THINGS I LOVE DOING & WHY
There are a few things in life that truly matter. But sometimes, we take time for granted & focus on a lot of unimportant things. Have you taken some time to ask yourself why you do things? Are they truly helping you move forward with your life?
When we fail to figure out the true purpose of our habits, we wouldn’t know if some might actually just be for the adrenaline; an addiction; a form of escaping emotions we’ve buried deeply. Each of us is unique & we’re naturally drawn to different things. We may overlook some activities that seem boring or uncool but in the long run are the ones that actually matter.
Allow me to share with you my personal list of habits & hobbies. Here are some of the things I commit to do regularly & find time to do because they serve me positively. A general hint is that you must naturally feel drawn or curious about the things you do & you should enjoy it. After that, you must also commit to design your schedule for what matters to you. If you truly want something, you’ll make time for it. Hope this list help you come up with yours too!
Getting up early & walking
As a morning person, there’s nothing sweeter than waking up earlier than my alarm clock & witnessing the calm & quiet blue hour. Then, prepping for a quick walk before breakfast.
Why do I commit to it? Even a short, regular walk in the neighborhood can help lift your mood. Walking symbolizes movement & progress. It’s even symbolic of the human evolution.
How does it serve me positively? Walking helps me process my ideas & solve my problems. I feel much lighter & healthier whenever I get to walk. My future self would also thank me later for putting in the reps today to help keep me strong. Conversations are also much more enjoyable when walking.
Do I enjoy it? I do! Since I was a kid, walking was a way for me to explore. While others get tired when walking, I actually feel recharged. We also chose a subdivision that’s reminiscent of a sports oval. It also helps that my husband always cook our breakfast & I get rewarded after my morning walk!
Sunbathing
Ever since I can remember, I’ve always adored those with tan & darker skin tones. Whenever we would visit our province, I would meet kids whose skins glow under the sun. Their eyes were also filled with life.
Why do I commit to it? Sunbathing gives me so much energy!
How does it serve me positively? It makes me feel alive, connected & recharged. It lifts my mood & gives me a boost before I start the day.
Do I enjoy it? So much! Even 30minutes under the sun is enough to make me feel more energetic & happier. It also gives me a good tan which I love!
Driving
I find it fun whenever I leave early for chill usual drives like doing errands or visiting people. I’m fond of going to neighborhood coffee shops; doing long drives in steep, rough roads; and even flooring it (on allowed maximum speed range) on rare expressway drives.
Why do I commit to it? As a writer, I usually study & work from home. Driving makes it easier for me to visit different spaces where I can work or hangout.
How does it serve me positively? It makes me feel curious, focused, accountable & free. I can also go where I want to, when I want to. I honestly never enjoyed being fetched, I would rather take the train or ride-share than have someone pick me up.
Do I enjoy it? I do & it actually relaxes me. I enjoy it the most when I drive early during weekends & most people are still asleep.
Studying / Reading / Journaling
I love finding the tiniest opportunities for improvement. Studying a new thing, reading & journaling work together for me.
Why do I commit to it? Studying & reading humbles me. It reminds me of how little I know & comprehend. I do love reading self-development books & I appreciate mentors who are willing to take time to share what they know. Meanwhile, journaling humbles me, builds my self-awareness & help me quiet my ego.
How does it serve me positively? All of these three together keep my mind open to change, these keep me teachable & curious. Whenever I read, I feel grateful that these mentors exist. Each book would give you at least one great idea to remember, and so many stories to guide you.
Do I enjoy it? I do! Reading & journaling when the sun rises is one of my joys! Studying lets me understand other people’s thought process & perspective. I also enjoy seeing how different I am now from who I was years ago.
Photography & Videography
To me, both photography & videography are intimate expressions. When I am behind a camera & I click the shutter – despite it being a short moment, it allows me to be truly present. I am in the zone & focused on nothing else but my subject. My subject will have my entire attention.
Why do I commit to it? Because it’s always going to be a part of my self expression, just not doing it for business anymore.
How does it serve me positively? These two allow me to express my creativity & play with my subjects – whether it’s food, landscape or people. It trains me to be observant, always ready to click when I find certain opportunities.
Do I enjoy it? I love taking photos & videos & editing them afterwards. I love snapping or filming on a half-frame, full-frame, mirrorless, with underwater gears, with tripod, handheld, using film cameras & retro video cameras, using phone & playing with my lighting equipments whether it is speedlite or LED. Any medium is enjoyable to use as long as you know how to capture. It’s just so much fun to explore!
Swimming
Swimming is a form of yoga to me. I’ve been swimming since I was a kid & actually learned how to do it mostly by watching other people & listening to swim trainers. About 8 or 9 years ago, I reconnected with it after enrolling in a swim class again. I then read & memorized an entire book written by a pro swimmer to understand the concept even better.
Why do I commit to it? Swimming keeps me healthy. I love how much I need to focus on my breathing when I swim. In fact, most of the things I love to do bring me solitude.
How does it serve me positively? To me, it’s a form of meditation. It lets me focus on my breathing & the feel & sound of the waters. Somehow, it had always felt like a form of dance to me. Swimming makes me feel alive, calm, strong, joyous & at peace.
Do I enjoy it? I’m a water baby! Make it a sunny day & it’s the best day ever! I enjoy swimming because it feels natural for me to be in it. I grew up visiting beaches regularly, so I’ve always loved the ocean. It’s pretty weird though how I still fell in love with it despite being thrown in the waters by my siblings when I still didn’t know how to swim.
Cooking
Cooking is chemistry. It’s a thrill whenever I plan to cook something & gather my ingredients. There are times when I cook in default mode for a quick meal. But when I plan for what I’ll cook, it’s a different story.
Why do I commit to it? Because I love tasting different flavors & understanding their reactions when mixed with other flavors. It’s also really fun to plate & see people’s reactions change when they’ve tasted your dish.
How does it serve me positively? It’s an experiment every time I cook. I understand the idea of recipes & respect it. But I love trying out different things every now & then by adding new ingredients in a test mix. It lets me discover new reactions between different flavors.
Do I enjoy it? Yup! I was partly raised by a professional Foods teacher whose life revolved in the kitchen & whom devoted her life to teaching. She also enjoyed cooking so much & I developed my love for food because of her. I never saw cooking as a “chore.” In fact, when people whine about cooking, I don’t understand it at all. Since I had Ninang Erly as a role model who showed me to respect food, I’ve always enjoyed cooking & saw it as a skill & an art.
Listening to different types of music & exploring new artists’ release
Music has always been a part of my life. Right now, I mostly toggle between classical, jazz, lofi & beta waves because these drive my productivity & speed. But when I’m not working or writing – I explore other genres. I enjoy listening to Japanese anime OSTs especially when I want to run or workout. The music is energetic, positive & motivating. When I’m dining with some company or prepping: lounge music, swing & bossa work like a charm. It helps set a good flow & speed for conversations.
French pop & street instrumentals help curate coffeeshop vibes. When I want to rest my mind, K-Pop relieves stress. Driving feels perfect with gen pop, light rock & r&b. To condition myself to sleep, I listen to lullaby instrumentals or nature sounds. If I want to meditate, alpha waves or asmr are what I listen to. And if I want to just personally practice vocal techniques, I find that theater music is best.
Music is not limited to herd anthems or loops repeatedly played on socmed. So much music from past & present artists are expressed out there.
Cleaning
On the contrary to the seemingly popular belief that cleaning is just something you should do when you have the time, I actually believe that cleaning your personal environment regularly saves you so much time. When you regularly prime your space for how you need it the next time, you support your future self by making it easier for you to move around as you need to.
Decluttering is also a good habit to try. It’s normal for us to want to experience different activities or experience different products. But, when you have already used it for its purpose & don’t find the need to keep it, try to let it go. When things that we don’t regularly need keep piling up, it says a lot about how we are also neglecting processing our emotions & thoughts.
When your environment is clean, it allows you to think clearly & avoid any form of procrastination. If you design it to look like a clutter, you are designing it for distraction. Cleaning is part of my regular routine because it makes me feel peaceful, quiet, light & gives my mind clarity.