some kind of amazing : October 2016

The Kpop Fan(girl/boy) Lifestyle

For some people, fangirling/fanboying over something is just a phase -- a phase that you are sure you'll grow out of as the years go by. Becoming a Kpop fangirl last January 2013, I honestly thought it would be just one of those phases. I was experiencing a rough situation that time and any form of distraction was more than welcome. Besides, I have always liked Asian dramas and culture since I was a kid so getting crazy over Korean idols was not really surprising.

The further I immersed myself in the Kpop fandom world, the more I realized that my crazy fangirling was not really a "phase." It has become a part of my lifestyle. I don't just fangirl when I'm bored or when I have to distract myself from the realities of life. Fangirling over Kpop is one of my inspirations to work hard, learn more, and to better myself. Knowing the stories of these Kpop idols -- how they worked hard during their trainee days, what they had to sacrifice in order to debut, and how they are continuously improving themselves, motivates me to "refine" the different aspects of my life.

So how does Kpop actually inspire me? Let me count the ways.

1.) Develop my skills and interests

Some profile layout I made way back April 2013 for a fellow Kpop fan... at that time, it had been 2 years since I last coded something!

I have always known that some of my interests are writing, designing websites, and reading books. I dreamt of becoming an author when I was little, had "web designer" as one of my career choices when I was in high school, and a large bookshelf teeming with books I read is testament to bookworm Leana. These interests are also tied to why I have a blog for more than 11 years now (writing + web design + storytelling).

Along the way, I stopped allotting time for these things. School, then eventually work, occupied my weekdays. When weekends rolled around, I would often feel tired and would "reward" myself by not doing anything. It was a viable scenario at first -- work-filled weekdays and bum weekends. In the long run, however, it led to dissatisfaction and frustration. My life basically revolved around work and recovering from work stress. I was not doing the things I enjoy most because in my perspective, I didn't have enough time.

Learning more about Kpop idols, I found out that despite their busy schedules, they still manage to compose/write songs, read books, go to school/university (!!!) etc. in their (very little) spare time. That fact made me feel ashamed of myself; if they have time, what's my excuse, really?

Now, it's my goal to read at least 30 books this 2016. I also opened somekindofamazing, my first ever public blog, for me to write more. With regard to making layouts, I actually had a "successful" layout gallery in one Kpop-related website where I made layouts for fellow Kpop fans. I'm claiming it as successful because I had around 4k+ followers and I got featured lol. That was back in 2013, when I just graduated college and didn't have a job yet. My web design goal is slated for next year.

Little by little, one step at a time, I'm going back to the things I love doing and improving my skills related to these!

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kpop

Morning Routine: Starting the Day Right

Living the funemployed life the past months forced me to come to terms with my daily habits. I am a highly self-motivated person, yes, but like every human being, I have my lapses. As an overthinker, I have a tendency to be consumed by my thoughts which often leaves me feeling drained and tired. Because of this "mentally tired/drained" feeling, I would resort to being lazy and unproductive even if I haven't really accomplished anything significant for the day.

Mindless web browsing is also one of the banes of my productive day. Ok fine, usually because of my fangirling! I can ignore my Facebook or Instagram for weeks (I don't even use Snapchat!) but I always have to check Twitter, YouTube, etc. for my fangirling needs. I'm working on that ok!!

Because of these factors, I figured that I should create a morning routine that would give way to a more productive and mindful day. I try to follow this routine as often as possible because it has been doing wonders in my everyday life.

1. Give thanks and visualize

The moment I wake up, I fix my beddings then I pray. In my morning prayer, I just thank God for everything He has been blessing me with since I was born. A loving family, good health, security and safety, a comfortable life -- all the tangibles and intangibles. This kickstarts my day with a grateful mindset and motivates me to be more appreciative and do the things I have to do... because God gave me the ability and opportunity to do so.

After every prayer, I also make it a point to visualize the goals I want to accomplish not only for the day, but also in the future. I focus on creating the feeling that I am already accomplishing all my goals and dreams. These thoughts put a smile on my face and leave me feeling happy and more motivated. A vision board is a helpful tool in the visualization process and through it, you would literally see the bigger picture of your dream life!

2. Eat a hearty breakfast

I am a breakfast person and I get grumpy if I don't have time for tea or coffee. I always try to eat a proper breakfast meal because this is when I just taking everything in and don't mind slowing down.

A hearty breakfast meal for me consists of rice, meat and eggs + coffee/tea. I eat oatmeal and bread sometimes but I still prefer a full breakfast plate. You know what they say... "eat breakfast like a king!" A good breakfast also provides your brain and body the fuel it needs to do your tasks accordingly.

3. Journal

Since I am an overthinker, penning down my thoughts, no matter how vague and unorganized these are, refreshes my mind. I have mentioned a few paragraphs ago that I get mentally tired because of my overthinking self. Journaling helps in achieving the peaceful mind I need so I can accomplish the rest of my tasks for the day.

What I specifically do is called "Morning Pages." Only one simple rule in doing this: Write 3 pages worth of thoughts every morning. There are no other guidelines whatsoever. Just write your thoughts. The aim is to clear your mind through writing, to ultimately put things into perspective early in the morning.

4. Create a to-do list/Review your tasks for the day

Making to-do lists is a must for me so I can prioritize the things I need to do. I always make a to-do list the night before then review these tasks in the morning. I usually make 2 major goals (blog, work on something, etc.) then 2 minor goals (clean room, exfoliate, etc.). Numbering these tasks according to its priority enlightens me on what I should do first or if I lack time, what I can put off for another day.

5. Listen to music

After doing those "preparatory" steps, it's time to do my goals for the day! Having a morning playlist is an instant mood booster. I prefer calm, soothing music (Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, John Mayer, Michael Buble type) so my go-to playlists give off that vibe. Since I'm also an avid Kpop fan, I love listening to chill, makes-you-want-to-fall-in-love, giddy Kpop songs when I work on my tasks. That kind of music is always my favorite, no matter what language it is!

After 8tracks has gone dysfunctional in the Philippines, I now rely on YouTube for my Kpop playlist needs. I actually have a 2016 Kpop playlist on YouTube lol! I also have Spotify and I browse through the playlists there if I'm in the mood for some Western music. I currently have a melOn pass because of GOT7's comeback (stream all day, every day) but it will only last for 30 days. It's kind of expensive (PhP 700+ pesos for 30 days) so after my pass expires, I'll go back to YouTube. I only buy a melOn pass when GOT7 has promotions because #GOT7trash lol.

Because I'm more updated on Kpop music than mainstream Western music, below are some of my current favorite tunes:

(yes these are the "chill, makes-you-want-to-fall-in-love, giddy Kpop songs" I was referring to)

John Park - Thought of You (my 24th birthday song because this was playing in K-Town while I was having my birthday lunch!)
GOT7 - Let Me (this isn't a Leana Tiu playlist if GOT7 is not involved lol // not a title track so no official MV but please buy GOT7's latest album!)
JUN K. - Think About You (JYP Nation love!)

I will be making a Kpop playlist soon so I'll just add more songs there!

There are times when I am not able to follow these 5 steps religiously. I still try to do this routine as often as I can, though, because it changes my mindset and it motivates me to do whatever I set myself to do.

Also, since I'll be having a regular work schedule again soon, I actually need to revise this morning ritual. I shall talk about that another time. :)