studying for an upcoming NCLEX exam that continues to nip at my ankles. Reflecting on the March of March, here are the goals that I managed to accomplish:

MARCH GOALS 2021

Career Goals:

  • Continue picking up more shifts if it fits my schedule I managed to pick up a few extra shifts during the month of March and I am proud of myself for doing this. Let’s not forget that I am a newbie and stepping outside of my comfort zone makes me feel uncomfortable. I will admit that I often cry before shifts because I am terrified of the unknown. My dad used to tell me that I wasn’t making progress because my comfort zone only stemmed from my study desk to the garbage can in my room. And he was right. A person will not make much progress if they are unwilling to step outside of their bedroom, unless they are a full time blogger of course. As a teenager, I hardly left my room and my parents’ friends knew me as the girl who hibernated in her room and lived in her pajamas. To this day, I still live in my pajamas but I have made a lot of progress since then.
  • If shifts become available for second job, try to bid on them I ended up getting 3 shifts for my side-hustle job which was surprising. I did not have much luck bidding on shifts this week but that’s okay. You win some, you lose some. I predict that there will be a dry spell in April 2021 so I am not going to get my hopes up too much. Also, I might lose this job entirely once my job title changes (long story). Any extra shifts I am able to get during the month of April will be a bonus and definitely not something that I feel entitled to have.
  • Complete 1-2% of UWorld each day ➡ Test date is April 26, 2021 Yikes. I do not feel ready to write this exam and will probably never feel fully prepared. It is very exhausting juggling this pregnancy with a busy work schedule, and I hardly find the time to study these days. I am currently 86% done the QBank which I am proud of but I am still terrified of writing the NCLEX. I really need to pass this exam because my future depends on it #no-pressure
  • Finish writing the 3-6 month learning plan I submitted the learning plan but I still question how I am going to complete everything on the list. It is stuff like this that keeps me up at night. My learning plan is ambitious so I am really hoping that I will be able to finish it on time. I continue to try my best at work, but is “my best” really enough? I always feel like I could be doing more and never seem to feel satisfied with things.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts per month Let’s face it: I am writing the bare minimum right now. I am not sure if I will be uploading a goals-related blog post for April yet. Like I mentioned earlier, blogging is not my priority right now but I do find that these posts help keep me accountable for my actions. Also, I do not want to become complacent with my writing which is the main reason why I continue to blog.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments I went to all of my doctor’s appointments this month. However, I need to schedule a few more appointments which I plan to do during the months of April and May. I am still on the edge as to whether or not I should get the COVID-19 vaccine now or after I give birth. I am eligible to sign up for a vaccine now, so I am seriously considering it. There are a lot of appointments to keep track of so I recommend using a basic planner to keep track of everything, such as these ones:
  • Send some Easter snail mail I sent a bunch of mail to those who gave me their current addresses, but I have mixed feelings about continuing this craft. I love sending snail mail but I seldom get mail in return. Not only that, but half of the time, pen pals do not let me know if they received their mail so I often wonder if the mail got lost or something. Lack of communication drives me crazy and I try to practice what I preach. I try to let people know via email or text message when I have received their mail. Seriously, how difficult is that? 🙄
  • Continue tracking monthly spending I am really proud of this one, since I only spent $170.15 on myself during the month of March. My credit card bill was low because I cut out so many unnecessary expenses (except my monthly phone bill) and kept myself busy. I continue to shop at Dollarama but I go there once a week and spend ~$20-30 per trip. Did I mention that I still have money left over on that Tim Hortons gift card that I earned from Swagbucks back in January? I decided to finally use up the gift card by splurging on some treats for the family. It is hard to believe that $25 lasted me 1.5 months! With the Tims Rewards, Roll Up the Rim (RUTR), and hockey promotion thing, I managed to score some bonus drinks too! 🙌

Health Goals:

My only “health goal” was to stay healthy 😷 I am doing everything I can to keep myself and my family healthy, especially since I am exposed to potential pathogens at my workplace. Currently, I am craving crushed ice really badly which is a sign of iron deficiency. It is called Pica and I had cravings for ice chips when I was pregnant with my daughter as well. It turns out that I was severely anemic last time. I am not too worried this time because my cravings did not start until 3rd trimester where iron deficiencies are quite common; therefore, I am trying to eat things rich in iron. If anyone happens to know any recipes that are loaded with iron, please let me know in the comments section below ↓ In the meantime, I will continue chomping in my ice chips 😋

P.S. A while ago, I uploaded a Virgin Pina Colada recipe on my blog. I can assure you that all of my drinks are non-alcoholic. My current obsession are Virgin Lime Margaritas. My takeaway is that you can still enjoy these fancy drinks even when you are pregnant. Non-alcoholic drinks do not have to be “boring.” Another reason why I like these drinks is because #crushed-ice. It’s so refreshing! 🥥🍍

Thanks for stopping by!

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Published by Hilary Tan

I am currently in the process of finding my inner goddess as I search for inner peace, find mental clarity, develop mental toughness, and crush goals. Come join me on this journey so we can live our best lives!

35 thoughts on “March Recap | Spring 2021”

  2. ashleyleia says:

    I’m impressed that you’re keeping up blogging at all! I wrote my licensing exam back in the pre-NCLEX days. It’s weird, I don’t remember anything about it, like where it was held or whether or not it was difficult.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Hilary Tan says:

      From what I’ve heard, the exam is still weird. I’m nervous about it because I find UWorld quite challenging, which is supposed to be very similar to the NCLEX. I’m just praying that I pass it on the first attempt 🙏🏻 I’ve done most of UWorld so far except for the maternity section. For some reason, I cannot remember anything from class. To be fair, I took the maternity course in summer 2018 so my brain is foggy.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. LoseWeightWithAng says:

    My cat has Pica. She chews on plastic bags if I leave them around. My house has to be “childproofed” for her. The garbage bins are in the pantry and the cabinets with any plastic bags inside have child locks. She will actually eat the plastic. Bad kitty.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Has your cat been to the vet for munching on plastic bags? I can’t imagine that plastic digests very well. My cat eats earplugs! They’re bright yellow and far from appetizing and yet he goes after them. He’s been to the vet a couple of times.

      I have to keep my earplugs in a glass jar with a lid or jewelry box with a latch-style lock. He knows how to open things with zippers. Cats are sneaky! 🐈

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you. I’m going to need all the luck I can get 😅 Right now, the April goals are pretty much the same as the March goals.

      Happy Easter to you and your family as well! 🐣

      Like

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I’m not one to take compliments, but thank you for your kind words Melissa. Tbh I never thought of myself as amazing. I do try to stay disciplined but I admit it’s not always easy. There’s days where I don’t do anything productive.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      Thank you @bossybabe. I am the type who needs to write things down or I will forget about the things that I did accomplish. Having this list posted on the blog worked surprisingly well. When I started a fitness routine a couple years ago, I would post daily stories on IG which kept me accountable. Highly recommend having some form of accountability! 😄

      Liked by 1 person

  8. ceponatia says:

    1-2 posts should be my goal but I can’t just let it go. Lol. I can sympathize with the struggle you’re having with your learning plan. Mine is mostly self-regulated so there are no deadlines aside from, of course, college. But I still beat myself up pretty hard when I haven’t learned what I planned to in a week. But how much is a good amount? I have so many hobbies and I’m at that phase of life where I really need to get rid of a few or I’ll never get better at ANY of them. People say living forever would get boring because you’d eventually do everything but I think forever is ALMOST long enough for me to stop procrastinating. Lol

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      My solution to dealing with many hobbies to let a bunch of them go, and focus on 2-3 hobbies max. I used to get stressed out trying to start new projects and getting frustrated because I couldn’t figure out what “my thing” was. So I started subtracting a lot of stuff and simplifying my life. The stuff that brought me joy stayed and the stuff that I marked as a no or a maybe were eliminated. I’ve eliminated so many things including Facebook, Instagram, and crafts/DIYs. It’s easier to accomplish your goals when there are less things to focus on! 🙂 If you try to get good at all of them, you’ll only be average (at best) at all of them. Be the best version that you can be at your craft. That’s my advice, anyways. This also means taking breaks and slowing down to enjoy life. It’s okay to do less stuff. 🙂 I still procrastinate but there is enough free time now to procrastinate and not feel bad about it!

      Like

    • Hilary Tan says:

      I asked my husband if we ever received a postcard in the mail and he said not yet. I usually send cards to ppl within Canada and to the US. Honestly, you can find some of the cutest (and affordable) cards at Dollarama! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Hilary Tan says:

      As I learned from writing out my goals, it really does help me visualize them and actually follow through with them. I did the same thing this year because I didn’t have a planner. I still recommend making the virgin pina colada if you have the ingredients. It’s so simple and delicious! ❤

      Like

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