2020 in Review

My favorite experiences this year ❤

As with each year coming to an end, I try to spend some time to look back and reflect upon not only what was done well, but also think about what can be better next year. 2020 has been a very interesting year due to COVID, and while the year was drastically different from the past years, I’m still thankful for many things, learnings, and experience that comes along with it.

Thinking about what my top experiences and learnings were for the year, I thought that these 9 were the most memorable and meaningful ones:)

1. Learning to give back

At the start of 2020, I did a small social initiative with my friends — Charmaine and Estherlyn (planning and execution); Serming and Shavin (modeling). I’m super thankful for the experience to help children from less privileged families so that they can learn and study better. People ask me why I want to do education? For me, I believe that education can opens doors of opportunity and is one of the few ways of getting people out of poverty and improving lives. This is one of the many reasons why I do what I do.

2. Consistency in a small way is still a consistency

This year, I’ve become a lot more consistent in terms of exercising and fitness which I’m extremely happy about. I’m not exactly super athletic-ish or someone who loves doing sports so attempting to exercise daily is really a huge challenge. I figured that I should decide what is reasonable for myself and to start small first, something like once a week, and gradually increase from there. I think it works wonders to be more consistent at it when the goal is more manageable.

3. Do things just coz it’s fun

As I grow older, I tend to do things only if there are compelling reasons as to why I should do it. I start thinking about the returns on time invested, and if it doesn’t bring about benefits, why should I bother? But the experience during this pitch with my friends reminded me that life is supposed to be fun and that sometimes we don’t really need to overthink things or to have many reasons to do something. If it is fun, then just do it (only if it doesn’t involve life/death, of course).

4. Unexpected moments can be sweet

Taking part in Singapore Startup Weekend was a really last-minute decision as initially I only wanted to observe and watch the other teams pitch their ideas. In the end, I ended up joining as a pitching team. At that time, we were also preparing for mid-term exams so we did not have any expectations and treated it as an experience and exposure. Little did we know, we ended up in the top 10 teams and even won the Impact Prize. Now, I know that the unexpected moments that I least expect can be quite memorable.

5. Stop worrying about what others think of you

While it was fun to create videos on YouTube, the act of posting videos online is actually quite scary, especially at the start. The thought of what people might say or think lingers at the back of my mind, making me wonder about the endless what if’s. Then at one point, I realized how ridiculous I was and decided to follow the advice given in the book — The subtle art of not giving a f*ck”.

Giving too many fucks is bad for you

Here’s to learning the art of not giving a f* in the many years to come. It’s a life skill.

6. On writing and friendships

I’m proud that I’m enjoying the act of writing as a form of expression and as a mindful activity. I used to hate writing when I was younger because I was never good at English, just an average student that barely managed to get through each stage of the education system. This year, I’m grateful for my friends who decided to kickstart writing on Medium together during the COVID lockdown period. Cherishing friendships and social circles that encourage me to grow and be better.

7. Working on passion project

SGtutoring started as a project for my entrepreneurial program that I did in ngee ann poly. It’s interesting to see how it has slowly grown this year and how I get to learn new skills along the way such as website development, marketing, and generally more about running a business. Hopefully one day, the platform can go global so that more students can find tutors easily and tutors will have more job opportunities.

8. Do more of what you find meaningful

I have never envisioned myself to be a teacher or educator or anything close to any of it. I started teaching part-time as a mean to earn additional income during my polytechnic days. Overtime, I loved how I was able to help students feel more confident and purposeful in their learning and education. It was then I realised out of the various part-time jobs I’ve had, teaching felt the most meaningful one to me. I hope that in the years to come, I will always have the courage to do what I find meaningful and fulfilling, and I hope you will too:)

9. Keep learning

This year, I took on an internship at QuickDesk as Business Development/Digital Marketing Intern. My previous internship was in Shanghai, so this is considered my first local internship in Singapore. Apart from acquiring new skills, it was also interesting to gain the experience of working remotely during this trying year. I’m glad to have met and learn from so many amazing individuals, and more importantly, understanding how having supportive teammates and great leader matters more when it comes to job/career for me.

Thankful for the experiences in 2020. Stepping into 2021 with this word that I hold close to heart — courage. I hope I will have the courage to pursue what I want and to be less afraid.