What I Learned This Week #2

Back in August 2020, I (ambitiously) kicked off this series called "What I Learned This Week." It was meant to be a regular reflection on life, work, and everything in between. But, as it happens, life had other plans. Between the personal and professional commitments, and the overwhelming emotional toll of living through the pandemic, the series never made it past the first post.

Now, here we are in 2024. Four years late, but ready to pick up where I left off. 
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Better late than never, right? Let’s see where this journey takes us...

This month, I hit a pretty big milestone—my ninth anniversary at work. Looking back, it’s been a wild ride. I started as a marketing coordinator and worked my way up to head of the department.  Along the way, I’ve watched the organization grow, and I’ve grown with it.  One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over these nine years is how much my definition of success has changed.

 For much of my career, I was focused on getting ahead—pushing through late nights, keeping up with emails even on weekends, and sacrificing personal time to meet professional goals.

There's a certain pride that comes from hard work. I gave my all in all my roles, constantly trying to improve processes, elevate design work, and achieve something better than the year before. 

I've measured success by the usual markers—promotions, recognition, and financial milestones. And for a long time, those were enough. I worked hard, showed up every day, and pushed myself to meet every goal and deadline. But in recent years, I've realised that success, if it's going to be sustainable, needs to be redefined.

I was constantly exhausted.  I thought about work all the time, even on weekends or vacations. And that's when I hit burnout. That's when I realised something had to change. 

It was a humbling realisation: even if I'm not there, the work will still go on. I'm replaceable in my job but not in my personal life. This shift in perspective has inspired me to value my well-being more than ever before. 

Between deadlines, leadership responsibilities, and personal commitments, it seemed like there was always something more important than my well-being. But after years of working hard and pushing myself to the limit, feeling good and not exhausted has become my new success metric. 
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Now, I prioritise my well-being. From journaling to making time for coffee or matcha breaks and home decoration, I've found simple routines that help me recharge. It's not always perfect—some weeks are better than others—but I've realised that self-care isn't a one-time fix; it's a lifelong practice. And as I move forward, it's a standard I want to uphold in my career and personal life.