Life Advice

You’ll figure it out. Adjust, adapt. Sometimes well-laid plans don’t pan out. That’s life. Do the best you can given the circumstances. Put your self in a position to succeed even if it seems the world wants to see you fail.

Don’t blame anyone, yourself included. If you want it badly enough, you’ll work for it. Work hard.

It’s okay to compromise. You may have to compensate. Make sacrifices.

You owe no one anything. Never ask for permission to do what you love. Never ask for approval once you’ve done what you love. This life is yours and no one else’s. Make your own decisions instead of letting someone else make them for you.

You’re going to regret what you didn’t do more than you’ll ever regret all the things you did. Believe in your abilities. You’re more than capable. You can do anything you set your mind to.

Some things don’t matter nearly as much as you think they do. Know who you are. You shouldn’t change for the sake of changing.

You can’t be perfect, so stop trying to be. Nobody else is. Aim for excellence. Do more than you have to. Dream big. Dream bigger. You’re too good to rest on your laurels.

Stay true to your word because that’s all you have. You will reap the seeds you’ve sown in due time. Have the patience to follow through with things to the end. You’re almost there.

Take care of your body. Listen to it. You deserve to be happy. Do what brings you the most happiness. Remember not to feel ashamed about living your life in a way that feels right.

Set the bar high enough that you challenge yourself but not too high that you put yourself in a corner. Nothing is worth more than your health, your well-being.

Go full out, not halfway. Remember all you’ve had to overcome to get here. Count your blessings, your lucky stars. Take pride in the progress you’ve made.

You’ll be okay.

Why I Try To Blog Every Day

When I first started blogging, I had the goal of publishing a post a day. Now that I’m older and busier, I wonder why I set future me up for failure.

On a serious note, I don’t have to publish something every day. But nowadays, it feels wrong not posting.

I think 15-year-old me was wise in some ways. Trust me when I say she was not wise in many ways.

Still, she knew practicing every day does a lot more good than practicing once a month. But she also knew that without a goal, Herminia will do nothing. She’d sit on her hands. She would wait for opportunities to fall from the sky into her lap. She’s also lazy. She comes up with excuses.

I’m also realizing now that if I let myself try to write the perfect novel, I would. But you can’t make anything perfect. You have to write a lot of bad before you write anything good.

I’m not aiming for perfection every time I hit publish. I’m aiming for progress. I want to learn and grow. I can’t do that if I spend my whole life trying to plan the most perfect post or the best novel.

There’s still so much I don’t know. But I do know I enjoy the challenge of creating content. I like having a place where I can be less academic, formal, professional, etc.

I’m allowed to do whatever I want, however I want. So maybe just maybe I can go back to being that naïve girl who fell in love with blogging and never looked back. She made her own rules, found success on her own terms.

Some Important Things To Remember About Habits

It’s OK if you miss a day. You don’t have to do everything every day.

Start small. One hour might be too much, but ten minutes is more realistic. Don’t try to do too much right away.

Consistency is crucial. Forget about the results or numbers. Putting in a little bit of work every day beats doing a whole lot once in a blue moon. Your progress adds up.

Adapt accordingly. You’re allowed to change your habits.

Keep a diary or journal where you can jot down your habits. That way, you’re able to look back and see what you accomplished.

Simplify. If you’re over complicating the process, you’re less likely to do the habit. Make it easier on yourself to do the things you want to do.

Prioritize your habits. Not every habit is equal. So when you’re having an especially busy day, know what to put first and what can wait.

You can try to kill two birds with one stone. Be careful you aren’t dividing your attention though.

Find a balance. You don’t have to turn all your hobbies into habits. Sometimes, you’re better off having some flexibility.

Push yourself but never to the point of pain.

Daily habits shouldn’t hold you back from trying new things. No matter what, life will happen to you whether you like it or not. So live every day.

Some Reasons Why I Love Blogging

• I love creating. It’s my favourite. I like making stuff. It’s fun to start with nothing and turn it into something.
• I love the community. Honestly, I never expected it to be so supportive and encouraging. Other creators inspire me.
• I love control. I get to do what I want, when I want, how I want.
• I love the old editor. More than the new one anyway.
• I love seeing my progress. Sometimes I get so caught up with life that I don’t realize how far I’ve come. So it’s nice to look back and see where I was five years ago compared to where I am now.
• I love receiving feedback. Positive or constructive. Both let me know what works and what I can work on.
• I love growth. Blogging has helped me grow in so many ways. I’m grateful for this journey. I hope it never ends. I’ve not only grown as a blogger, but I’ve also grown as a human being.
• I love learning. I’ve learned a little about a lot of things through trial and error. I know there’s still a lot for me to learn.
• I love being challenged. When I started, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Blogging is hard. If it was easy, everyone could be a blogger.
• I love connecting. I’m terrible at interacting with people in real life, but I really appreciate every online interaction. Thank you.

The Evolution Of This Blog

In 2013, I was a naive fifteen year old on WordPress.

Today, I’m so happy I went out on a limb one evening and started this blog.

Becoming a blogger has made me more keen to learn. As a result, I now have more interests than ever before.

Along the way, I’ve felt the need to stick with the status-quo. But I want to push the envelope, challenge myself, and improve. I can’t improve if I don’t move. That’s my motto literally and figuratively.

I read tons of advice about how to blog. But to be honest, I like learning what works and what doesn’t on my own.

This blog will continue to evolve as I grow and change. It may not always seem like it, but I’m doing my best. I know you are too.

There are so many posts I want to write, projects I want to tackle. I’m a little limited in terms of time, money, etc. That being said, I try to take baby steps every day.

More than anything, I hope the next five years will bring more progress.

I’m not perfect. I never will be. My goal isn’t perfection. It’s consistent practice.

As always, thank you for being part of my evolution as a blogger and as a human being.

Day 26—NaNoWriMo: Do you have unanswered questions or loose ends that need to be addressed?

Today is the last Monday of November; also it’s the last Monday of National Novel Writing Month. Can you believe you’ve come this far?

As for your novel:

Regardless of whether you’re done or still working on your NaNoWriMo project, it’s a good idea to go over your novel for unanswered questions, unfinished story lines, etc.

Never fear if you realize that you left out a major event in your story or forgot to include some vital information about a character. This is still your first draft after all. And if you’re like any great novelist, you’ll come back in December—or next year if you need a break— to breathe life into your manuscript.

Wishing everyone a productive Monday (and an even more productive week)!

Since we’re so close to the start of December, I am starting to get into a giving mood. How about giving back to all of you, my wonderful readers and followers? If you want to me to do a post on any particular topic be it writing or blogging or something random, comment down below. I haven’t planned out any December posts since I’ve been so caught up with my NaNoWriMo ones so send me some suggestions. All ideas are welcome. Thanks.