I am bored

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/overcoming-boredom-on-your-break

Stickwitu

https://open.spotify.com/track/2lgz3yy1AyoceOVOOBmiOS?si=OFCRVV6rRxCuGOJfR4DZUA&context=spotify%3Asearch

My favourite productivity tools and how I make the most of them.

My productivity stack: apps that run my life

https://open.substack.com/pub/jennychu/p/my-productivity-stack-apps-that-run?r=4jjo8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/24/heres-why-elon-musks-rebranding-of-twitter-to-x-is-good-actually/

Cognitive behavioural journalling, daily gratitude journalling, intention setting and reflections.

My personal journalling system

https://open.substack.com/pub/jennychu/p/my-personal-journalling-system?r=4jjo8&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

“Off the beaten path” means different things to different people, but taking our kids to live with the Mentawai island tribe in Indonesia was the most incred...

96 HOURS LIVING with an ISLAND TRIBE (hidden Indonesia)

How to calculate how much you need and save for the career break of your dreams

Funding your year of freedom: part 2

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/funding-your-year-of-freedom-part

The most impactful things I have ever done for my health: rethinking how you exercise, mindful eating and how to manage your chronic health.

Hey, how's your health?

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/hey-hows-your-health

https://itsjennychu.gumroad.com/l/growth-experiment-template

An unexpected summary of the second month of my year-long sabbatical / career break. We talk about how to find intrinsic motivation, the loneliness of doing this all alone and how to learn hard things.

Month 2 update: intrinsic motivation, loneliness and learning hard things

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/month-2-update-intrinsic-motivation

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/jennys-travel-break-architecture

You didn’t think Jenny’s Career Break(through) would come with relationship advice did you? Surprise. My name is Mandy, and like Jenny, I decided to take a step back from my career and explore what life has to offer outside of my day job. I’ve since taken an acting class, learned about radio and podcasting at TAFE, danced a lot, dabbled in voiceovers, interned with Sydney Writers’ Festival, travelled, and am now producing a little podcast of my own.

So, I met someone new...

Finally reaching the boredom stage of my sabbatical. 💜 In this week's post, I talk about the benefits of boredom and how to overcome it:
- A unique goal system to motivate yourself
- Having a joy list handy

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/overcoming-boredom-on-your-break

Updated my “now” page on my personal website.

jenny-chu.super.site/now

What are you all doing now?

I haven’t been able to get into any of the new music nowadays. Maybe I’m old.  

Pussycat Dolls, I will Stickwithu forever. 💜

https://open.spotify.com/track/2lgz3yy1AyoceOVOOBmiOS?si=OFCRVV6rRxCuGOJfR4DZUA&context=spotify%3Asearch

oops I feel like the cover photo is a bit of a spoiler but I wrote about my fav productivity tools AND there’s a free Notion template for all you creative ppl 💖

https://open.substack.com/pub/jennychu/p/my-productivity-stack-apps-that-run?r=4jjo8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Anyone used manual focus lenses after years of autofocus? I want to try a new prime lens on my Fujifilm and I love how small the manual alternatives are. But, I’m a bit worried about whether I’d just go back to my AF lens because it’s too annoying to do manual focus 😅

Everytime I get sick of mainstream social media, I come here to heal 😌😌

I bought a new 50mm manual lens for my Fujifilm - can you tell that I love it?

Journalling is one of the most impactful things I’ve done to improve my mental health. 

I tried to share my journalling routine to inspire others to do the same. 😊

https://open.substack.com/pub/jennychu/p/my-personal-journalling-system?r=4jjo8&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post

This was one of the most beautiful videos I’ve seen on YouTube in a long time.

Just, wow. The cinematography but also just the beauty of this tribe. 

https://youtu.be/Lv2BCFqD8B0

Teaching uni students has got to be one of the most fulfilling roles. 😭 Just knowing that I can be a positive memory in such a big part of their life is such a privilege.

trying new things while travelling - a little shop in Singapore!

So, as part of my sabbatical, I started volunteering for one of the cutest, sustainability, cosy themed MMO called Loftia (loftia.gg). 🥹 

I got 0 game development experience but I’m so excited to part of this journey. How freaking cute are these wind turbines?

I’m falling in love with game design and I can’t even describe how ecstatic I’m feeling to feel so excited about something again 😭😭😭

It’s not to say I wasn’t excited before but this might be the childlike excitement that all of us lose track of at some point…

Taking my camera on coffee dates more often. That cup, though. 😍

ty posts for only having helpful people and not snarky people 💜💜

Anyone thinking of taking a sabbatical this year?

I wrote up on how to calculate, save and think about money when planning your sabbatical: 

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/funding-your-year-of-freedom-part

Anyone into urban or travel sketching? I’d love to get into it but don’t really know how to start learning!

Don’t really get the hype around Threads at all; no one that I care about posts and there’s all of this random shit on my feed. Reminds me of why I uninstalled Facebook. 😅

I’m obsessed with how beautiful, organised and chaotic Vietnamese grocery stores are. Those bananas!!!

I love floral (very nature) and pixelart (very digital) combinations.

The most aesthetic city I’ve been to on my Europe trip. Cinque Terre!

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/hey-hows-your-health my latest blog post on getting older, and all things health 💜

took a day off today and made an experiment tracker on Notion 💖 it’s free: https://itsjennychu.gumroad.com/l/growth-experiment-template 

if y’all can give me a 5 star if you like it 🥹

Just casually giving my Midori Traveler Notebook a full on photoshoot for my next blog post. 😂

cafe sketching 😊 been trying so hard to improve my drawing and this has been the only method that made me draw more 

go to a cafe and draw things

The one place that would appreciate the afternoon glow on my green wall 😊

Doing illustrations for my upcoming blog lol (jennychu.substack.com) 

A summary of how my second month of my sabbatical is going

Looking for part-time / contract / fractional product management gigs over the next few months. I specialise in design-focused PM (as an ex designer), early stage startups, B2C health-care and B2B SaaS.

I know freelance PD is a thing, but anyone would consider it for PMs?

Sabbaticals are surprisingly hard. 🥲

I wrote an update for my 2nd month on sabbatical: on loneliness, hard things and intrinsic motivations.

https://jennychu.substack.com/p/month-2-update-intrinsic-motivation

What's your favourite lo-fi wireframe kit on Figma? Looking for something that isn't hi-fi so clients don't think it's the final design 😅

It’s like Japan chose the most amazing colour palettes in the world.

I found out you can shoot in RAW on your iPhone. Pleasantly surprised! 

Featuring my attempt at propagating my monstera. 😊

Back writing again! ✍️ This time, about my 2 month travel break across parts of Asia and Europe. 

Truly a trip of a lifetime (although I hope I have many more trips like these in my lifetime lol).

I feel I definitely should’ve started my sabbatical with travel. I’m literally just waiting for the day I fly…

50 days to go!!

Favourite things to do on a long plane ride? 

I’ll start: reread One Piece from the beginning.

I started a food illustration Instagram!! If y’all can give me a follow: @ byjennychu 🥹 hoping to document my art journey there

can't believe the palace of Versailles exists lol 

more pics on my latest blog 😊 https://jennychu.substack.com/p/jennys-travel-break-architecture

My friend wrote an amazing piece for my newsletter about the interesting stories and people she met on break. 

From people with tragedies, to people whose dream is to go to jail to those who took uncertain paths.

It’s one of my favourite reads this year. Please have a read! 💜

welcoming a new vase and plants to my home

TOP 3 places to go to for Melbourne for someone that’s been like 4 times or so? Looking for food, relaxation experiences, nature things and exhibitions.

Literally just counting down to my trip… 13 days to go. Any food recs for Switzerland, Japan, Singapore, Italy, London and Paris? 👀

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