Tag: Monthly goals

August Recap | Summer 2023

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Another belated blog post, another monthly recap. I am not apologizing this time! (see? I’m learning!). I often find myself losing track of time. It’s hard to believe that another month has passed us by, and just like that, September is here. But before I get too carried away, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the month of August.

August was a busy month, which included spending the first half of the month in Ontario. My birthday was also in August so August is a significant month for me. Lately, my top priority has been my family. I’ve been busy preparing my daughter for back to school after her time at summer camp. Additionally, I have been busy with paper work and expenses (which I’m not quite ready to discuss). There’s lots of paperwork and associated fees that have demanded much of my attention. Also, with the start of the school year comes a wave of additional expenses to handle. From tutoring fees for my daughter to license renewals, it feels like there’s an overwhelming amount of costs piling up. This is the first time I’ve experienced such discomfort in having to allocate so much money towards these necessary expenses.

My Side Hustle(s)

Although I have almost given up on Medium, I still need to post there in order to maintain my qualification for the Medium Partner Program (MPP). This means that I will continue to upload content every so often. However, my earnings from it have been quite disappointing. As a result, I have redirected my energy towards digital art. There are currently 54 designs available in my #Redbubble shop. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to work on this hobby in the past week, but I hope to dedicate some time to it again if I have any “down time.” I’m pleased to share that I continued to make sales throughout the month of August, which was absolutely fantastic! The valuable support and encouragement I receive from others serve as a powerful motivation for me.

👉 Follow me on Medium: @sereneluna

👉 Follow me on Redbubble: @sereneluna

AUGUST RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Go back to work on August 27 This was the only shift I had in August. Going back to work after being OOP for a month was rough.
  • Catch up on work emails + look at CCP requirements I now check work emails on my phone, which saves time. The CCP is due soon, so it’s on my to-do list.
  • Work on side hustle I only added a couple of designs to the shop while I was in Ontario and hardly spent any time on a laptop. You can check out my #Redbubble designs here.

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I did the bare minimum in August and only started posting more at the end of the month. In case you missed it, I recently posted a random blog post titled “So What!” which you can read here.
  • 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. I think I will use my planner for habit tracking instead.
  • 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. I have been swamped with appointments!
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I am doing so badly in leagues but I have stopped caring. I dropped down to Ruby league. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I have adopted a more sustainable approach by committing to completing one lesson per day.
  • Watch the Barbie movie in movie theaters I added it to the list to ensure that I would actually accomplish the goal. Priorities, man. Anyway, I ended up watching the Barbie movie a few hours after posting this online. Manifesting works! 🙌
The 2023 Posh Planner that I’ve been neglecting 🙊

Health Goals:

  • Use new water bottle once it arrives (2000mL bottle) I decided to discard the water bottle as I struggled to assemble it. It was of poor quality and didn’t meet my expectations. I saw no reason to attempt returning it. I advise against purchasing water bottles from #Temu.
  • Hula hooping for 35-40 minutes daily for a minimum of 30 days I managed to stay committed for a couple of weeks to my fitness routine, but unfortunately, I hit a roadblock. My bedroom became cluttered with donation boxes, leaving me with no space to work out. As a result, I couldn’t complete the 30-day challenge and now feel hesitant about writing a blog post on my experience.
  • No buying junk food from Walmart, Dollarama, etc. I was doing fine until my mom took me to Dollar Tree! Since coming back home, I haven’t visited Dollar Tree or Dollarama. Instead, I’ve started shopping at Bulk Barn for snacks instead of Walmart. My go-to snack is coconut date bars—they’re my favorite!

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of August, I spent two weeks of August in Ontario. My daughter also had summer camps and I have been busy getting her ready for school. I am also drowning in a pile of paperwork right now and should probably do something about that. Procrastination at it’s finest! am sure you guys can relate.

Have something to share with me? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below ↓ Currently, email is NOT the most efficient means of reaching me as I behind in relying to emails. Leaving a comment is the quickest way to get in touch, unless you are one of the lucky ones who has my phone number.

(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! ♥

44 Superfoods that Fight Fat

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Disclaimer: This list was derived from a popular fitness magazine, although I don’t have the specific details regarding the year or edition. It’s worth noting that superfoods were incredibly popular and is still widely discussed. People were particularly fixated on diets that aimed to burn fat and achieve their desired fitness goals.

While millennials are well-versed in the concept of superfoods, it remains uncertain whether younger generations are as familiar with this term. So, let me explain what superfoods actually are. Superfoods refer to nutrient-dense foods that offer exceptional health benefits due to their rich content of essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other valuable compounds. These foods have gained popularity for their potential to enhance overall well-being and support a healthy lifestyle. I have compiled a list of 44 superfoods that help burn belly fat. Let’s get started, shall we?

Image by Freepik

44 Superfoods that Fight Fat

Nuts and Seeds

  • almonds (raw, unsalted)
  • flaxseeds
  • sesame seeds
  • walnuts

Fruit

  • apples
  • blueberries
  • cherries
  • grapefruit
  • oranges
  • pomegranates

Beverages

  • blueberry juice (unsweetened)
  • cherry juice
  • green tea
  • pomegranate juice
  • vegetable juice

Vegetables

  • arugula
  • bell peppers
  • broccoli
  • cabbage

Herbs and Spices

  • basil
  • black pepper
  • cardamon
  • chives
  • cilantro
  • cinnamon
  • cloves
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • parsley
  • tumeric

Fish

  • flounder
  • salmon
  • sole
  • tilapia

Other Category

  • egg whites
  • yogurt (plain, non-fat)
Image by Freepik

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

I am curious to know what you think of this list of 44 Superfoods that fight fat! Do you think that there is merit to this? Let me know what you think in the comments section below ↓ I will make every effort to respond to your comments. Please understand that I am currently catching up on comments from previous blog posts, and I can only reply to 2-3 comments at a time before feeling mentally exhausted. Your patience is greatly appreciated.

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

Belated August Goals | Summer 2023

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Although I am very late writing August Goals blog post, rest assured that I have been diligently working towards achieving my goals this month. In fact, I have them written down on my phone. If you haven’t had the chance to catch up on my latest blog post explaining the reasons behind my absence, you can easily find it here.

It should not come as a surprise to you that I have not been able to maintain an active presence on #Medium. As a result, I have unfortunately neglected the platform for the time being and haven’t had the chance to provide fresh content by adding new posts. However, I still prioritize engaging with my readers by responding to their comments, despite being a bit slow in doing so.

Lately, I haven’t been feeling very energized when it comes to writing. I much rather work on designs for #Redbubble. To date, I have 52 designs available in the shop, and I plan on adding a few more before the end of the month. Initially, I had hoped to have 100 designs in the shop by the end of September. However, due to my busy schedule, I won’t have much time for hobbies, and it may be challenging to meet that goal.

♡ Quick Link: Sereneluna.redbubble.com

𝒜𝓊𝑔𝓊𝓈𝓉: 𝐵𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒, 𝓈𝓊𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉!

☀️ Hello August Image from https://www.thisisourbliss.com ☀️

My Blog Posts Can Wait

Lately, I have been giving my full attention to my children, who require a lot of my time and energy. Additionally, I am striving to improve my skills as a housewife, and household chores consume a significant portion of my day. I have also taken up cooking more dishes, which is enjoyable but can be time-consuming. I have great ideas for blog posts, including recipes, but unfortunately, I lack the time and energy to write these blog posts . As a result, these ideas remain stuck in limbo….

There is so much I still want to do which is why I haven’t given up on blogging completely. No, I am not going to abandon my blog. Is it worth the renewal fees? Probably not, but if I need money, I can simply work more hours. Money is not the main concern here. You can always earn more money. What I truly need is more time and time is limited. Moving forward, here are my goals for the rest of August:

AUGUST GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Go back to work on August 27
  • Catch up on work emails + look at CCP requirements → due sometime in September
  • Work on side hustle → there are currently 52 designs available

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Phone call with social worker Aug 25 → be prepared with questions
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪
  • Watch the Barbie movie in movie theaters

Health Goals:

  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • Track water intake on Water Llama app
  • Use new water bottle once it arrives (2000mL bottle)
  • Hula hooping for 35-40 minutes daily for a minimum of 30 days
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

As you can see, I have decided to give up on the Pikmin Bloom app. While I do love the app itself, I have grown tired of counting steps and using the treadmill without seeing noticeable results. I am the type of person who needs to see tangible progress in order to stay motivated. Rather than walking, I have opted for an infinity hula hoop instead. So far, I am really enjoying it! My objective is to strengthen my core and reduce the excess weight around my midsection. The spare tire needs to go.

I am currently engaging in targeted exercises to assist me in achieving this goal. I’ll check in with you guys after 30 days, but in the meantime, you can follow me over on the #Twitter/X platform for daily updates. Let me know in the comments below ↓ if you have ever tried an infinity hula hoop or use hula hoops to work out.

(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! ♥

A Belated July Recap | Summer 2023

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Warning: A Little Rant Ahead 🔜

I admit that I’m growing tired of feeling like I need to apologize for writing late blog posts. Are we still doing this monthly blog recap thing? Yes, we are. I know that that July has long passed, but that’s beside the point. The important thing is for me to continue showing up, even if my blog posts are late.

Mixed Feelings About Everything

After spending a month in Ontario and unintentionally taking a hiatus from blogging, I have been reflecting on the value that blogging brings to my life. It occurred to me that despite creating the illusion of friendship groups and circles online, the truth is that there isn’t really a deep connection within the blogging community. Earlier in August, I celebrated my birthday and it made me realize that unless I loudly announced it on a social media platform, nobody bothered to wish me a happy birthday. However, I don’t remember many birthdays myself, nor do I expect others to remember mine.

I have even contemplated whether there is any point in sending birthday cards or snail mail these days, even though I still love sending snail mail. What is making me feel unhappy is the lack of reciprocation and the amount of maintenance and upkeep. I find myself wondering if there is any point in doing anything these days. Perhaps, instead of writing for an audience, I should consider writing for myself. It seems that I have lost sight of the ultimate objective when it comes to blogging.

A Lack of Emotional Support

I recently became aware that both my immediate family and extended family read my blog. Sharing my opinions openly was once something I craved, but now I find myself doubting if using my real name was a wise decision. Regrettably, the negative reactions I have received in person have made me hesitant to address certain topics that I wanted to write about, such as future plans in my personal life. While I consider myself a fairly private person, there are certain aspects that I am currently grappling with and feel emotionally overwhelmed. Furthermore, it’s disheartening to feel restricted in expressing myself freely. Perhaps Alias accounts had it right all along, but it is too late for me to start over. It’s frustrating to have to filter what I say once again, knowing that certain eyes are reading my writing.

End of Rant 🔚

JULY RECAP 2023

Career Goals:

  • Possibly bid on available shifts I only worked 1 shift in July. I cancelled the other shift d/t unresolved stomach pain.
  • Catch up on work emails + check MLL courses I haven’t really looked at my work emails and need to catch up on them.
  • Work on side hustle → have 60+ designs by end of July I currently have 50 designs available in my shop. I believe I only uploaded 3-4 designs throughout the month of July. I didn’t spend much time on my computer while I was in Ontario.

➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap I am behind on everything right now.
  • Transfer appointments to my Posh Planner Did I find it? Yes, I did. Did I use it yet? No, I have not. I didn’t bring my Posh Planner to Ontario, so now that I’m back home, I don’t really have an excuse.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments These days, I use my phone to keep track of everything. It’s just faster and more convenient.
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 I stopped tracking Duolingo leagues end ended up dropping several ranks. The only thing I care about is maintaining my daily streak. Instead of overwhelming myself with marathons, I try to complete one new lesson per day.
  • Finish photo album for my dad → due July 12 I completed the photo album and gave it to my dad. He loved it! I had some extra photos and framed them for my room.
In Memory of my pug, Zoë.

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 still have the app on my phone but I haven’t been using it.
  • Leave the house once a day and get some sunshine☀️ Ontario was warm and sunny, making it easy to get enough sunshine in July. However, I often get sunburns, especially on my face, so I have to be careful.
Baby Aaron enjoying the sunshine! ☀️

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

And there you have it! During the month of July, I unexpectedly ended up spending an entire month in Ontario. Consequently, I had little time to work on my hobbies, which include writing and designing stickers, among other things. Now that I am back in Calgary, my schedule is extremely busy, and I am prioritizing my children who require my undivided attention. I am also contemplating how much time and energy I want to throw at blogging. In the meantime, you might find me uploading new designs to #Redbubble.

BTW, I forgot to mention that I recently got promoted to the Premium tier on Redbubble! I’m extremely thrilled about it because it means I no longer have to pay any additional fees from my sales. I get to keep the full commission I earn, which really motivates me to keep pushing forward. Additionally, Redbubble is having this awesome sale where all merch is 30% off for the rest of August!

(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! ♥

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

16 Comments

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

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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! ♥

Moving Forward with April | Spring 2023

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This post is something special, neither a goals blog post nor a monthly recap. It’s kind of a combination of the two. I wanted to update you guys on where I’ve been and why I haven’t posted these last two weeks. I have only been checking #Twitter on a regular basis and even then, I wasn’t very active on there either. If you’d like to follow me on #Twitter, please feel free to click on the following link:

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

While I was away, I also received a notification from WordPress that I have been blogging for 7 years, even though I didn’t do much with my blog until Spring 2019. It took something major to stir up transformation within me and it worked lol Ever since then, I’ve been writing consistently and haven’t looked back.

But first, some housekeeping.

As you may have missed my monthly goal recap for March 2023, I thought it would be beneficial to inform you about it in this post. To give you some context, I was travelling to Singapore for a couple of weeks, hence the reason why my sleep schedule is all over the place and jet lag is a real issue. If you were paying attention up until now, then you would already know that I was in Singapore 🏝️☀️

Unfortunately, I cannot upload the majority of the photos I took since they are still on the camera and I don’t have a SD card reader. It appears that most desktop computers and laptops don’t come with an SD slot these days, making it more difficult to transfer photos from my camera. The primary reason why I was unable to blog wasn’t because of my lack of time, but rather due to a) the inability to charge my laptop and b) find a SD card reader for the laptop in order to access the photos I wanted.

All the photos I posted on #Twitter were taken using nothing but my iPhone. I mostly shared pictures of delicious food, because let’s be honest, is something that we can all relate to! Admit it, if you had the chance to do the same, you would have done it too! Note that I am not re-sharing the threads on this blog, which also included food pics of durian. You can check out the durian pics here.

Missing the Creature Comforts of Easter 🐇

Now that I am back home (and back to reality), I need to focus my energy on what’s left of April. Unfortunately, due to my trip to Singapore and the fact that my husband’s family hardly celebrates Easter, I was unable to partake in the traditional festivities for this holiday season. However, we still made sure to attend a local church together as a family which served as a nice way for us to commemorate Easter in our own special way. I sadly had no chocolate to enjoy during my vacation and, for the first time in years, we did not decorate Easter eggs like I have been accustomed to doing every single year.

𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝓈𝒽💮𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑀𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝓁💮𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈.

As a kid, I was always confused by the phrase ‘April showers bring May flowers’. Instead, I wanted to think that it meant ‘bring ME flowers’ as what kid doesn’t like getting a surprise bouquet! But while I am on the topic of flowers spontaneously showing up in my garden, are dandelions flowers or weeds? Although I personally view them as beautiful and vibrant flowers, most garden enthusiasts would say they are categorized as pesky weeds.

You might be wondering what the point of this blog post was, and honestly I’m not sure. It’s more of a collection of ideas and thoughts rather than an organized and well-structured post. I am writing this as I go along in an attempt to give you something, but this is not my best work and I am aware of that. Here are my goals for the remainder of April 2023:

APRIL GOALS 2023

Career Goals:

  • Prepare to go back to work next weekend
  • Catch up on work emails
  • Reorganize backpack + print notes

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly recap
  • Publish 1-2 articles on Medium + share articles on blog
  • Write an article about Medium 1-month trial experience
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Daily Duolingo practice 🇩🇪 + weekly friend quests → reactivated

Health Goals:

  • Continue to track steps + upload progress on Twitter
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app → continue to plant flowers 🌸
  • Go back to HCLF diet + 80% plant based 🌿
There were lots of people in Singapore using the app, which was nice to see! 🥰

And there you have it! If you don’t know what a specific acronym stands for, please don’t ask me and look it up on Google. It only takes a couple of seconds to do so, plus the search engine is your best bet for a quick answer.

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! ♥