Make the Minutes

Hustle until your haters ask if you are hiring 

Many of you may know, I have a full-time job that works me out from 8am-5pm, I own a business that I mostly run in the evening and in the weekends, I go to school on Spring and Fall semesters during the evening or the weekends, I self-learn clothes design and making during the sides, AND I run a fashion-lifestyle blog that I update occasionally. How do I make time? How do I manage to stay healthy and happy?

I think there are three keys to hustling and managing time: build the personality, love what you do, and get the support.

To be honest, when I was about twelve years old, I was a lazy bum. After school, I would go home and chill with the AC on. Since I made more friends during high school, I started to spend more time outside the house and go home at night. It's not the energy that I had, it's just a willingness to get out of the house to do something. The more I do it, the more I feel like I enjoy doing things. Now, I can't stand staying at home for too long, I like going out and do something. Towards this day, it helps me realize there is so much I can do in a day: I can spend the morning at work, the early evening managing my blog, and later evening managing my business, etc. I know I can now do much more than I could. 

Top - Forever 21| Skirt - Zara | Purse - Gosh | Earrings - Micha | Heels - Forever 21

Love what you do - huh? So cliche. Not that I always love what I love, at the end of the day, nothing is perfect right? But at least outside of work, I get to do fashion: I get to write blog and share with you guys my fashion and life, I get to learn how to make beautiful dresses that linger around my head all day long, and I get to sell delightful fashion to people who share the same taste as me in the weekend and online. If you love it, you would be willing to make the minutes and spend your off hours doing so. You have no idea how happy I feel whenever I finish setting up the booth during festival. I get to see many beautiful things that me and my friends created and sourced. It feels good and exciting. 

Lastly, get a support system that encourage you to keep going. Without my boss or coworkers telling me I am doing great at work, without my family telling me the dresses I made are beautiful, without my friends telling me my blog is enjoyable, without my customers telling me how pretty the stuff we sell, I would not be as motivated as I am right now. People who tells me that may think it's simply their sincere comment, but they have no idea how much that means to me. You know when people say good things to you, even though you are not the best, you feel like you can climb mountains, you can reach the stars, you feel like you've made an impact. That's what drives me to make the time for things that I love, things that I do, and things that matter to people. 

So now you know what the base are, how do I manage to make the minutes? how do I stay on top of things and stay healthy?

With me, I like to create a list of actions that I would repeat every day and schedule them according to what fits best. For example, for me every week I have to work (of course), write a blog post or two, manage my online shop, prepare and run my booth in the festival, exercise, and give myself a day off. My schedule now would be: 

Monday - Work, relax, and write blog pos

Tuesday - Work and manage online store

Wednesday - Work, exercise, and in the free time I make clothing

Thursday - Work, Prepare for Festivals 

Friday - Work, Festival

Saturday and Sunday - Festival

Also be happy in what you do even though you are physically drained. To be frank, this past year since January I have not quite get a weekend yet to relax and recharge. I either do class or festivals which suck most or all the time up. To make sure these activities still recharges me, I try to find enjoyable things that makes me happy. Remember, a happy mind is a healthy body. So, when I am in the class, I try to enjoy talking to my classmates, sharing our lives, learning about them. When I am in festival, I try to spend some time talking to my friends and family who helps me with the booth; try to talk about funny things and interesting people that pass by. Think about it as hanging out with your friends, not working.

Of course occasionally I will miss my schedule, but it's okay. No one, but me, will be mad to myself.  As long as we have a plan and the drive to hustle, we will have a way to be successful.

Anyway hope my tips work! Now to the fashion side of this post. I was actually planning to take a picture with a korean wall at Mott St. restaurant. Apparently the wall got repainted to these Hawaiian flowers. I am not complaining though, the outfit still matches. 

Last year, the trend was choker. This year I have been obsessed with statement earrings: these big beads, tassels, feathers. I toned down on statement necklace and rely on my earrings now. These statement earrings feel super summery and feminine, so I think skirts are awesome pairs to these earrings. The one I am wearing is from my store, Micha. 

Have you seen a lot of denim and super light blue everywhere in Zara? I am super obsessed with this color. In fact, this summer all my spending money went to light blue tops and bottoms. I am super in love with the skirt I am wearing, and I got them for only $12 on sale in Zara. I am super happy. Fortunately, this earring I have from Micha (my favorite earrings by the way) matches the skirt really well. The red rose towards the bottom gives it a hint of pop to liven it up! The tassel shoes simply adds to the sophisticated look, the more tassels, the better! To tone all these stripes, circles, and tassels down, I wear a very simple and versatile crop top from Forever 21. And so there goes the look: current, simple, chic, and kicks. Let me know how you're likin' it!

Mural Location:

1401 N. Ashland Ave (Wicker Park)

Chicago, IL