Moving Again > Jakarta

I feel that is no longer a surprised.

I moved... again..

After 10 months in Surabaya, I already update in the blog that I moved to Bandung. Even with the same position, new area give another challenge and opportunity for me to learn something new. Honestly, I feel happy to live there and I am thinking to spend 1-2 years there.

But start on October, I moved to Head Office, Jakarta and assigned new job, as a assistant channel manager. I dont know why, but sometimes I think this company just go too fast. I mean, sometimes when I just settle down, making a routine and I am start to enjoy it, something changed. And it ruined everything.

I know that I am such a people who loves everything under control and goes as planned. So, this kind of thing makes me uncomfortable.

But, hey, it is life!! You can't always control it. Everything is happened for a reason. At least, I can live with my Dad and my brother again. You can't value it with money.

The hardest thing is adaptation and making a new habit. I am happy enough that I can catch up my job pretty easily. What takes my concern is the lifestyle in Jakarta. I must confessed that I am not a big fan of Jakarta, especially if you experienced living in Yogya, Surabaya and Bandung. They are so comfortable. In Bandung I feel that I have balancing my life.

Jakarta just so different. I don't know why but I feel so tired everyday. Time flies, going home at 7 or 8 is something common here. I am a morning person. I go to office at 7am, and nobody there. We just start to work at 9am. They feel comfortable to go home at 7pm or 8pm, while for me, I usually go home at 5pm. The struggle is real, especially when everybody in my department doing the same.

It doesnt show that much, but I think I am kind of stress. I need to make a new good habit to follow, make a new morning routine because I feel that I need workout to strengthen my immune. I also need to find a new hobby or activities to release my stress.

Hopefully in my next post I can explain what I am doing that works for me.

Love,

Fira

Update!!! My 25 before 25

I lost from blogging for another months!

I am so sorry for this, but there are a lot of thing happened in my real life, so I forgot to update in my Blog. I have a new boss, it means that I need to adapt again and trying to figure out the way of working that fit with him.

I also admit that I lost my focus for the last two month, so in July, I think I need to review what happened for the half year of 2016 and make a plan for the rest of 2016.

There are several things that catch my attention in 2016:

1. Minimalism
2. Zero Waste lifestyle
3. Veganism
4. Bullet Journal
5. Traveling

I learn  a lot of thing about this topic from YouTube and Pinterest. They have a several reading that fit my value and how to actually doing it. I will explore more and update in the blog what I thought about it and what is my plan to do it in my daily life.

CHANGE - Our lifestyle today

Stumble upon some blogs, I found some inconvenient truth about human. It is so scary that the way we live today has impact to our environment. I am extremely happy that I read that blog or watch YouTube videos about some lifestyle that different from the usual. It makes me think and consider the way I lived that is so harmful for others. 

Easy, Fast and Cheap Plastic

This is what our society want for their life. They want everything fast, convenient to bring, convenient to eat, and have a cheap price. For example is plastic bag and water bottle. When you want to buy something, even for one or two items, you want to have a plastic bag to carry your groceries. Even you can put it in your own bag. "It's free in Indonesia anyway, why should I refuse?", that's the way we think when we get them. You will think that you will reuse them to collect trash in your home, but 50% of it will just go to the trash bin without you think twice. As for water bottle. This is quite tricky if you life in Indonesia. Because we cannot drink tap water. It is not safe for us, that's why plastic water bottle is so convenient for us. You can just buy it everywhere and throw it when you finish. Bring your own water bottle everywhere and refill them seem to be burdensome for us.

I am trying to reduce the number of plastic I use these days, and I realized that it is SO HARD. When I went to supermarket to buy something, I am so shocked that everything is covered by plastic. My favorite biscuit and snack, spaghetti, rice, flour, spices, even fruits and vegetables. They all packed in plastic. It is so easy for us just to take all that we want, and throw away the packaging. We think that everything that covered by plastic will look better, stay longer, and not spoiled. But what we do with our plastic after we come home? We just throw it away. When you need some plastic? You can buy it since it is so cheap.

April's challenge

Time flies so fast that we pass the first Quarter of 2016. I can't believe that it is already 3 months I spent my life in Bandung. Bandung is so different from Surabaya. It's rainy season here, so I don't need air conditioner it's already cold. I wear my blanket all the time.

Except the weather, the food in here is just too good. Everything is delicious. I eat a lot of food here and gained weight. But I am happy. I am glad that I move here. Living in Bandung makes me feel like home. This city offer the comfort of Yogyakarta, my hometown.

That's why I have a lot of exciting plan in here. I am so excited to try a new thing and explore new experience. Now, I have interest change my lifestyle to become healthy both physically and mentally. There are a lot of things to do. I want to take a baby step, one thing at a time. Because I know changing habit is not easy. The hardest part is to start change and consistently do it every day. So, what is my April challenge??

1. No spend money challenge

I know that each month, I usually spend my money on clothes, or makeup, or skincare. Now, I want to make a challenge not to spend money on those things. My financial focus for this month is to buy only the necessary, maybe some groceries, so I can save up more money in my bank account. I really want 50 million cash in my Bank Account. I hope to achieve that before I turn 25 this year.

The goals of this exercise is to make a intentional buying. Usually I use my money to buy something that is unnecessary. Buying stuff just because it is cute, looks cheap because discount, or just because I am bored. I also think I still have a lot of good stuff. I want to use up all my make up and skincare before I buy a new one. I realized that I collect a lot of stuff. Since I want to be more minimalist, I need to reduce the number in my room. I don't think that throw away all my stuff is a good thing. That's why I plan to used up all my skincare and make up product.

2. No plastic bag challenge

With the new regulation of government in Bandung, you need to pay for Rp 200,- for one plastic bag. This new regulation hope to increase the awareness of people about the damage of plastic bag. And hopefully it will educate them to bring their own bag when they shop. I try to bring my bag and some plastic bags, so whenever I buy something I can refuse the plastic bag and use my own. I am start doing it from the last March, and I think I am doing fine.

With this challenge I realized that plastic bag have no value in our eyes. I bought several CDs yesterday. I already bring my own bag and successfully refused the plastic bag from Supermarket. But when I bought the CDs, I just accept the plastic bag casually. I realized it later that I just bring more plastic bag home. Habits are scary. You just doing it without even think. From now on I am trying to be more aware and conscious about the plastic bag and make sure to refuse them.

3. Spend more time for Allah

This is my personal goals. I am trying to have more Shalat Sunnah and fasting this month. There are a lot of this to be grateful for. I am not feeling good these days. I hope I can heal my soul with doing what Allah told me. I want to get closer with Him. Amin.. 

4. Continuously doing my morning routine: WORKOUT

That is my April challenge that I hope to achieve this month. I really want to do that and make a new habit to become a better me. What is your goals for this Month? 

March Wrap Up!!

Hi!!

Today is the end of March and I am really happy to tell you that I work out this morning!!!

This is one of my achievement because I work out 5 times in this month, and I already doing it regularly. Last week I work out every two days. hehe.. I am so proud of my self.

This month, my focus on develop morning routine is a success. There is still more ways to go, but I am happy with my condition right now. I am planning to have light workout tomorrow and kick my ass to jogging again on the weekend.

For the past few years, my Daddy always told me that I need to have a workout routine. Because when you work, you need more energy and stamina to keep you up. Having it every day will increase you stamina and resistance. I realized that after work out you will feel good and this feeling help my mood become better for the rest of the day.

The difficult thing that I faced is having healthy and nutritionist breakfast. For the last two days I eat apple foe breakfast, but I only buy two so today I just eat whatever in front of the office to fill my stomach. This is something that I need to focus more on April. I need to buy a lot of fruit for breakfast or maybe some oats. Having a proper breakfast will help you to work well.

The last thing from my morning habit that I want to develop is to have a TO DO LIST or my 3 things to focus for the day. I realized that write it down makes me feel conscious about what I need to do for the day. 

Beside the three of it, I think I want to put another habit from my spiritual side. I want to do Shalat Dhuha regularly. Pray and feeling grateful for the things that Allah give me every morning, I want to increase my relationship with Allah.

I hope I can continue this habit every day for the rest of my life. Change something that is small, but regularly is the way I become a better me.

What is my April Focus on?

I will update you tomorrow..

Hope you also have a great March..

xoxo,

:)

No more free plastic bags in Bandung

In March 2016, the government of Bandung make a new regulation for plastic bag in the retail. Hyper mart, Supermarket and Mini market cannot give a plastic bag for free anymore. We need to pay Rp 200,- for one plastic bag.

"It is too cheap, what the difference that they can make?"

Maybe some of you will think like that. Feeling that the new regulation will not give a good impact in our environment. BUT, THEY DO. 

I can feel the difference, and I am trying to make a change in my lifestyle. Before this come up, I already aware about the damage of plastic bag. How much plastic bag that I used up, how it will not recycle until 100 years, yet I am still using plastic bag in my daily life. Plastic bag just convenient and I get it for free.

But now is different. Since we need to pay, people now aware about the plastic bag that they used. If you only buy a bottle of drink, or something that you can put on your bag, you will refuse to buy the plastic bag. It will not damage or harm you anyway. If you add up the number, I am pretty sure that it will reduce the amount of plastic bag we produce. 

Another changes is, the cashier in store will ask whether we bring our own grocery bag. They are not put your groceries in plastic bag directly. They will offer some alternative such as box as a replacement of plastic bag. If you buy a lot of stuff, rather than put in on 5 plastic bags and pay for Rp 1,000,- you can use boxes from the store, and it's free. 

I know that it just a matter of habit. You just need to change the way you shop, you need to bring your own bag. A little change in every body will give impact to our environment. Now, I am trying to bring my bag and reduce the number of plastic bag I produce.

There are a lot of inspirations in YouTube. They pursue a zero waste lifestyle. I realized that it is pretty hard for me to do that. But, I will try to make a small change. This is the right time to change. Maybe the government regulation is such a reminder for us. We need to give more attention about the way we live, the lifestyle we did, the trash that we produced, and their impact into our earth.

I hope that this regulation can get a fully support from people and another cities will follow soon. The world is sick now, we need to treat him better by change our habit into green lifestyle. You don't need to do something complicated. Just change your small habit from now, and consistently do it every day, and spread the news to people around you. You will thank yourself later.

xoxo

March Focus: Develop Morning Routine

Who likes to watch morning routine in YouTube videos?

I do....

I don't know why, but I like to see how people spend their morning. Maybe because it is the lifestyle that I dream of, or just having a good feeling that watching them makes me feel I already doing it. You know the feeling like, " I will make my morning like her". And we just feeling good as we did it even tough we didn't. 

Morning is my enemy. I remember that when I was in school, wake up at 5 am looks easy. But, now?? I don't know why it looks so hard. The bed just too comfy, my body doesn't feeling good, and other reasons that I can think of. What is the difference of the old me and the present me? I think that it just a habit. Habit is scary. You need to do that for 3 or 5 times, and your body just get used to it. Bad habit can form easily. On the other hand forming a good habit takes months. It need a hard work from yourself and discipline.

So, in my journey towards a better me. I want to have a good morning routine. My perfect schedule or my morning routine dream is:

Work Out

Healthy Breakfast

Write MIT for today

It looks easy, but trust me, start doing it is so hard...

That's why I would like to write it down in this blog, and update it whether I can do it or not. I really want to do that because having a good start will help you reduce the amount of "hectic morning" that people usually have.

Check this blog that have a good amount of morning routine from people around the world. Maybe you can find inspiration about how you spend your morning.

http://mymorningroutine.com/

Minimalism Journey - Goals

Since March is coming to the end, I realized that I already spent the first Quarter in 2016. In this blog I write a lot of thing about minimalism lately, because I have interest in it. I will try to write my journey, my thought and everything that will help me be a better person. I realized that writing down all things in my mind, I can reduced my stress level, make me think clearly and also improve my writing skills.

In this post, I want to tell you about the reason I try to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and simplify my life. I think write down your reason is important because it can be your reminder when you feeling down, motivate you when you feel sad, and makes you think in order.

WHY YOU INTERESTED IN MINIMALISM?

The reason why I gain my interest in minimalism is because I watch a lot of YouTube videos. Since my last trip in Japan, I have interest in skincare, and I watch a lot of YouTube videos about Japanese skincare and review about them. It makes me want to buy a lot of skincare and make up. I just realized at the end of 2015 that I don't have much money left in my bank account. As I make a finance evaluation, buying skincare and makeup are my problem. Realized my problem, I make adjustment and another YouTube account to watch which is Living Light by Coco. I get inspired by the way she lives and continuous watching another minimalist YouTube.

I think the way minimalist living is quite interesting. I know that I buy something not because I need it. It more that the item looks good, it was on sale, I have money on my pocket. The concept is allign with my life vision. I do have an urge to buy a thing, and I have money. But, do I really need it? I need to think twice before I make a decision.

WHAT MOTIVATE YOU TO BECOME MINIMALIST?

Frankly speaking, my main motivator is money. I want to save money. I saw that minimalist lifestyle make you reduced buy thing that not necessary. Put on some basic item and you ready to go. I don't have to buy bag in 10 colors to become trendy and happy. I don't need to buy more shoes and clothes to look good. In minimalist concept the less is more. I need to spend my money on experience rather than goods.

WHAT IS MY MINIMALISM GOALS?

I do have a dreamy life that I adore and I want to achieve.

I want to have enough, not buying stuff if I don't need it.

I want to travel and experience a lot of things in my 20's.

I want to live healthy, stress free.

I want to spend my time with my family and friends.

I don't want to driven by consumerism and people.

I live for myself.


I think that is the goals that I want to achieve. I know that I can't change overnight. But at least I am trying. I will try to write down my journey in this blog. What in my mind, and what challenge that I get. Well, I do need this blog to evaluate myself actually. But I hope that this can help you to find your way to live simply, beside hundred blogs that speak about minimalism. Hope it can inspire you and make you feel that you are not alone in this journey. I make a mistake, and I am not shy to share this with you so we can learn together.

Just do your best. This journey is personal. You can start it slow or fast. You can declutter your whole stuff and live with the necessities. Or you can save some stuff that you enjoy and make you happy. Just remember not to giving up. We can do it together.

:)

Review my 25 to do before 25

Hi..

this is the third month of 2016. There is another 3 months for me before I turn 25!!

Since I make a goals before I turn 25, I think I need to make a review about how it goes. And maybe makes some change because there is something that I can't do for the next 3 months.

Why I make an adjustment, because as you guys know I moved to Bandung unexpectedly. It was not in my plan. So, some of my wishlist will be impossible. And some of my wishlist just too specific, so I will make it more general. I need to make it more flexible so it will achievable.

Kiko's Engagement Party. Misteri sebuah jodoh

Seminggu yang lalu saya mendapat kabar bahagia dari salah satu teman baik saat kuliah, KIKO. Dia mengundang saya untuk datang ke acara lamarannya.

Jujur saya kaget ketika mendengarnya. Karena teman saya yang satu itu saat ditanya tentang asmara selalu berkata bahwa dia tidak punya. Memang selama masa studinya di Inggris kemarin, banyak laki-laki yang mendekatinya. Namun, dia tidak bergeming. Hingga akhirnya Kiko pun memutuskan untuk menerima pinangan salah satu rekannya, Mas Aga. I am so happy for her.

Kalo kata Kiko, dia pergi ke Inggris dapat dua berkah.

1. Gelar Master

2. Mister (husband to be)

hihihi.. bisa aja ya Kiko.

Masih inget banget, pertengahan tahun 2014 ketika kami merayakan ulang tahunnya. Di situ semua orang, kami dan keluarga Kiko mendoakan agar sepulangnya Kiko dari Inggris mendapatkan jodoh yang baik. Alhamdulillah doa tersebut dikabulkan oleh Allah. Memang yang namanya jodoh itu hanya Allah yang tahu.

Sebagai hambanya kita hanya bisa berdoa dan berusaha. Kalo memang jodoh gak akan kemana, gak perlu khawatir deh. Saya belum terlalu kenal sih sama calonnya, Mas Aga ini. Tapi kalo dilihat sekilas orangnya kayaknya baik deh. Haha.. sok tau..

Yang pasti sih Mas Aga ini terlihat pintar, dia memang akan melanjutkan S3 di Aussie tahun ini. Which means that Kiko juga akan cao ke Aussie akhir tahun. Yah.. sedih deh ditinggal Kiko lagi. Semoga acaranya di bulan September akan lancar buat Kiko dan Mas Aga. Doa yang gak terputus untuk kebahagiaan keduanya, semoga kekal hingga akhirat nanti. Amin..

Management Trainee Danone - Flashback

Graduation Day..

Bukan, bukan graduation day UGM lagi kali ini. Tapi graduation day dari MT Danone. Time flies..

Sepertinya baru saja 23 Februari 2014 saya menandatangani kontrak untuk bekerja di Nutricia menjadi seorang Management Trainee. Memasuki dunia kerja adalah hal yang baru. Ada rasa takut, excited, juga gelisah yang melebur menjadi satu. Let's flashback...

Buat teman2 di luar sana yang pengen masuk jadi MT Danone, ini mungkin bisa jadi sum up apa yang bakal teman-teman lakukan kalo jadi MT Sales di Nutricia

Saya yakin ketika orang mendengar tentang kerja jadi sales pasti mikirnya salesman. Sama, saya juga dulu mikir kayak gitu. Jujur saya gak terlalu tau apa sih yang dilakukan oleh orang sales. 

Job desc nya apa sih? Ya pasti jualan, tapi bukan yang satu satu ke pintu rumah atau di jalan ya. Ternyata salesman jualannya gak cuma jualan langsung kayak gitu. Ada beberapa bagian yang bisa kamu lakukan kalo kerja di bidang sales. Nah, saat kamu jadi MT sales di Nutricia, kamu akan mengalami beberapa chapter, tiap chapter kamu akan dikasih project trus di akhir waktu yang ditentukan kamu harus presentasi di depan Direktur Sales dan orang HR yang akan melihat apakah kamu pantas untuk lulus atau gak.

Kalo lulus, kamu bisa lanjut ke chapter berikutnya, kalo gak ya,,

Bye bye.. mungkin bisa dicoba di tempat lain

Nah, kemarin apa aja sih yang dilakukan?

Let's see..

Minimalism Journey - My thought on the last 4 months

Did I tell you that I want to be a minimalist? Trying to live with less stuff and stress?

Well, I need to admit that it was not easy. I try not to buy another clothes or shoes, but from the time that I post about minimalism, I already buy 3 shoes and 6 clothes. Half of it I got free from my company but still, I get more stuff that I don't need. At this time, I realized how bad my habit toward shopping. I usually just go to shopping center and buy something that looks cute or having sales so it seems cheap. Even tough I declutter my stuff, but If my bad habit of shopping not changing, my stuff will not reduce.

In the last post I write about my tips to reduce the urge to shop. Did it work? To tell you the truth, there are times that I did it and there are times that I forgot. After I get my first shoes, I went to Mall and see that my dream shoes on sale. After a week thinking about that shoes, I bought it. Hiks.. I feel guilty but actually I am really happy because this is my favourite shoes, I use it almost everyday. But, no excused I failed.

So, I realize that I need to change the way I am shopping. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about minimalism, living light and sustainable fashion. I am trying to find more motivation, and to remind me about this journey. I just think that all the person that I watch is cool and their lifestyle is something that I want. I am interested in the way the live, their action toward stuff, and how they be more productive and less stress about their life.

And in some other reason, I find that minimalism concept is align with my religion, Islam. We don't need money or more stuff to be happy. We need to be present, feeling grateful with everything that we have and minimize the desire of having more. In Islam, they teach us not to eat until full. They told you to put 1/3 of your stomach for food, 1/3 for water and the rest of it for air. Islam told us not to buy a lot of stuff that you don't need and always feeling grateful with everything that you have.

Back to my experience in the last 4 months, I know that changing lifestyle is something that not easy. You need to re focus again, and remember what motivate you in the first place when you buy something. Just remember that you make a bad habit for years, and you cannot expect in some weeks or months it will change.

So, now I just will enjoy this process and work hard to be better this month.

Welcoming 2016 in New Place

Did I tell you that I moved?

Again.. yes, again..

Setelah menghabiskan 10 bulan di Kota Pahlawan, pada akhir Desember kemarin saya mendapat "surat sakti" yang menugaskan saya pindah ke Bandung. Masih dengan title yang sama, namun mendapatkan tantangan yang berbeda.

Saya masih ingat, atasan saya bertanya " Did you happy?".

To tell you the truth, more than happy, I am surprise.

Saya sama sekali tidak menyangka bahwa saya akan dipindah. Mengingat saya baru saja benar-benar betah di Surabaya, baru saja berhasil meraih hati team saya, sudah mempunyai banyak rencana di kepala untuk tahun depan. Ah.. bukankah itu hidup? Memang pada satu minggu sebelumnya I feel frustrated and bored. Rasa-rasanya saya ingin mendapatkan sesuatu yang baru. Be careful with your wish. Allah Maha Baik. Dia mendengar doa saya dan memberikan satu tantangan baru.

Saya selalu berdoa satu hal padanya. Semoga Allah selalu memberikan yang terbaik bagi saya. Terbaik menurut jalanNya, bukan sesuai keinginan saya. Karena terkadang kita baru bisa menemukan hikmah setelah kita menjalaninya. Oleh karena itu saya hanya bisa bersyukur atas apa yang terjadi 1 bulan terakhir ini.

Saya menghabiskan libur akhir tahun bersama keluarga saya. We had so much fun! Kami tidak melakukan perjalanan mewah, hanya Malang dan sekitarnya. Tapi perjalanan itu berkesan. We speak to each other, share our feeling and worried. Spend a week to say goodbye to my team, and explore Bandung in the last two weeks. Semua berjalan sangat cepat. Kadang saya merasa tidak sanggup mengejarnya.

Post ini tentang apa sih?

haha.. saya juga tidak tahu

seperti biasa, post ini akan menjadi sebuah kicauan tidak jelas. Namun, akan sangat berarti bagi saya.

Sesungguhnya, terkadang saya merasa takut dan excited at the same time. Mengawali tahun 2016 dengan begitu banyak perubahan. Semua ini terasa terlalu cepat. Tapi, apapun yang terjadi kita harus menghadapinya kan? Kita tidak bisa lari.

Dan pagi ini saya memutuskan untuk memulai hari dengan sebuah senyuman dan tekad

"CRUSH IT ALL".