Category: Nursing

July Goals | Summer 2023

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Wow, can you believe how fast time is flying? Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Anyways, it’s hard to believe that it’s July! Guess what? My husband’s birthday is just around the corner, and although I’m uncertain where I’ll be for his birthday, chances are I’ll be out of province.

These days, I am contemplating where to put my focus and energy. Right now, it’s not in writing. However, I am feeling rather defeated with Redbubble and will probably slow down a bit with uploading designs. To date, I have uploaded 46 designs which is crazy considering that I only started beginning of June 2023. Due to their new “tier” system which takes an additional 30-50% from my already modest earnings, I am left with no option but to increase profit margins by 5%, which is less than ideal. That being said, my goal is to still add 100 designs to the shop by the end of September 2023. You can check out my shop via the following link:

♡ Quick Link: Sereneluna.redbubble.com

𝙷𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘 𝙹𝚞𝚕𝚢! 𝙱𝚎 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚠𝚊𝚕.

Everything is Awesome Exhausting

Lately, I have been experiencing extreme fatigue and a lack of motivation. It feels like every aspect of my life has become overwhelming and mundane. While I am not clinically depressed, these constant feelings of exhaustion and frustration are taking a toll on my overall well-being. Even activities that used to bring me joy now feel like burdensome tasks. When starting new projects, I often find my initial motivation fading away after a few weeks. The excitement and satisfaction I used to get from accomplishing tasks no longer gives me the same rush of dopamine.

This change in my approach to blogging doesn’t mean I’m quitting, rather it’s a decision to take a break during the summer. It could actually be beneficial for me to prioritize my creative energy and only write when inspiration strikes, without feeling obligated or guilty for not producing content consistently. Furthermore, I only have 2 shifts this month, which aligns with my need to slow down and recover from whatever this is.

JULY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Possibly bid on available shifts (optional)
  • Catch up on work emails + look for upcoming MLL courses
  • Work on side hustle → have 60+ designs by the end of July
➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 🐈‍⬛💕

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
  • Finish photo album for my dad → due July 12
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → advance to Level 45 🌸
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

As you can see, my Redbubble side-hustle falls under Career Goals even though there is a lot of overlap between this and my Personal Goals. I am determined to make more sales this month and I refuse to give up, despite the frustrations I have with Redbubble. Even though I haven’t been actively posting on Medium, I have no intentions of quitting that platform either. It can be challenging to find a balance, but I am determined to figure it out. If necessary, I may consider a dopamine-detox reset to help me feel better. Do you struggle with low-energy? Have you ever done a dopamine-detox? Let me know in the comments below ↓ and we can talk about it.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

June Recap | Summer 2023

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I apologize for the slight delay in publishing this blog post. Rest assured, it was for a good reason. I recently took a break and disconnected from the internet while exploring British Columbia and Washington state. It was important for me to recharge and enjoy some much-needed downtime. It was a refreshing break, and now I am back and ready to share this post with you. Thank you for your understanding.

And before you tell me not to apologize, I must inform you that I am Canadian, and apologizing is deeply ingrained in our culture. Canadians like to apologize for everything.

Mixed Feelings About Redbubble

I’ve recently ventured into the world of print-on-demand (POD) and it’s been quite a rewarding experience so far. Surprisingly, I managed to generate some sales during my very first month! However, it was disheartening to discover that Redbubble took a substantial portion of my earnings, approx. 90% of it even after including the profit margin! All thanks to their new “tier” system. I find the situation quite frustrating, but my only option right now is Redbubble. When it comes down to it, my earnings from Redbubble far surpass what I ever made on Medium. Although I still contribute to Medium, my activity on the platform has significantly decreased.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

Despite the challenges I’ve faced on Redbubble, my dedication to creating digital art and sharing it with the world remains unwavering. The valuable support and encouragement I receive from others serve as a powerful source of motivation for me. To provide you with a glimpse of the digital artwork I have been producing, I would like to share a screenshot showcasing some of my designs:

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

JUNE GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Plot shift availability for the rest of June to August I am away for the majority of July and I don’t know my husband’s schedule yet. Shift bids TBD.
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL courses I am a bit behind on work emails right now but I will catch up on them this week. There are no MLL courses to sign up for at this time.
  • Start working on a side hustle → add at least 5 items to my catalogue I actually 44 items to my Redbubble shop and far surpassed this goal! I’m really proud of myself 💁‍♀️

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I decided to repost a few of my Medium articles because there was a lot of interest from readers.
  • Find my Posh habit-tracking planner → I need to start using it Did I find it? Yes, I did. Did I use it? No, I did not.
  • 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 🇩🇪 While I may have slipped from the Diamond league, I am currently holding my ground in the Obsidian league. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I have adopted a more sustainable approach by committing to completing one lesson per day.
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • 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 I hardly used the app at all this month.
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc. I was doing great until we embarked on a road trip and my cravings for snacks kicked in. Now I’m back to buying snacks which I plan on cutting out again.
Some last minute shopping last week. I had to stop for steeped tea.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of July, I will be visiting my parents for a few weeks. However, I will still dedicate some time to pursue my passion for digital art and maintain my blog, if my schedule permits. Juggling multiple responsibilities has proven to be quite challenging, leaving me drained of energy. However, I have learned to prioritize and eliminate tasks that no longer serve me. One strategy that has been particularly helpful in keeping me on track is writing monthly goals blog posts. They serve as a constant reminder of what I need to focus on and help me stay motivated throughout the month.

(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.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

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! ♥

May Goals | Spring 2023

29 Comments

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! ♥

March Recap | Spring 2023

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Spring is here and it’s time to spring forward. That being said, it doesn’t feel like Spring here and there’s still lots of snow on the ground. Oh, the joys of living in Canada! 🍁

This month has taught me a valuable lesson about the importance of learning to let go and move on with your life. Although I have made some progress, I still have a long journey ahead of me. I have the itch to physically and emotionally declutter my space, so that is what I have been doing. I am currently in the process of decluttering my old laptop, phone, and #Twitter feed. It’s a work in progress but I am starting to feel a bit lighter.

Fill Your Own Cup First

This month, I only shared one post on this blog other than my Monthly Goals and Recaps. Although I had anticipated sharing more articles from Medium, I hadn’t found the time to do it yet. Nevertheless, I still have the intention of publishing my most recent article from Medium on here as it is an inspiring self-help article! If you want to read it now, I will share the Medium link here:

♡ Related Article: Nobody is Coming to Save You

Trial and Error

I also started a 1-month Medium subscription trial earlier this month and have already made plans to write an article regarding my experience with that. Although this content won’t be published on my blog due to its highly niche-specific nature and the fact that not all readers of my blog may be as interested in this subject matter, I do plan on writing th follow-up article eventually. For now, you can check out my article about my initial thoughts on getting a Medium subscription:

♡  Related Article: That’s it. I’m Buying a Medium Subscription!

MARCH GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Stay up-to-date on my work schedule I wasn’t too pleased with myself during the month of March as I had two days off. One of them was spontaneous as I didn’t feel well and the other one had been planned for a while in order to do some shopping before our trip.
  • Attend in-class sessions on March 14ᵗʰ & 15ᵗʰ I attended this class and got 100% on the exam. I was surprised because I didn’t feel ready to write it.
  • Request March 26ᵗʰ off as it no longer fits my schedule As stated above, I planned this at the beginning of the month.
  • Complete the Connect Care modules on MLL I made sure to review every detail twice prior to the upcoming exam in order to ensure that I had everything covered.

👉 Screenshot of Work Schedule TBU (To be uploaded…eventually)

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts In March, I published only one blog post which was a cross-post from Medium. I didn’t bring anything original to the table this month – sorry.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog If you’re interested in reading these articles, you can take a look at my work here and here. I already gave an overview of these articles up above (re: Nobody is coming to save you).
  • Sign up for a 1-month Medium Membership trial ✨ Yes, I signed up for the 1-month trial on March 6ᵗʰ Will continue with it once the trial ends? That’s for me to know and for you to find out in a future Medium article.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments I have been managing my schedule without any sort of planner and it’s amazing that I haven’t missed an appointment yet. However, it is time for me to update my planner this week as doing so will help me stay more organized.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I am determined to learn a new language but I’m choosing to take my time and go at my own pace. From what I can remember, I believe I am currently on Day 111 and have been steadily progressing this far. Since starting Duolingo, I have lost count of where exactly in the learning process that I am and know that this streak will be broken once we go on vacation. To be honest, after 3 months of using Duolingo, it has become quite tiresome and mundane which often leads to me forgetting to even open the app unless it notifies me with a reminder. Not gonna lie, I do miss the social aspect of the leagues and will likely re-join at some point.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress At the start of this month, I really made an effort to get back into using the treadmill. Unfortunately, I slipped back into bad habits and eventually stopped. Bad habits seem to repeat themselves, don’t they?
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee I mostly stuck to water, tea, and coffee this month. I also drank a lot of pineapple juice because I ate a lot canned pineapples 🍍
  • 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.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time I was really diligent about eating plant-based during the month of March up until this point lol Since I am currently on the go, I cannot eat as healthy as I would like to. I prefer eating low-fat, plant-based whenever possible. I am not vegetarian or vegan and do eat meat when plant-based meals aren’t an option.
When fresh fruit isn’t an option 🍍

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

•♡•♥•♡•♥•♡•

And there you have it! Just a quick update that I won’t be posting Monthly Goals for April 2023. Why? Because I will be visiting Nick’s relatives in Singapore. Although travelling stresses me out, at least Singapore is a tropical island! 🏝️ I even named my #ACNH island after Sentosa, which is a beautiful place in Singapore. Before I go, I will share with you some photos of Sentosa, my Animal Crossing island. Do you play Animal Crossing too? Let me know in the comments section below ↓

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

March Goals | Winter 2023

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You guys, it’s March 2023! I’m feeling excited to see what this month brings, but I’m also a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much I need to do and the days are flying by! It feels like I barely have enough time to check in with everyone and make sure you are doing well. To be completely honest, I’m still unsure if I will continue with these blog posts in the foreseeable future or not, but for now I will try to stay consistent. These monthly goal blog posts go hand-in-hand with my daily updates of what my life is like, which I will continue to post on Twitter. If you’d like to follow me and get a glimpse into what my day is like, please feel free to click the following link:

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

ℑ𝔱’𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔲𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔥🍀

Turning Over a Renewed Leaf

This is not exactly a new season or month for me, instead, it is more of a continuation of the last two months in terms of my monthly goals. I have made some small adjustments to my diet and have been exercising regularly, so I am not making any drastic changes or starting a new diet, etc. In fact, I intend to remain consistent with my current habits and continue to make subtle improvements that will help me ultimately achieve my goals. This month is a particularly busy one for me, as I am juggling my work commitments and parenting responsibilities, while also trying to get ready for an upcoming vacation next month. The pressure of having to finish all of these tasks in a timely manner while still having the time and energy to prepare for the trip is causing me a considerable amount of stress and anxiety. Unfortunately, I cannot provide you with any details about my travels yet, but I can assure you that I won’t be very active on social media while I’m away. All I can say is that my destination is a warm and sunny place! 🏝️

January Goals 2023

Career Goals:

  • Stay up-to-date on my work schedule
  • Attend in-class sessions on March 14ᵗʰ & 15ᵗʰ
  • Request March 26ᵗʰ off as it no longer fits my schedule
  • Complete the Connect Care modules on MLL

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Sign up for a 1-month Medium Membership trial ✨
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 → I want to go at my own pace

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress on Twitter
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee → cut back on spending $
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → continue to plant flowers 🌸
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time
Selfie taken March 17, 2020 🍀

And there you have it! My goals this month are very similar to those of last month, with an emphasis placed on getting fitter and healthier so I can feel more comfortable in my own body and potentially even wear my pre-pregnancy clothes again. My goal is to build a positive self-image, not only in regards to physical appearance, but also for my mental health. It is not only about accepting your body but also feeling good about it and not waking up every morning with self-hatred. Mental and physical health are equally important and should be given priority in order to achieve inner peace.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of March. 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. Though it is often a struggle to gain traction on that platform, I still find it really enjoyable to establish connections with fellow bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

February Recap | Winter 2023

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It is the end of the month, once again! I have thought about whether or not to continue with my monthly goals and recap blog posts. I’m curious to know if they have been a useful resource or tool for readers of this blog. Would you find value in these posts if I decided to keep them going? I haven’t been writing these blog posts for very long, yet my calendar is already full. That does not leave me much time to be creating quality content.

Despite the fact that I do not update this blog as frequently as I would like, I have been busy in other aspects of life and work has taken up a significant portion of my time and energy. On top of that, my family responsibilities take up an even greater portion of my day-to-day life. It often amuses me to see how people without kids feel they have the authority to comment on my parenting style when they are not experiencing the demands of being a parent themselves. Being a parent is one of the toughest jobs out there, so it’s no wonder why I prioritize this over blogging.

Let It Go~!

As I look back on the month of February, I am reminded that sometimes the answers that we receive in life, even though they may not be what we were hoping for, is usually the right answer. It can be excruciatingly difficult to come to terms with the fact that sometimes the answer we need is not necessarily the one that we would like to accept. I have yet to receive the closure that I was seeking, but I am slowly learning how to move on and accept these things for what they are. Letting go of things, whether it be a lingering grudge or feeling wronged by someone else, can certainly be a painful experience. Nevertheless, it is something that we must do in order to keep growing. These days, I have to keep reminding myself to “let it go!”

♡ Related Article: The Gift I Never Gave

FEBRUARY GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Continue to pick up day and evening shifts I was able to secure two evening shifts earlier this month, and the other ones were the same. As I’m not fond of day shifts, I’ll stick with evenings for the foreseeable future.
  • Catch up on emails I am up to date on the important emails. Anything that wasn’t pinned to the top of my email list got neglected. I only check my emails once a day whereas I used to check it multiple times a day.
  • Bid of shifts as they become available Yes, I decided to bid for two consecutive days as previously mentioned.
  • Work on the MLL courses. # of completed modules: ?? I didn’t count the modules because I don’t care enough to count them. But I did complete a handful of them. I still have a handful left, which I want to complete before the in-class course starts in mid-March.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts per month In February, I published two blog posts that weren’t the monthly goals and recaps. I also rewrote the poem, Friends No More and had fun answering the 20 Valentine’s Day Questions Tag ♥️
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog Last month, to my surprise, I managed to successfully publish two articles on Medium. This took me by surprise since I didn’t think I would end up with any published articles at all. If you’re interested, you can take a look at my work here and here. I have yet to post these articles on the blog but have plans to do so at some point.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments This seems to be an ongoing cycle that never ends, and even though I initially planned to share the details of my new Posh Planner for 2023, I haven’t been able to get around to using it yet. And despite making use of my basic $4 Dollarama planner, I have been quite forgetful lately.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 If you are a Duolingo user and haven’t added me yet, then I strongly encourage you to do so. I always accept someone who sends me a friend request as it’s great for doing the challenges with friends. I don’t have enough time to grind for XP, so I have been stuck in the Obsidian League for 3 weeks now.

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on my days off + Accountability If this is your first time reading my blog, then I strongly suggest that you follow me on #Twitter! Not only do I post updates and photos to keep myself accountable, but it is also an amazing platform to connect with others who are striving for similar goals. I recently started taking virtual tours around the world while working out, and it has been an incredibly fun and unique experience so far. It is a great way to stay motivated while exercising as I am able to explore beautiful places all over the world without leaving my home. The visuals of these virtual tours are awesome, thanks to an amazing YouTube channel called @TreadmillTV (and others).
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee Overall, I am quite pleased with my success in achieving this goal of limiting my beverage purchases. During the month of February, I mostly drank water, orange pekoe tea, and coffee. I even managed to limit my trips to Tim Hortons; I only had steeped tea a total of three times this month. Also, I did indulge in some bubble tea with my daughter out of our shared love for it – a total of two times this month.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app The nice thing about this app is that it syncs with the step-counter on my iPhone. Carrying my phone with me all day isn’t ideal, but this app helps me stay on track. I set myself the goal of 10K steps per day, and it’s done wonders for my health and fitness! Not only has it helped me lose weight, but I’ve seen an improvement in my overall wellbeing too.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time Although I’m quite conscious of my diet, I still indulge in unhealthy snacks. To make sure my lifestyle is balanced, I opted to stop buying fast food, which I did for the majority of February. It is important to note that I have a tendency to engage in disordered eating habits, which I don’t want to do, so I don’t intentionally practice intermittent fasting. Over the years, I have gotten better, but I still slip up occasionally.

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

•♡•♥•♡•♥•♡•

And there you have it! As you can see, my February Goals mostly stayed the same. I plan to upload a Monthly Goals Blog Post for March if I am able to find the time to do so. I will try to find time to post this week but there is no guarantee that I will be able to keep up with my writing schedule. After all, I also write for Medium (@sereneluna) and I am thinking about sharing those articles here 👀 It’s getting to the point where it’s hard to maintain a blog AND a Medium account. Now is a great time to follow me on Medium so you don’t miss any of my latest posts! I’m really happy to announce that I have now reached 1.3K followers on Medium and 1.4K followers on WordPress!

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

February Goals | Winter 2023

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It is indeed surprising how quickly February arrived, leaving me with barely enough time to check in with you all. Even so, I recognize the value in pushing forward with my goals and plans, and so, without hesitation, I have created a similar list for the month of January. My mundane day-to-day life has not changed much, but I remain committed to making sure I stick to my routine and achieve what I need to accomplish.

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

𝒫.𝒮. 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝑒𝓁𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒢𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒽𝑜𝑔 𝒟𝒶𝓎!

Different Month, Similar goals.

If you’re curious about the differences between this month and the last, you will find that it is pretty much the same routine (for the most part). Since I will continue to donate to Amref Health Africa, I left it off from my list of objectives for February. It was kind of like paying a phone bill where these things are automatically renewed. A month ago I put it up to send a message to an annoying spammer who kept pestering me on #Twitter. Following up with reporting him and blocking three accounts he had, things are better now. As I have no shifts on the Gen-Med unit this month, I chose not to include it in my goals either.

January Goals 2023

Career Goals:

  • Continue to pick up day and evening shifts
  • Catch up on emails and work on MLL courses
  • Bid on shifts for February as they become available
  • Work on the MLL courses. # of completed modules TBD

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on days I am not working + upload progress on Twitter
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time
Photo is my own. Please excuse the cat hair 🐈‍⬛

And there you have it! As you can see, my goals are similar to January. Ideally, I am hoping to get fitter so I can wear my pre-pregnancy jeans again. I lost a bit of weight last month but I don’t own a scale. I go by how my clothes fit and my clothes are starting to fit a lot better. During the month of February, I’m keeping my focus on fitness, along with career and personal goals (of course). My goal is to shed some belly fat so that I can wear my jeans by mid-March.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of January. 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. It is so hard to grow on that platform but I really do enjoy using it to connect with like-minded bloggers.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

January Recap | Winter 2023

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It’s already the end of January 2023 – seriously, where did the time go? When you work on weekends, it can seem like months are passing by three times faster than normal….It can often feel like only a few days have passed since your last weekend. This phenomenon makes it easy to believe that time is indeed an illusion, as this concept supports that belief.

I didn’t work for the first half of January but I worked a decent amount during the second half of January. If you ask any of my friends and family members who I interact with on a regular basis outside of work, they would tell you that I’m rarely ever around from Friday to Sunday. When I’m not sleeping, I’m usually working or studying for some exam thing. During the weekdays, I have typically been more active online and while this has recently become less frequent due to my ever-growing list of tasks, I still strive to spend as much time online as possible. A hectic schedule can make the days seem to fly by, but it’s also easy to feel overwhelmed. To keep up with all my obligations, I’ll be writing monthly recaps – this helps me stay accountable and take a look back at what I’ve achieved.

Seeking Clarity ✨

Looking back on the month of January, I am incredibly proud to have accomplished a handful of my planned goals that I had set out for myself at the start of the new year. I am doing my best to take life one step at a time and not get overwhelmed by the pressures of looking ahead to multiple months at once. Additionally, I have been facing issues with indecision lately, however, I am expecting February to be the month that brings me clarity and the ability to make the right decisions.

JANUARY GOALS 2022

Career Goals:

  • Do not miss any work days this month I’m proud to say that I didn’t miss any work days this month, despite being ill right at the beginning of January and having to spend New Year’s Day in bed. Nonetheless, I was able to make it back to work mid January and ended up completing a total of 9 shifts! I’m really pleased with myself for managing to do this against all odds and staying productive.
  • Get comfortable with working on new Gen-Med unit Out of the nine shifts I have had so far, six of them were spent on the Gen-Med unit and I am gradually getting more and more comfortable working there. Although I am still not confident with the new admissions and discharges process, I have faith that with a bit of practice and determination, I will eventually master this skill as well.
  • Catch up on emails and work on MLL courses I still have more than 30 modules left to finish by March 14th, 2023. Although I wish I could have been more productive with the MLL modules, I am determined to maintain pace and catch up on them before the deadline approaches. I hate doing things last minute.
  • Start bidding on shifts for February as they become available Yes, I eventually decided to put in a bid for two day shifts. Although I am not overly excited about working days, I will get through it…. but first, steeped tea lol Day shifts can be incredibly hectic and chaotic at times, but they can offer plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts per month Writing has taken a backseat this month as I’m busy with exercises and language lessons. It’s not that I’ve lost interest in writing, but rather that I just don’t feel as compelled to create unique content currently. This month, I posted the following blog posts in case you missed them. I guess parodies are fun? You be the judge.
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog So far, I have only shared the What Do you Hope to Accomplish in 2023? article on my blog. However, the other Medium articles that I did publish are not necessarily focused on blogging but rather reflect a more broad range of topics and opinions. Do you really care about what I think about the “Follow 4 Follow” Method on Medium? Probably not, right? Thought so!
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments This seems to be an ongoing cycle that never ends, and even though I initially planned to share the details of my new planners for 2023, I haven’t been able to get around to it yet. For now, I am making do with a basic $4 Dollarama planner which does get the job done; but eventually when time allows it, I will upload a picture of the Posh Habit Tracker Planner that I recently bought.
  • Monthly donation to Amref Health Africa For the past twelve months, I have been regularly donating to Amref and have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. I hope that by supporting their good cause, I can help make a difference. Moreover, anyone who attempts to pester me for donations on #Twitter will be reported and blocked without hesitation.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I have managed to form an impressive habit of sticking to my Duolingo practice this month. Additionally, by leveraging the advice from YouTube videos and Reddit forums, I have also figured out an ingenious way to get unlimited hearts without needing to purchase the Super Duolingo subscription. The leagues have been occupying a lot of my time lately; I was able to dedicate 10+ hours to learning German last week! This app is proving to be quite useful for me, so I will continue using it!

Health Goals:

  • Treadmill on my days off + Accountability I was successful in maintaining a consistent routine throughout the month of January. Despite being slightly under the weather at the start of the month, I was back on my feet and on the treadmill in no time. On my days away from work, I made sure to allot at least one hour for exercise on the treadmill, doing a minimum of 300 calories burned and at least 3.2 miles/hr. I realized however, that this strict schedule might not be sustainable for the long-term as I have a tendency to quit.
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app I am terrible at consistently tracking my water intake, no matter how hard I try, unless I am always conscious of it and track it 24/7. Sadly, I could have done a much better job of monitoring my water intake if I was more diligent about it.
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app The nice thing about this app is that it syncs with the step-counter on my iPhone, which also syncs with my Apple Watch. This app only works when I am carrying around my phone though, and I don’t want to be a slave to having my phone in my pocket all day. I upped my step count for the month of February – more on this later.
  • Healthy/clean eating 80% of the time Although I’m quite conscious of my diet, I still indulge in unhealthy snacks. To make sure my lifestyle is balanced, I opted to reduce the amount of fast food intake, particularly from McDonald’s. Additionally, I abstained from purchasing donuts at Tim Hortons.

And there you have it! Do I feel more confident and positive about myself? Absolutely! Did I successfully achieve the goals I had set out to do in the month of January? Yes, indeed! Will I continue this positive trend of setting monthly goals for personal growth and development? Definitely! Will I be posting a Monthly Goal Blog Post for February? Potentially. It is likely that it will be similar to my January list as my goals have not changed.

Finally, if you want to drastically improve your life and have been procrastinating on setting New Year’s Resolutions, goals, etc., then I highly recommend that you take some time to read What Do You Hope to Accomplish in 2023? I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to read this article, as it can be a key factor in jumpstarting your journey towards achieving all the goals you set for yourself and making meaningful progress towards creating a better life for yourself, starting now.

Did you achieve your January goals? Please let me know in the comment section below ↓ Also, if you’re not already following me on #Twitter (@serene_hilz), I’m tracking my progress and you can get real-time updates about my journey there!

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

Stay Away

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Before I get started, let me just say that this is a parody of  The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s hit single, “Stay,” but with a humorous twist – the title of my parody song is actually the opposite! This was completely unintentional but when I finally realized it, I could not help but laugh 😆 Until recently, I had never heard of the artist known as Kid LAROI. Upon doing some  research, however, I found that he has made quite a name for himself in recent years with his unique blend of rap and pop music. It’s no wonder why he has become so popular in such a short amount of time!

Initially, I was not a fan of Justin Bieber’s music because of his higher pitched voice and style of music, especially when he was younger. However, as time passed, my opinion has changed and I have come to appreciate his music. I want to be absolutely clear that this satirical take of Justin Bieber is created with the sole intention of providing humor and should in no way be interpreted as offensive. My aim is simply to craft an amusing piece of writing for the reader’s enjoyment. Please keep this in mind while reading for a more enjoyable experience.

If you enjoy reading my parodies, feel free to check out my other parody and poetry musings here. Thanks for your support! 💖

[Chorus]
Gotta get away, from your face
Radio is playing all your songs
I can’t take it no more, I am out of here
I don’t need this kind of stress

[Verse 1]
Stay away from me, don’t come near
I don’t need your singing in my ear
Your voice is too high for me to take
So just stay away and give me some space

[Pre-Chorus] 
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
So just stay away and give me some space

[Chorus]
Gotta get away, from your face
Radio is playing all your songs
I can’t take it no more, I am out of here
I don’t need this kind of stress

Gotta get away, from your face
Radio is playing all your songs
I can’t take it no more, I am out of here
I don’t need this kind of stress

[Verse 2]
Your auto tune just makes me cringe
And your lyrics make me lose my mind
I’m gonna turn away and find some peace
This noise is not what I need

[Bridge] 
I can’t take it, no it’s too much
Can’t take your high pitched singing
So just stay away, that’s my plea
I am done with Justin Bieber

[Pre-Chorus] 
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
Oh, ooh-no (Oh, ooh-no, ooh-no)
So just stay away and give me some space

[Chorus] 
Stay away from me, don’t come near
I don’t need your singing in my ear
Your voice is too high for me to take
So just stay away and give me some space

Stay away from me, don’t come near
I don’t need your singing in my ear
Your voice is too high for me to take
So just stay away and give me some space

[Outro]
No-oh
So just stay away and give me some space

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