practice makes perfect

BALCONY.

2 0 | J a n | 1 7

“the struggle ends when the gratitude begins.”

May 21st, 2016 

Since I’ve been using a bullet journal for several months now, I thought it would be a good idea to show you what mine looks like. In my bullet journal, there are three main things: 1) monthly calendar 2) weekly spread 3) habit tracker.

Monthly Calendar

I usually make this in the last week of the previous month. In the first column, I write the day of the week. In the second column, I write the date (ex: the 15th) and then I write down events that are going to happen on certain days. If there are two events in the same day, I separate them by writing “//”. I always have a post-it note bookmarking the page so I can easily flip back to it if I need to.

Weekly Spread

At the top of my weekly spread, I always write the week and the month. Each month is written in a different way. For may, I’ve drawn it with two laurel leaves around it. Then below that, I write down my weekly to-do list. I put down things that don’t have a specific deadline in this list such as an ongoing project. I usually plan out what I want to do the next day the day before and I leave a space between two dates.

Habit Tracker

For my habit tracker, I turn my bullet journal. This allows me to write in as many dates as possible, saving myself space. On the left, I have the habits I want to track such as playing piano or getting enough sleep. On the top, I have the dates and their corresponding day of the week. If I did one of the habits, I fill in the box. If I didn’t, I leave it blank.

버카충 - charging your bus card (버스 카드 충전)

세젤예/세젤귀- most beautiful/cutest in the world ( 세상에 제일 예쁜/귀여운)

낄끼빠빠 - Know when to get involved and when to stay out of it AKA have some nunchi bitch (낄때 끼고 빠질때 빠 져라)

셤- test (시험)

아점 - brunch (아침겸점심)

걸크러쉬 - badass girl who will crush you / strong type

생선 - bday gift (생일 선물)

존못 - freaking/fucking ugly (존나 못생겼다)

빛 = light, color

빛나다 = shine

빛내다 = make shine, bring glory to

달빛 = moonlight

별빛 = starlight

햇빛 = sunlight

빛깔 = color

눈빛 = eye color, expression in one’s eyes

사진: Greenwood’s on Green Street, Roswell

보다 = see, look

쉬워보이다 = seem easy

얼핏보다 = have a quick glance

쳐다보다 = look upward, stare

바라보다 = look at, gaze

째려보다 = give a severe look

노려보다 = glare at

돌아보다 = look back

몰라보다 = fail to recognize

잘못보다 = mistake one thing for another, misjudge

내다보다 = look out, look ahead

지켜보다 = watch intently

엿보다 = steal a glance, watch for a chance

볼만하다 = be worth seeing

볼가리 = things to see

보기 = illustration, way of looking at things

돋보기 = magnifying glass

두고보다 = wait and see

보나마나 = undoubtedly, in all probability

흉보다 = speak ill of, backbite

재미보다 = enjoy oneself

장보다 = go shopping

볼일 =  things to do, business

내가 보기에 = from my point of view

급한 볼일 = urgent business

사진: 강릉 (Gangneung)

children are still learning their first language(s)

less of your energy is spent on growing, sleeping and cognitive development and so more can be put into language learning

you have already grasped the concept of complex language and the way symbols on paper or a screen can correspond to speech

your brain is already far more developed than that of a child, and you are able to grasp new concepts much faster and understand explanations of things like grammar, or definitions/translations of words using the language you already know as a crutch

you already know how to control air flow and move your mouth and vocal cords to make sounds

your ears are already tuned to pick up human speech and your brain has already developed the ability to decode this

unlike a child, who is only able to learn what it is exposed to, you are free to learn literally whatever you want, provided you can find materials for it

most children are first introduced to the concept of reading around the age of 3, but are not able to read and write with a relative degree of fluency before the age of 9 or 10, so if you already feel comfortable reading and writing most things in your target language after just 3 years of study, you have leant at least twice as fast as the aforementioned children

you are able to actively seek help with aspects of the language you find troublesome

you already know how to hold and use a writing utensil, how to look things up in a dictionary, type on a computer, use the internet

you already have a much wider understanding of the world and your surroundings than a child

if the language you are learning uses an alphabetical writing system, you are already miles ahead of any child who is not yet able to read any kind of alphabet

even if the writing system is not alphabetical, you still already understand the concept of written sentences, punctuation, paragraphs, arabic numbers, etc.

Ever wonder what your life would be like if you lived up to your full potential? Would your body be healthier? Your skin clearer? Bank account bigger? I think about these things all the time, and, judging my a previous post, you guys do to. Below is a chart designed to help all of us live up to our full potential. I’ve broken it down into time frames to help keep you from getting overwhelmed. Write the chart down and hang it someplace where you can see it all the time. I will be starting this challenge tomorrow, 9/8. I’ll check in with you guys every Sunday to track my progress. I have specific goals in mind for myself, and you guys should make some too! I really want to know how you guys are doing. Tag your progress posts with #sbfpc so I can track it and take a look. Let’s get to it!

EVERY MORNING

Stretch. First thing. Really give your body enough time to wake up. Touch your toes. Roll out your shoulders. Do not hit snooze!

Do your full skincare routine. I have mine detailed here, but do whatever works for you and your complexion. Be gentle and consistent. 

Brush your teeth and floss. I used to be a big floss-skipper too, but you’d be amazed at how dig of a difference it makes. Rinse with a whitening mouthwash. I use one by Crest, and I notice a major difference in my teeth’s overall whiteness in just a few days.

Give yourself enough time to get ready. Whether you’re a wash-and-go kind of girl, or someone who spends an hour doing a full contouring routine before class (and either one is fine!), make sure you aren’t rushing. If you need to wake up a few minutes earlier than normal, so be it. Rushing sets an awful, stressed-out tone for the rest of the day. Allow yourself to be relaxed before taking on the day.

Eat something. I’m not going to say eat a big breakfast, because some people (myself included) just can’t eat in the morning. But you should eat, or at least bring a little something with you to work or school. If you can’t eat a full breakfast, grab a fruit! You won’t be as hungry come lunch time, making you less likely to gorge yourself.

Shower. You can do this at night, in the morning, whatever. Again, this is something you should allow some time for. I don’t wash my hair every day, but I do condition it every day (from the ears down). Scrub yourself with a delicious-smelling body wash. If you shave, make yourself as smooth as a dolphin, dude. If you don’t, then don’t and don’t ever ever ever let anyone make you feel bad or weird about it. When you get out of the shower, wrap yourself in a fluffy towel and totally slather your sexy self with lotion. Top to bottom. Do it as soon as you can post-shower so it can really sink in. 

Put leave-in condition throughout your damp hair and comb it through.

Put on an outfit that makes you feel good! So important!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Take a look at your daily to-do list. Knock out the most pressing stuff first. Take pride when you cross things off your list.

Make your bed! Oh my god, make your bed. Do it. Do it. Do it. 

EVERY AFTERNOON 

Follow the “touch it once” approach. This is a truly life-changing thing. When a task is in front of you, no matter how big or small, just do it right then and there. How many times have you gotten a work email or homework assignment and thought, “Eh, I’ll do it later”? And then later never comes? Once something pops up, do it once. Squash it and be done. Cross things off your list and feel like a badass.

Try to go for a walk at lunch. Even one little lap around the block or campus will reenergize you like nobody’s business. 

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Be present. This is so hard for me too, but you have to make a major effort to be present in whatever you’re doing. Be engaged and plugged-in and just exist in the moment. Give 100 percent.

Be friendly to friends and strangers. A smile goes a long way.

Eat something. Eat what you packed for lunch (see below) and take a break from working while you do it. You need “you time”!

EVERY EVENING

Take your makeup off as soon as you’re in for the night. Wash your face with your full routine and let your skin have a break. 

Workout. You can also do this in the morning. Whatever works for you. Make a great playlist and go hard af. Get your cardio in. Get your strength training in. Earn every freaking sweat bead forming on your forehead. Earn your shower!

Knock out your homework. Life is infinitely better you don’t have anything hanging over your head. Half the time, the energy and emotion you spent dreading/putting off your work is ten times worse than the work itself.

Make a list of what needs to be done tomorrow. It’ll set you up for success the next day, and you won’t forget anything!

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Lay out your clothes for tomorrow. This will save you SO MUCH TIME in the morning omg I can’t even tell you how important this is.

Eat something great. And once you’ve decided to be done eating for the night, be done. Brush your teeth so you can’t eat again.

After brushing, do a whitening treatment. Whether it’s classic baking soda, a Crest white strip, or a laser. Do something. And floss! Retainers in too, ladies 0:)

Relax! Take a few hours to do what YOU want to do. Scroll through Tumblr, binge on some Netflix, FaceTime gossip with your friends, anything. Do whatever makes you happiest. 

Shut the electronics off an hour before you want to go to bed. Put your phone on sleep mode. If you stare at the screen, it will keep you awake and alert and you won’t be able to fall asleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for weightless and general happiness lol

Do a quick sweep of your room and see if there’s anything you can put away real quick. A clean space is a happy space.

Crawl into your bed (aren’t you happy you took the time to make it?!) and read a book by lamplight for a while. When you start to feel sleepy, go to sleep. Don’t push it. You kicked ass today and you deserve rest. 

EVERY WEEKEND

Do something with your friends. It just has to be one thing. Even if you’re just hanging out at the coffee shop, spending time with your squad will make you a better, happier person.

Drink water. Drink water. Drink water. Drink water!!!!!

Do something just for you. Set your laptop up in the bathroom and watch a Netflix marathon while you take a bubble bath. Buy an old school bottle of Mr. Bubbles ($3 at Target!) and really just soak. Relax. Light a candle.

Do something creative. You can read a book, write, blog, draw, code, anything. It just has to be something that speaks to your passion.

Track your progress. Just do this once a week so it doesn’t become all-consuming. And remember that non-scale victories are just as important as shedding pounds.

Take the time to be grateful. Tell your friend how much you admire her taste in music. Mention to your mom how much you love her cooking and how happy you are that she takes care of you. Thank your teaching after an especially interesting lecture. When you do something awesome, take a moment to admire yourself. Be grateful for even the little things.

밤 = night

오늘밤 = tonight

어젯밤 = last night

간밤 = last night

밤낮 = night and day, all time

한밤중 = middle of the night

밤늦게 = late at night

밤새 = during the night, overnight

밤샘하다 = to do staying up all night

밤거리 = street at night

밤길 = walk at night

밤차 = night train

밤일하다 = to do the night shift, to do night work (pron. 밤닐하다)

밤참 = late night snack

밤눈 = night vision

사진: 한강, 서울 (Han River, Seoul)

- You start noticing translation errors in movies/book in your first language

- There are words in your second language that you know the meaning of, but cannot translate to your own language for the life of you

- You don’t even care about translating the aforementioned words anymore

- You mix your own language with your second one while speaking, sometimes without even noticing

- You can’t seem to remember if you watched/read something in your first or second language

- You use your second language casually every day, even when thinking out loud or talking to yourself

- You sometimes can’t find a word in your native tongue, but you do find it in your second language

- You start using idioms from your second language, even if they don’t make sense when translated to your own

- You can hear other people’s accents

- You cringe at bad mispronunciations