#winter arc

i no longer wait to feel motivated.

as someone who's goals are super high, like becoming a doctor, living in a new york penthouse, going to an ivy league med school.

i don't have time to wait for motivation to start working on attaining my goals. some days i want my goals more than i have energy for them.

and that's fine.

⋆ what “low energy” actually means for me

my low energy isn't random, it comes from thinking all the time, consuming all the way, always having something open in my mind. even when i'm resting, i'm still processing. what i actually need in these moments is predictability. like familiar routines, gentle structure that tells my nervous system, "hey, you're safe enough to focus"

⋆ how i study when i feel drained

i lower the activation energy.

♡ — books already open, i like setting this up because it's the first step to surrounding myself with what i need to actually start

♡ — tabs preloaded. one of my favorite tasks. organizing my tabs into groups and naming them help me stay organized and make it less-distracting.

♡ — notes half-started. the date, time, topic, energy level etc

♡ — i start before i feel ready. i immediately start my Pomodoro timer. (i use flocus, but most of the time i like to use ambient/music Pomodoro's on youtube. and i just start, no thinking, no planning. just start

♡ — i keep sessions short so my brain doesn't panic. not 45 minutes, not 60 minutes, just 20-25 minutes and a 5-minute break always.

the goal is to make starting stupidly easy

♡ — one topic only. i have this strange addiction to multitasking. like right now as i'm writing this blog post, i'm also planning other parts of my brand, planning my study schedule tomorrow, and rebranding myself for 2026. yes.... but when it comes to studying, i choose one topic only,

♡ — i also set one clear outcome for each study session. like read, review, rewrite, finish ___ chapter. etc

my brain relaxes when it knows there's an ending, and a goal at the end of the session

i also like to keep my study environment more intimate during my low energy days

♡ — for my lighting choices, i hate using overhead lights when studying, so i like to use my desk lamp, or warm fairy lights

♡ — when i'm reading something i like everything silent, but sometimes rain ambience is really nice to listen to.

♡ — i loveeeee warm drinks, homemade coffee + caramel macchiato creamer. plus, i like setting the temperature to be cool, not too cold, not too warm.

i also don't like to change my study system during these days. i choose gentle study methods like

♡ — rereading with a pen in hand to annotate

♡ — active recall, but only a few questions

♡ — i also explain concepts out loud.

i learned to stop before i'm depleted. i end sessions while i still have a little energy left. i also leave something unfinished on purpose, so i can slowly return back later before the end of the day. this is how i build trust with myself.

i do not support toxic motivation, i will not push myself until i burnout of fall into depression. i stop when it feels kind.

⋆ what i don’t do anymore

♡ — i don't wait for motivation

♡ — i don't compare my pace to high energy days, because that isn't fair

♡ — i do NOT romanticize exhaustion

♡ — i stopped studying past mental saturation, never force yourself to consume information when you're depleted.

♡ — i no longer force long sessions, like i mentioned earlier in this post. i keep it to 20-25 minutes only, nothing beyond that.

♡ — i also don't turn one low-energy day into a story about failure. i used to do this a lot.

how i measure success now

♡ — i show up gently

♡ — i touch the material daily, at least once

♡ — i don't avoid the subject, even if i hate it

you do not need to suffer to be serious. these are all little reminders and tasks i've been doing this winter to just enjoy studying more. winter has always been a low-energy season for me, so keeping all this in mind whenever i focus on my academics has really changed a lot for me.

xoxo mindy

instagram spotify

this is for nights when you’re home, not going anywhere, maybe a little bored, but you still want to feel a bit more put together without turning it into a whole project

nothing intense, nothing high effort, just small things that add up

press on nails

so underrated. you don’t need a full manicure to feel polished. even short, natural press ons make your hands look clean and intentional. perfect for a random night in! I DO THESE ALL THE TIME!! i recommend 100%

at home lashes or lash clusters

not full glam lashes, just soft clusters or individuals. they last a few days and make you feel cute even when you’re bare faced

brows and lashes maintenance

brushing brows, trimming stray hairs, curling lashes. no makeup needed but it changes your whole face

hair mask on dry hair

put it on, tie your hair up, forget about it for a bit. rinse later and your hair feels softer without doing anything extra

light exfoliation + lotion

especially elbows, knees, ankles. takes five minutes and makes your skin feel smoother for days

clean girl basics

lip balm, cuticle oil, hand cream. boring but effective. these are the things you notice later

teeth and smile care

whitening strips once in a while, flossing properly, lip balm after. small habit, big confidence boost

declutter one tiny area

not your whole room. just your makeup bag, bedside table, or purse. feeling clean makes you feel prettier

low maintenance beauty is about doing things once and enjoying them for days<3 you don’t need a glow up night, just a few quiet upgrades

winter arc ; oct to jan

1. build a strong routine - examples: wake up immediately and journal, don't scroll in the morning, meditate, drink 1 glass of water

2. create realistic goals - be more practical. when we set big goals and they don't happen we brush them off and say 'i'll just do it next week' hence delaying action

3. visualize - visualize how the highest person of yourself looks like

4. be consistent - wake up at the same time, be consistent, and don't scroll when you wake up, just take action everyday ! things don't just happen overnight

5. habit stacking - habit stacking follows a simple formula of "when i do [current habit], i will do [new habit]." for example: "when i drink my coffee in the morning, i will listen to an educational podcast."

6. use habit trackers/to-do lists

7. don't give up when your day isn't perfect - be flexible and understand that not everything has to be checked off, life happens

8. don't go through hardcore restrictions - since it's festival season, there are chances that you might not be able tick off some habits but that's okay !

9. listen to your body - do what you feel is best for you, don't beat yourself up if you aren't able to do something

let go of the feelings you've had in the past year, "i wish i did this" blah blah. don't beat yourself over it. just move forward. why keep waiting for tomorrow when you can start today? show up for yourself. why do i want to achieve this goal? it has to be for you.

Accepting my sleep schedule. I'm a night owl; I focus at night, I'm calm at night, I'm motivated at night. For a long time, I tried to fight this since everyone always preaches getting up early, but since I started accepting my natural sleep schedule, I've been feeling a lot better and have become way more productive.

"drink more water". TEA. Tea is the secret here. I will be honest, I hate drinking water; it doesn't matter if I have a cute water bottle or a cute glass, I still hate it. TEA.

Replying quickly. I used to be one of those people who get a text message and think, "Oh, I'll reply to that later", and then just forget about it entirely. Now, I text back as soon as I see the message. This has not only improved my texting anxiety (which I cause on my own by now replying and then feeling bad) but also deepened my connection to my friends. <3

Keeping my circle small and being okay with that. Over the past months, I've had this sudden urge to expand my social circle and get to know more and more people, especially after I moved in August. However, this quickly ended in what I like to call my "social burnout". I was tired, annoyed, and overwhelmed. It took a few weeks for it to settle, but I've come to the conclusion that I would much rather have a smaller circle of people who I trust and love deeply than a huge group of friends, and that's totally okay.

Wearing what I like. Even though I live in a big city, I'd still say that my style can sometimes be a bit more extravagant than what most people wear, another point is that I'm very uncomfortable with pants so I only wear skirts, which is also considered a bit odd where I live. But over the past years, I've come to accept that and have become so sure of myself and found such comfort in my style that I now just wear whatever I like, and it makes every day a little bit nicer.

Reading and writing for pleasure. Reading books outside of my studies and spending time researching topics that simply interest me is such a great way to calm your mind. Same for writing, I always like to say that to write is to think; putting your thoughts on paper in cohesive and well-crafted sentences that you can then reread and think over again is such a liberating thing to do.

Reaching out more. fuck the whole "double texting" and "no contact" thing. If you want to speak to someone because they mean something to you, then just do it. Unless they specifically asked for space, you shouldn't feel bad about wanting to be in touch with them. Many even really appreciate it when you show that you truly care. Let's stop the nonchalant act, and instead, let's face deep emotions and true vulnerability. <3

As always, please feel free to share your own little insights and things that helped you improve comments! <3

my insta: @ malusokay

I. SETTING GOALS

IDENTIFY YOUR STYLE. You don’t have to look through the list of different aesthetics, nor do you have to name it, but at least have a way in which you could explain it in a sentence. 

If you’re someone who is a bit on the fence with their fashion identity, I would start with a ‘base’ aesthetic that you like then start building your own on top of it over time. Think boho, streetwear, y2k, classy etc. 

CONSIDER YOUR LIFESTYLE. I don’t think its a great idea to go buy a fancy dress for a hypothetical event which may not ever happen. You have to think about what you’re doing on a daily basis, and which staples will be worn to their full extent. 

If you’re a very active person, I would invest into activewear or clothes that resemble it. If you’re someone who’s attending university, I would invest into casual cute basics but also smart staples for networking events. 

So in a way, don’t buy clothes for your fantasy self or events. I do understand that wearing clothes that our higher self would wear can close the gap between us and the, however material things don’t mean anything when it comes to that. 

SET A GOAL. Your goal can be anything when it comes to fashion. You could also have multiple goals. Here are some ideas for goals which may speak to you!

Investing into high quality pieces

Having less but wearing them more. 

Increased confidence

Developing personal style

Having a versatile collection

Comfortable yet stylish. 

There is a lot more goals that you may have came up with by yourself, but this is just to get you started. I recommend just having one goal and really honing down into it, is a lot better in this aspect.