Hi Star
It had been a while since I had so much free time that it messing with my brain; out of 16 hours in a day after debuting sleep I am left with allocating 2 hours to Academic, 2 hours to Damiel Badra, 2 hours to the morning routine, 2 hours to self-learning, 2 hours to the evening routine from Monday till Friday; It different for the weekend as I allocate 4 hours to Novellisteer, 2 hours to the morning routine and 2 hours to the evening routine. Based on those alone, I am left with hours that should have been allocated to my 9 to 5 empty.
Starting Out
After my internal defence, I gave myself a 3 weeks break to binge-watch all the drama that I could, read Chinese novels and send over 50 job applications received a lot of rejection and ghosting. By the third week, I was ready to resume academically but you see when certain are not under your control it will not happen based on the time you gave yourself and we all know how some Nigerians are with time like being time conscious and taking too many tasks on their plate that is out of their main office responsibilities.
Table of Contents
It’s been quite a while since I genuinely felt content with my career and financial situation. Instead, I’ve been engulfed by a pervasive sense of emptiness. I want to emphasize that I’m not struggling with suicidal thoughts, nor do I feel adrift. I’m fully aware of what steps I should take, and I’m not physically drained. It’s simply this persistent feeling of emptiness that I’m grappling with.
On The Blog: Missed Episode 4 update, You can catch up: Diary Of An Ambitious Hermit Episode 4
Over the past few years, I have grappled with seasonal depression, so the feeling of emptiness is not foreign to me. However, what distinguishes this episode is something I find myself questioning. I understand that you might suggest that my lack of sleep could be a contributing factor, but I have my doubts. I make a conscious effort to get 7-8 hours of sleep on weekdays and a solid 9 hours on weekends.
Week In Review
Academic And School
As mentioned earlier, I’ve successfully passed my internal defence and have completed the necessary corrections. However, before I can proceed with the external defence at the PG school, I need to obtain my assessor’s approval. Unfortunately, time is not on my side, with less than four months left in this year, and it may take up to four months to schedule the external defences.
For now, I find myself in a waiting game—waiting for approval to submit my work and, consequently, determining my next academic goal. Oh, and before I forget to mention, I submitted a paper for a conference, and it was accepted. I’m eagerly awaiting a response from the Computer and Security Journal.
Novellisteer
I became more active on Twitter, engaging with the community members and participating in conversations. It was a great opportunity to connect with others and exchange ideas. Additionally, I had the chance to read several interesting blog posts, which allowed me to gain insights from other bloggers in the community. Furthermore, I dedicated time to setting up a Notion dashboard that will house everything from content strategy to brand assets. There is still a lot to do and arrange but we are getting there.
Mental And Physical Health
The week began with a debilitating migraine and uvulitis that persisted for more than five days, greatly hindering my ability to concentrate on work and carry out my daily activities. Fortunately, with a combination of traditional and modern medication, my migraine and uvulitis started to subside. However, despite this improvement, the overwhelming sense of emptiness that had taken hold of me remained unchanged.
Work
In terms of work, I faced some challenges and was unable to make significant progress toward my ambitious goals. However, I dedicated time to important tasks such as applying for jobs, honing my Excel skills, and taking on new challenges. The process has been a mix of excitement and intimidation, as I navigate new opportunities and push myself out of my comfort zone.
I recently created a new Upwork account, but for some reason, my profile doesn’t appear in the Upwork search engine. I suspect this may be why I haven’t received any job offers. To address this, I decided to create a new account and start sending out one proposal per day. My goal is to build a consistent habit and increase my visibility on the platform.
Was consistent in publishing a post or an article on my LinkedIn account. started from publishing 1 post weekly to 2 posts weekly. Once I have built that habit will move to 3 weekly. for each post, I focus on community management and cybersecurity.
Fun And Entertainment
For the past two weeks give or take I have watched so many Asian dramas. listen to new and old songs, read manga and catch up on current airing episodes, going to share some Asian drama that i watch and music i recently fall in love with below.
Drama Recap:
- My Journey to You: When I first saw the trailer of this drama, it reminded me of The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (2020) so I decided to check the team and it is the same director. This is a wuxia romance fantasy Chinese drama that is currently airing and with the few episodes I watched, I am seriously invested.
- The First Responders Season 2 (2023): I highly recommend watching Season 1 first, as it provides valuable insights into the characters and their backgrounds. Season 2 takes the show to a whole new level. It’s filled with emotional moments that might just bring out the tissues and a few sobs. However, one aspect that left me slightly frustrated was how they dragged out one character’s storyline almost until the end of the season. Despite that, it’s definitely worth a watch.
- Only Friends (2023): I hate to admit it, but I’ve lost interest in this drama. I dropped it after only two episodes and ended up spoiling myself with spoilers from friends. The trailer had me excited, promising a delightful dose of messiness, but it seems I’m not vibing with it as I thought I would. However, I’m not giving up entirely. I’ll probably give it another shot when it reaches Episode 10, hoping that it picks up and delivers on the promised messiness.
- Hidden Agenda (2023): I can’t help but think that this series is the biggest missed opportunity. The teaser trailer teased a show with enormous potential, yet the actual series has fallen short of those expectations. Nevertheless, I found some enjoyment in it, especially since I was initially excited after watching the teaser trailer. However, there are aspects that I find somewhat disappointing. For instance, the pacing feels off, with too much focus on the debate competition in the previous episode (which is now Episode 11). Additionally, the introduction of new couples feels somewhat late in the series.
Music:
- Lorren – Tattoo
- Colde – Star
- Mario – Care For You
- D.O – I Do
- RIIZE – Get A Guitar
- Eric Nam – Only For A Moment
- DoYoung – Here With Me
Lessons Learned
I learned the importance of accepting my limitations, being kind to myself, and not pushing beyond my boundaries when it’s detrimental to my well-being due to rejections and things out of my control.
Despite facing rejection, I found solace and enjoyment in watching Asian dramas and reading. This serves as a reminder for readers to find moments of joy and engage in activities that bring them happiness, even during challenging times.
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Let Chat
- Have you ever experienced unexpected challenges right before an important event? Share your story in the comments!
- Have you encountered situations where you had to adapt and make the best out of unexpected circumstances? We’re all ears for your insights!