I was a shy type of person and not socially active, especially when doing video recordings. That’s why I prefer blogging over vlogging. My first attempt at video recording was when I tried to record my Watsons’ haul hehe, but I didn’t upload it nor keep it at all.
Yesterday, I shot my first video recording answering three questions given by the company’s HR that I am applying to. Honestly, this is my weakness. Maybe I am not used to it because I only worked before in laboratories which doesn’t require much exposure.
I spent like 3-4 hours of shooting and 15 minutes of editing. I am ready that my application might not be processed for the next step of the application.
But, whatever the results, I am still grateful and happy because I did it! Like, Everything has their first time, and not everyone is excellent or expert in their first time. I know I can improve my skills, primarily if motivated to do so. I am happy that the company asked me to do it, hehe. Trying is better than not trying at all. ♥️
Like what Bebe Rexha sang in the song Meant to Be:
If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be Baby, just let it be
Google is like my partner in my everyday life because it is my go-to platform for almost everything! With just a click away from the search engine, I can find all the needed articles, blog posts, images, and videos!
Google also helps me easily communicate with everyone online around the world. I can send and receive emails, plan my schedules using Google Calendar, track my everyday tasks with Google Keep, and edit my docs using Google Docs. I can even create an online survey to share with everyone. How lucky of us all to have something like Google, right?
Since I’m in the process of transitioning my career to UX, I searched for free courses online, and I stumbled upon the Coursera platform that provides online education for everyone. On this platform, I saw the Google UX Design Certificate and became curious about how UX works on their end. So I applied for Financial Aid for this certification, and luckily, they granted me!
Who would have thought that I could get Financial Aid from Google? This is a blessing for me!
Since Google advised their students (who are taking the courses) that it is more productive and motivational if we have a group or community where we can discuss the topics and help each other in these courses, I’ve decided to join a specific Facebook Group named Google UX Design Certificate Group | Coursera. I posted about a study buddy in the same phase as me, like Course One, because I just recently started. I didn’t expect that there would also be many students who just recently started!
I am delighted because I can do my self-paced study and get a certification after completing these seven courses from the Google UX Design Certificate. I am excited to learn more.
I am grateful to be part of this Google UX Design Certificate and to do my best not just to finish the seven courses but to understand and apply all the knowledge and skills to my future endeavors.
I will update my learning and experience as much as I can! ♥️
Working/Study table is essential, especially when you’re working with computers or laptops or taking down notes and sketching. It is hard to focus when you don’t have the right table to work and become productive.
Recently, I have decided to transition my career to User Experience Research. I spent most of my time with my laptop because I enrolled in some UX-free courses and started playing around using its tools, such as Figma and Adobe XD. Unfortunately, I don’t have a study/working table to set up my learning productivity system, yet I decided to improvise a table that can be useful to my learning journey.
I used to have a study/working table before, but my sister borrowed it because she is currently working remotely. I don’t have a plan to get it back because her work is more important than mine. Since I am still studying and practicing UX, getting a new working/study table isn’t necessary. Yet, I set that I will be rewarding myself with a new table once I finish the free courses that I am currently taking and when I get a job/internship remotely.
I have a side bed table that I don’t usually use, and I had decided to put a big empty box on it so that when I placed my laptop, the height was still tolerable. I use my bed as my chair at the moment, and everything works fine. Sometimes, I go to the dining area of our house to use the dining table. I am still blessed because I can still work on my progress for career transition.
I browsed my ideal table using the Shopee app because I planned to reward myself with a study/working table after my study phase. I am having a hard time choosing because they are all beautiful and affordable, but there’s this one table that caught my eye.
I like how minimal and affordable the table is. It also has a spacious surface to use and is easy to assemble. However, I haven’t tried ordering tables online before, and I am pretty worried about the missing parts, scratches, or damage to table pieces.
So that’s my ideal table ♥️ but for now, I am using my improvised table. Still functional and helpful for my learning journey. I can move it around and remove the box if I want to. 😂
Before you start doing what you love or want to pursue, you must first build a better plan.
Creating a better strategy/method is one of the most critical success factors. Setting a goal is a good skill because you know what, where, when, and how to start. You are urging to accomplish and reward yourself after finishing your creation. You are more prepared and motivated because you know which path to take.
Honestly, when I was in college, I was unaware of these things. I’m that person who follows what life can offer. My daily tasks are usually what a day might bring to me. I don’t have plans, to-do lists, schedules, or even an idea of how I will spend a day. Maybe that’s the reason why I barely completed my tasks. I usually forget some essential things to do because I don’t have a plan, and it sucks because I often mislead my priorities in a day, weeks, months, and even years!
As time went by, I started noting my tasks using an application. It helps me to track my productivity and progress in a day, and that new habit continues up to now. I am using Things3 for my daily tasks and track my progress and check where I stopped and where I should start. I like the logbook feature because I can check my accomplishments and become motivated to finish everything left.
Once you know how your day-to-day schedule works, then you’ll see a routine where you can plot your programs and plans. To start your learning plan, you have to:
1. Identify first your main goal and the reason why you need to accomplish that goal.
2. Have a self-assessment and know your strengths and weaknesses
3. Prioritize the skills that you need to focus on by creating a quadrant
4. Create a learning preference table to group the prioritized skills you want to pursue
Formal Learning – learning with diploma or certification,
Social Learning – learning via observation or watching online tutorials, and
Experiential Learning – learning via hands-on, practical, or by simply doing it
5. Create how you will put your learning plan into action. Do with SMART guide
5. List down your learning resources and support
6. Track your progress and celebrate.
These are some of the most critical planning guides that you must follow when you are just starting. I’m not professionally advising the best plan that suits you, but you may consider these steps and see if they might work for you.
I will provide a sample template of my planned Learning Plan for my UX Journey. I will put the link below if it’s already available.
Following different useful planner templates from the internet helps you to become more productive in your daily tasks because your plans guide you. But creating your way of planning is much better because you will know what suits your schedule and your learning type best.
I have so many ideas in my mind but the only thing that stops me is confidence. Coming from a different field of career to Technology and Design field is a huge step to take.
I am so overwhelmed with every idea and output of what other people in these fields are sharing and posting. I don’t even know if I am on the right track but I am sure that I am motivated and inspired to do tasks related to UX Design.
I created my first wireframe using the famous UX design tool, Figma. I am familiarizing myself with how to use it and the different techniques about it.
I am excited to finish this case study that I am working on. I already have my user’s persona and other details about the user. I hope I am doing them right. ♥️
Hello, bloggy! Sorry for not updating you these past few weeks. I got infected by the coronavirus the past weeks, and too much rest is needed for me to recover. The 14-day quarantine is draining, but thanks to God, I am finally recovered! However, I am still taking my medicines to feel better and flu-free.
Since I am still staying at home recovering from my cough because I am not yet allowed to go out, I research different tech skills that I want to learn and focus on.
I came across UX Design. So what is UX design? UX Design is creating a product that provides a meaningful, helpful, and good user experience. This description is the way I understand it. I enjoyed reading articles and watching videos about UX design. Since I am changing my career path, I find UX design my long-lost career to grow and develop my skills and character more. This UX journey is the right path because I enjoy every step and process I encounter while studying UX design.
I made a simple workflow on how I will start studying and learning little by little about UX Design. UX design is a broad topic that consists of many different processes, steps, tools, and problems to come up with a result. It also has four stages of how a UX designer will solve the assigned project, case study, or problems.
Luckily, I am excited about solving such problems. Being a degree holder of Biology course, I am well aware and educated on how a research design flows. Whenever I think about UX design stages, research design also comes to mind, like making a research project or thesis in my college course.
However, they are different. The process may be a bit similar, but the tools and methods are various, yet it is still a big help because I have a background in research design. I am looking forward to this journey to have a positive result. ♥️
Who would have thought that I would need to stay for 14 days in my bedroom? It sounds creepy, but yeah, I have no choice. I need to do it for my health and fast recovery. So many people are getting infected and doing the same things, so I guess this is the real new normal now.
I’m not afraid at all, why would I? I believe and trust my immune system that she can surpass all these challenges now. I’m taking these moments on the brighter side of my life. Everything happens for a reason, and all depends on God’s will.
Today is Thursday, and it is my first day of home quarantine. I just stayed all day in my bedroom with lots of fruit and medicine. I am planning to do a one-hour workout, but my body won’t cooperate. I felt tired and lazy. It feels like I want to lie down all day and sleep.
I love eating the fruits my mom gave me. I am still lucky to have them with me. My mom and dad are always there for me through my ups and downs. They care and love me.
My licensed medical doctor sister never stops caring for me and the whole family’s health and supports my parents with daily financial needs. She is also the one who checks on us when we’re sick and feeling weak, and she buys medicine right away just for us to feel better.
My youngest brother is always there for us when we need something or things to get done that he can do by himself to help us. He’s the baby boy in this family.
When I had my dinner, my mom cooked “Sinigang na Hipon,” and sad to say that I couldn’t enjoy my food because of a loss of taste.
I don’t feel like eating right now because I can’t taste anything. Like completely nothing. However, I still have to eat lots of foods and fruits to be strong and healthy. It’s tough for me to see my family, who are so worried about me and my health. I pray that I can recover very soon!
The world is full of unpredictable happenings, plagues, viruses, and a lot more. We can’t tell what will happen next. Our lives are not for us forever. It’s just we’re all living in this painful world.
When we got home from our water station with my father, I felt weak and had no strength. So after drinking hot chocolate, I went upstairs directly to my room to get some clothes, and I took a bath right away. I felt so cold, and my head hurt. So I decided to lie down on my bed and wear socks and thick clothes.
I was half asleep by then when my mom was calling me for dinner. Since I didn’t answer, my mom checked on me and saw that I was sick. She brought fruits, biscuits, and medicine for me to take. My sister, a licensed medical doctor, also checked on me and told me that I needed to do the 14-day quarantine.
I can’t say that this is my first day of quarantine, but I need to rest to regain my strength and improve my immune system.
The three common symptoms that I am experiencing are fever, cough, cold. I hope that I will feel better soon.
I didn’t expect that a pandemic could change our entire lives in just a blink of an eye. No one does. Many things have changed, from a normal to a mask-everyday lifestyle. We can’t even go out and travel like we used to because our naked eyes can’t see our opponent, which is the Coronavirus.
In this happening in our lives, we encountered different life challenges and obstacles that left us new lessons in life. I have learned that we don’t own our lives. If it’s our time, we can’t do anything about it.
The most important thing now is to continue living no matter what happens. Some people are experiencing depression and anxiety but then losing hope can tear you down quickly. We have to adapt to this setting to survive and to continue living. Changing our lifestyle is a real challenge, but it will help us grow and prepare for our future endeavors.
For the past years, I have never felt like being so productive in a day. I accomplished things that I needed to, but I wasn’t that organized to manage everything.
I remember I loved buying planners and colorful checklists, but I never used them correctly. I am fond of collecting cute stuff such as sticky notes, washi tapes, colorful pens, dotted notebooks, and a lot more, but I didn’t use them correctly because I tend to keep them in a box with their respective packaging.
But now I realize why I am not using this stuff on a day-to-day basis. (Sayang naman sisszt)
Since I love watching about personal growth, lifestyle, productivity, successful tips, mental health, and career paths on YouTube, I learned that being well-organized on your everyday schedule is essential. It helps you in so many ways, not just by accomplishing your tasks but also by helping you grow and be motivated.
I will share with you the five new habits that are slowly helping me improve my lifestyle and mindset.
Wake Up at 4 A.M.
Hello, sleepy heads! I know this is not ideal for you, but you may or may not try. It depends on you and how you manage your time.
I am doing my best to be consistent because waking up at this hour is so challenging! However, it helps me to control my day. Waking up early this morning helps me organize my goals for the day, prepare me to make a list, exercise for an hour (hehe), and do stuff I need to do without worrying (oh, it’s 8 A.M, I’m late!)
Exercise
Every year, my New Year resolution is to become sexy, but I love to eat, and I hate exercising, so how will I achieve the body goal I want?
As time passed by, I changed my views on exercise. I want to do exercise because I want to be healthy. Not only physically but also mentally. With the proper amount of activity, it helps me to have a clearer mind, avoid anxiety, attract positivity, and stay calm. I consider this an excellent everyday habit because it has a significant impact.
Set Your Goal
This new habit is another life-changing. For the past years, I just spent a day without plans on what, where, and how. I do what I think is needed and essential, but I never list it down.
But now, I finally see the importance of setting a goal(s) on a particular day because I can control my life here. I can also detect my progress if I am productive or not. Whether I am accomplishing everything or not. If I am close to achieving the goal or not.
With goals set, you know where to land and what road to take.
Prepare Your “To-Do List”
The goal is like the target, and your To-Do List is the way to hit the target.
A To-do list helps me track my progress. It is like a guide that helps on what to do on a particular day and a reminder of the unfinished tasks I have to work on. I am using my sticky notes on this, but I’m also using a mobile app list.
It is a good habit that will teach you to become well-organized, manage time, and be productive.
Journaling
Journaling is like my outlet for unsaid thoughts and ideas. It is where I write everything that I want to do and accomplish. It helps me to feel at ease and somehow confident.
If I am having a rough day, I write everything to feel calm and free from stress. Journaling enhances my creativity and improves my writing skills. I know day by day that I am slowly improving in writing.
These are my five habits to improve my lifestyle. I am not a professional in this field, but I shared the new habits that I am currently doing and seeing progress.
It’s not too late to try new things out, especially when you feel lost like me. There’s no right or wrong timeline. What matters is you’re doing your best to improve yourself.
