The book itself reminds me of the book The Little Prince, as it relays messages of following your dream and personal realizations in the form of a magical story. Both these books are ones that can be loved by a child but also by an adult, as each generation will perceive and understand it differently.

My takeaways?

This book speaks heavily on the topic of ‘Personal Legends’ which can loosely be translated to your personal “meaning of life”. It says that everyone has a personal legend—a reason that they live and breathe. When we are younger, the universe tells us about what we’re here on the earth to do, and what we’re going to achieve. But as we get older, different aspects of life start to mould our beliefs and thoughts about what we need to become, and it suppresses all that we know as a child as well as blocks off our communication with our heart and with the language of the universe. 

I think this book resonated with me so much because it’s a great reminder to revaluate what it is my goals and dreams and beliefs really are. It made me want to reconnect with myself—and in turn try to tune in again to what the universe is saying. It’s not easy to achieve this when you have a million other things to worry about, stress about, or contemplate in your life. However, I think it makes the task that much more important.

For a period of time, in the beginning of this year, I took on the challenge of trying to meditate every single day. I unfortunately pushed this task further and further down my “to-do” list before I was able to build a habit out if it. Meditating really helped me connect with myself, with the present, and with my spirituality and this book has re-inspired me to continue this practice.

As I’m trying to consciously learn to listen my own needs and allow myself to feel happy about where I am in life, The Alchemist was a great addition to my own journey of self-discovery and improvement.

Heavy Hump Day topic, oops!

To start crafting your life, have a look at what you don’t like now. Is it your working hours? The job or career you currently have? Do you want to make more money? All of those are possible; it just might mean you are doing both your current job and your new one at the same time for a while. Start by taking a sheet of paper, or a new notebook, and think about what your ideal day – including some type of work – might look like.

Be specific, write down what time you would wake up, what you would eat and drink, think about things like if you read a newspaper, or scroll the news on a tablet. Go into detail.

After you have created your whole day, use the notebook to build yourself a vision board. Vision boards have both been proven to work, and shown not too. However, looking at motivational images, quotes that inspire you and seeing your goals will help keep you focused.

Use colors that make you feel something, brights, darks, and pastels all have a place in your space, so build your vision board however makes you happy.

Now, deep dive what you have written down for a career. Is it something like ‘win the lottery’ or is it something that is achievable and something you can aim for? Here are a few professions that work beautifully with flexible people like you:

• Blogging and Vlogging – building yourself as a brand online
• Building an Investment portfolio – this one might take some time, and you’ll likely need to learn how to invest and what to invest in. Check out some examples of CFDs here.
• Content Writing – set up a simple website, think about investing in some online courses, or start writing for fun and add that as examples of your work.
• Design – if you love creating gorgeous images and feel like you could take on someone else’s creative vision this might be up your street. Spend some time creating a few images and hit the internet to offer your design services.

Try not to devalue your future career by charging too low when you first start out, although you might really want to gather up new clients quickly, in the long run, it will be difficult to retain clients that started in a low price bracket to see why they should pay more later.

Set up a dedicated work area in your house, and use that whenever possible. Although working in coffee shops is a huge perk and a much-welcomed break from working alone, in the early days you might find you are spending much more than you’re making.

The idea is to find something you love, can do from home (or wherever you like) and make your life the way you’ve pictured for years. Work hard, play hard, earn hard and live beautifully.

Hope this post was helpful!

Until next time, 

I’m definitely not saying that I’ve mastered it—it’s always work-in-progress. But I’ve developed a lot of coping skills and learned how to juggle every curve ball that life tosses me.

I’ve learned that you need to develop a certain level of discipline to actually follow the goals and to-do lists that you set for yourself. And that no matter how many time management articles you read, it’s not a skill that’s easily learned. However, I thought I would still go ahead and share all of my tips, tricks, and lessons that have helped me stay on top all of my tasks and goals day-to-day, week-to-week, and month-to-month.

Use An Agenda

I have to credit most of my organizational success to my agenda. It’s been a long journey trying to find the perfect agenda for my needs. I was the type of person to go through 2-3 agendas a year purely because I didn’t like the layout or aesthetic of the agenda. And man, nice agenda’s are NOT CHEAP.

Recently I discovered the STIL Classics 12M agenda. And it has changed my life.

Before STIL, I was using a weekly agenda by Shinola, which was great as well. I loved the layout of their agenda but I always felt like there wasn’t enough space to fully plan out everything I needed to do—so I still used my bullet journal heavily for day-to-day planning, to-do lists, goal lists, etc.

Although I still do use my bullet journal daily to plan for projects and as a space to brain dump, I’ve completed nixed the day-to-day planning in my bullet journal because I no longer need it!

The layout of the STIL agenda provides you with both day-to-day to-do list space as well as weekly planning space (see photos below).

The Layout

Every month in the STIL agenda starts out with a quote. The one for January is “New feels, new chances. Same dreams, fresh starts.” which I think is perfect for the first month of the year. Then, on the page next to it, it gives you space to write out 3 of your most important goals for the month. At the end of the previous month, I like to sit down, think, and fill this part out. I’ve made it a goal of mine to set more goals for myself (ha, ironic). So having the space to write down just three goals, really makes me think and carefully decide what are the most important tasks that I want to achieve for the month.

Continuing on with the monthly planning, the next page has several different sections for you to fill out at the beginning of the month. The first half is dedicated to budgeting. What are your monthly expenses? What are your budgets? I’ve been using this section religiously since December because YA GIRL HAS A SAVING PROBLEM. So this section has definitely helped me visualize exactly what amount I need to set aside every month for expenses and other budgetary needs.

The second half again pertains to goal setting. Other than your three main goals of the month, what are some other things you want to achieve? What are some main tasks you need to finish this month? What important deadlines do you have? I like to fill in this section with my brand collaborations due for the month. It’s a great place to just round up everything that’s important that I have to finish so that once I finish each task, I can come back here and have the satisfaction of checking it off the master list.

Then, of course, there’s a standard monthly view. Not including a photo of that because we all know what monthly views look like right?

Here’s my favourite part of the agenda. Each week is broken up into two different layouts. The first being this typical weekly view but with to-do list bubbles rather than just solid lines. LOVE THIS. I am definitely someone who gets a kick off checking things off a list once I’ve completed it. But also, this makes it easier for me to see the tasks I haven’t finished so that I can carry them on to the next day. But wait! There’s more…

The second weekly view is this block view that lets me fill in appointments, meetings, tasks, and other time-sensitive entries. This is where I plan out my week. I use this section to visualize what my week looks like and it’s where I go to block off time for appointments, gym sessions, hangouts with friends… whatever it may be.

having the two different weekly view sections may be a little extra for some, but it is literally everything I wanted in an agenda and more. Not to mention all the STIL agendas are stunning. 

Discount Code

If you want to try out the STIL agenda for 2018, you can use the discount code ‘ANGEL25’ for 25% off (expires January 31st, 2018)! The code can be used on any products, not just the agenda. Just enter it at check out!

My Planning Process

At the beginning of each week (or the end of the previous week), I write a master to-do lists in my bullet journal. My favourite ones are these by Leuchtturm. I include every task, from small errands to larger project-based work. If there’s an over-reaching project that I am working on, I will even break it down into smaller, more-digestible steps.

Once I’ve created my master list, I will start scheduling my tasks into my day-to-day to-do lists (the weekly view in my agenda). I try to spread out my work equally throughout the week so that no day feels harder than the rest. Doing this makes completing daily tasks easy and I usually have time to complete more tasks that I’ve scheduled for other days.

In order to distinguish between tasks I need to accomplish for work and for everything else, I use different-coloured pens. I try to write everything I need to get done for work in black and everything else (content, side projects, passion projects, etc.) in pink.

The monthly view in my agenda is used as a content calendar for my YouTube, blog, and Instagram. Although I don’t plan my IG content DAILY, I make sure to note down posting dates for any collaborations or paid projects that I am working on. I also tentatively plan any video and blog content I am trying to create for the month. Like my master to-do lists, I also keep master content lists in my bullet journal in which I can pick for ideas to fill my weekly content needs.

Using My Phone

I typically bring my agenda and bullet journal with me no matter where I go, but there are definitely times that I still use the reminders app on my iPhone to do some of my planning. If I have time-sensitive tasks that I need to do within a day, I will typically enter them into my reminders app and set up an alarm for when I need to start the task.

I also use the reminders app for one-time lists that I can just check-off and discard like travel packing lists, grocery lists, etc.

Planning For Success

I think spending a little time at the beginning of each week to think about what I need to accomplish really sets me up for a good week. Although I have loved daily agendas in the past, I now prefer weekly layouts so that I can easily glance at the week as a whole and make sure I am completing the “mission critical” tasks in easily-digestible bites so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. It’s also important to take a further step back every once in a while—and look at your month as a whole. This helps ensure that you never feel caught off guard with longer-term projects and tougher workloads.

Hopefully, I’ve provided you with some tips and tricks that you can use in your own planning and time management. Everyone sooner or later develops their own uniquely effective workflows—it’s definitely a trial and error type of deal.

If YOU have any tricks that you use to organize your schedule, let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new ways to effectively use my time.

Until next time,

Learn to Fail

Success, and pressure to achieve it at any cost is pushed on us all from a very young age, and the effects are still felt well into our lives. One thing that is not taught enough, is how to deal with failure. If you want to achieve anything in your life, you have to try, and with trying comes the possibility of failing. Learning to deal with it is the best way to ensure you remain positive, and you can dust yourself off, ready to try something else.

Few people are successful from the outset, and if you’re doing it off your own back, then you have to be okay with failing. This is the only thing that will put you on the path to achieving what you want. Then success will be that much sweeter, knowing you have worked for it.

Use that Body of Yours

This is the prime time of your life, and the best your body is ever going to be. Making the most of it is a must, and there is something out there to suit everyone. Achieving physical feats whether that’s being able to run 1km without stopping or a triathlon, will show you how much you are capable of achieving.

Using your body will make you realize how much is mind over matter, and that you can achieve so much with hard work and willpower. Not to mention, looking better, feeling better, and all that dopamine you will experience when you get some exercise!

Try Another Career Path

Many people talk about the current market, that it is harder to get jobs and harder to keep them. So, why not take advantage of that? This is the best time to try a different career path and challenge yourself. You could consult with companies like https://www.gobear.com/my/travel-insurance, and go try and find a career abroad, or in a different part of the country. There are so many opportunities out there, waiting for you to try them.

Knowing what to do with your life is one thing, but making sure you make the most of it along the way is a good place to start. Wherever you go, and wherever you end up, at least you will have had a blast along the way. Now isn’t a time to worry about the future, and get stressed about the pressures of life, it’s a time to try out new things, and learn how to get back up after failures. 

Until next time, 

So here are my postcards from San Francisco. I wish I took more photos but halfway through the trip, I stopped wanting to pull out my camera and just wanted to enjoy the company of the people around me. But can you blame me?

Marin Headlands

Palace of Fine Arts

Lands End

Painted Ladies

Maiden Lane

I’ll be doing detailed posts about all the places I visited in and around Frisco so keep your eyes peeled for that. 

Until then, 

So I thought, being someone who is constantly looking for new cool places in Vancouver to shoot, I thought I would do my version of Vancouver’s most Instagrammable places! Not to mention it’s CANADA DAY! ? More reason to show my home some love. A lot of these will be very similar to ones in other Vancouver posts but I don’t want to discredit them just because they are popular. So if you’re planning to visit anytime soon, check these spots out! 

1. That cool alley on Seymour st. by Pender st. 

 

My favourite pizza place is right around the corner. I swear I didn’t come here just to take a photo ?? #ootd #fashiondaily #outfit #myaritzia #wilfredgirl #wiwt

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 17, 2017 at 7:36pm PDT

2. Anthropology wall @ Park Royal 

 

Back at my favourite salmon wall ? Was supposed to hop on a ferry this morning but some how ended up at the mall ? @converse #converseca . . . . #babatongirl #myaritzia #summer #ootd #outfit #outfitinspiration #fashionblog #fashiondiary #style #streetstyle #stylediary #wiwt #casualfit #whatiwore

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 10, 2017 at 2:57pm PDT

3. Bloedel Conservatory @ Queen Elizabeth Park 

 

Another weekend, another adventure

A post shared by EMELYN JADE (@emelynjade) on Jun 3, 2017 at 9:01pm PDT

*I still have yet to visit this one myself, but shoutouts to my lovely friend Emelyn Jade and her amazing photo there ?

4. Dalina

 

SUNS OUT, TOES OUT. Summer, I’m ready for you. . . . . #ootd #outfit #summer #sun #streetstyle #fashiondiary #fashionblogger #speakoftheangel #chinatown #vancouver #igdaily #currentlywearing #fashioninspo #whatiwore

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Apr 27, 2017 at 12:53pm PDT 

5. Vancouver Art Gallery

 

Was definitely vibin’ with this wall at the @vanartgallery

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jan 2, 2017 at 10:09am PST

6. McArthurGlen Outlet

 

Little something about me: I have an obsession with stationary. Notebooks, agendas, pens, paper… The amount of half-finished agendas and notebooks I go through is embarrassing ? #oops // and if you were wondering I’m currently using a @shinola agenda which I actually love! #NotAnAd #genuinelylovethisagenda

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jul 17, 2016 at 9:39am PDT

7. Blood Alley in Gastown

 

Can you tell that this is my favorite @houseofmackage leather jacket, it does honestly go with everything!! ?

A post shared by mary kang (@marykng) on Oct 24, 2016 at 8:06pm PDT

8. Le Marche St. George 

 

Peek-a-boo it’s back to school ? As you can see that my bag is already spilling ? #interiordesign

A post shared by Janice Fong (@jjanicefong) on Sep 13, 2016 at 9:04pm PDT

9. Le Casa Gelato

 

ate this ice cream lickity split ??? #couldntwait | Go check out my new blogpost! link is in my bio ! // wearing @benchcanada #speakoftheangel

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jun 20, 2016 at 4:13pm PDT

10. Steveston

 

Happiest when I’m with bae…. (Aka ice cream) ??? #madetobebroken #shoeme

A post shared by Angel Zheng (@speakoftheangel) on Jul 2, 2016 at 8:40am PDT

If you think I’m missing some KEY places in Vancouver, let me know! 

Until next time, 

I know ASOS had some great ones, which I included down below, as well as Steve Madden and Lulus. Don’t know how long this trend is going to stick around but I think this would be a great shoe to have this S/W season.

How have you paired your leather slippers?

More soon,

Initially I did all my feed planning in an album in my Iphone Photo app. That worked most of the time except because the Iphone default in albums is four columns, not three like Instagram, I had to download a bunch of blank “white” photos to go around what my 9×9 feed would be to visualize it better. Although doable, you can see how this got tedious after a while.

And then I discovered the app Mosaico. It is a paid app but it is a one-off payment which is a lot more cost efficient than some other feed-planning apps that are subscription based.

Mosaico allows you to sync with your Instagram so that all of your current photos already show up and you don’t have to reimport them into the app. You can then upload new photos you plan on uploading into Mosaico and drag and drop them around to see where they fit best in your feed.

It also provides the opportunity for you to schedule your posts and plan your captions and hashtags. However, Mosaico does not post for you! It sets a reminder for when you schedule your post and will remind you to post at that time. It will also copy what you planned for your caption into your clipboard which you can then paste into Instagram once you’ve entered the app through Mosaico.

Although $5.99 seems like a lot to pay for an app that just lets you drag and drop your photos around, it is SO worth it. I use this app before I every upload to ensure that my content fits my current feed and theme. Feed aesthetic is something that is often overlooked by most when considering good content to post. BUT REMEMBER. Your feed is the first thing people see when they click into your profile. NOT JUST individual photos. Personally I always judge accounts by their feed. A messy feed makes me bounce almost immediately, not matter how high quality the individual photos are.

Have you used a feed planning app before? Which one works for you?

More soon,