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lifestyle || a collection of quotes & reminders: on breaks, productivity, goal setting, simplicity, expectations, and doing

IoanaSeptember 27, 2020

I started a new series on my Instagram page last month to share bite-sized life lessons. Here is a compilation of the thoughts I’ve written down so far…


on breaks

The key to being motivated and productive? Knowing when not to be.

The past four months have been fantastic in teaching me this. Not having in-person commitments has made my schedule so much more accommodating of times when I need a complete and utter shut-down break, and I’ve been so much happier and healthier for it. I like to take off an entire day every now and again, to sleep and just go with my creative flow. The next day I’m ALWAYS more eager to get back into the swing of my usual, productive schedule of commitments and projects.


on productivity

What would you do if you could have one extra hour every single day?

It’s an interesting one!
One of my favourite podcasts by @adrienne_ldn asks that question of its guests at the end of every episode. And the truth is, we have that hour. 🤭 In the little moments between tasks, in the average 4 hours we all spend scrolling our phones each day, in the sluggish days we have because we chose to sacrifice sleep, and in the inefficient ways we go about miniscule daily tasks.

If you’re trying to make time – and struggling – for something like picking up writing, starting a blog, starting to cook more meals at home, exercising more, or learning some new skill, then don’t wait for a perfect chunk of time to do it. Most of all, don’t wait for the right conditions or the right tools.

If you want something – desperately, passionately WANT something – then make time for it. Start with 5 minutes. Start with using the odds and ends of time.


on goal-setting

Ok … I’m all about constant self-reflection and self-improvement but the number one thing to remember when setting goals – productivity, health, fitness, habits – is to appreciate that your current position IS A PART OF THE PROCESS.

Don’t use guilt to motivate yourself. It’s not a long-term solution for change. And it’s particularly dangerous when your goal is body image related. Motivate yourself with the desire to BE BETTER because who you are NOW deserves it. Check out my 2nd ever Snapshot video on YouTube to hear more about this concept!


on simplicity

… and maybe sleep.

I love this quote because it’s cute and romantic. It’s also quite the spot-on prescription. But most of all, it captures an attitude of simplicity.

I sometimes find myself spiraling into an overthinking loop. It’s a part of who I am and how I think, and journaling/bullet journaling has helped me a lot with managing it. Writing out lists of what to remember, what I’m worrying or thinking about, and then organizing it so I can tackle the “root causes” is a structured way to approach everyday anxieties. But I’ve also found that, sometimes, even this structured approach can begin to loop in on itself.

This quote is just a little reminder to keep things simple.


on expectations

Reality is what you’re LIVING, not what you are PLANNING for. Take this as your daily reminder to EXPECT LESS of yourself. Your biggest accomplishments aren’t a combination of your most productive hours put together, but a blend of the ordinary – slow mornings, mistakes, simple days and all – that make up the person you’re becoming.


on doing

Cultivating dreams, planning your goals, and setting up routines is important. But what’s most important is the DOING part. Quick-fix solutions are everywhere, and I think our generation has been raised on immediacy. But mastery takes time, and NOTHING can replace the power of consistent effort applied over a long period of time.

To be a writer, WRITE.
To be a runner, RUN.
To be a reader, READ.
To be a coder, CODE.
To be an artist, MAKE ART.

You’re guaranteed to fail along the way. But by DOING you’re one huge step closer to BEING.


Which one spoke to you the most? Tell me in the comments!


Read more of these reminders on my Instagram page.

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Nice to meet you!

Hi, it’s Ioana! I’m a blogger, brand marketer, and recent Queen’s Commerce alumni. When I’m not drinking coffee, reading, studying or exploring the city, I dabble in creative projects like this one!

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ioana.pitu

ioana | mistral spirit | organization & creativity
Caught the @evergreen_brick_works farmers market t Caught the @evergreen_brick_works farmers market this Saturday for another @usktoronto sketching meetup! Always a great time with this group. 🥳 I’ll admit I didn’t do much sketching this time around… was *very* busy making the rounds at the farmers market. 😜

#usktoronto #torontosketching #evergreenbrickworksmarket #urbansketching #travelsketch
little cup, GIANT smile 🥳 Totally in my elemen little cup, GIANT smile 🥳

Totally in my element at the @usktoronto exhibition reception event at @atoriginto a couple weekends ago. The exhibit showcases sketches by local artists that are primarily done on-location in places we travel to or live in. I’ve tagged a few of the artists so you can tap through to their profiles!

You might remember helping me choose which two sketches to submit to the show application back in December. Check them out hanging right there on the wall in slide 3! 

And HUGE thanks for helping me narrow it down. 🥰

If you’re in the area come check it out. (Or better yet, let’s go together!) 👯‍♀️

#urbansketching #travelsketching #urbansketchers #usktoronto #usk #travelsketchtoronto #urbansketchersexhibit
Some more photos from our @usktoronto urban sketch Some more photos from our @usktoronto urban sketchers meetup this Sunday in Toronto at @theonlycafe!

Instantly loved the interior of this cafe. 👌 I feel like maximalist interiors speak to my soul. Its late and maybe this isn’t quite it, but … they sort of remind me of my favourite people.

#urbansketchers #torontoart #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #watercolor #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #watercolortraveljournal #watercolordrawing #traveljournal #travelwatercolor
The most perfect Sunday morning sketching meetup w The most perfect Sunday morning sketching meetup with @usktoronto at @theonlycafe 🥰 Art + chill + new friends + coffee = happy soul

Thanks for organizing @satori3000! Check out these talented artists: @deshpande.shardul @maragulens @aish_cj @april.sketchedthis @sarawenn17 @beverleydaniels5 @hirtescufineart @sonalipraharajarts @satori3000 @sonyapadovani @michaeltsouras
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Caught the @evergreen_brick_works farmers market t Caught the @evergreen_brick_works farmers market this Saturday for another @usktoronto sketching meetup! Always a great time with this group. 🥳 I’ll admit I didn’t do much sketching this time around… was *very* busy making the rounds at the farmers market. 😜

#usktoronto #torontosketching #evergreenbrickworksmarket #urbansketching #travelsketch
little cup, GIANT smile 🥳 Totally in my elemen little cup, GIANT smile 🥳

Totally in my element at the @usktoronto exhibition reception event at @atoriginto a couple weekends ago. The exhibit showcases sketches by local artists that are primarily done on-location in places we travel to or live in. I’ve tagged a few of the artists so you can tap through to their profiles!

You might remember helping me choose which two sketches to submit to the show application back in December. Check them out hanging right there on the wall in slide 3! 

And HUGE thanks for helping me narrow it down. 🥰

If you’re in the area come check it out. (Or better yet, let’s go together!) 👯‍♀️

#urbansketching #travelsketching #urbansketchers #usktoronto #usk #travelsketchtoronto #urbansketchersexhibit
Some more photos from our @usktoronto urban sketch Some more photos from our @usktoronto urban sketchers meetup this Sunday in Toronto at @theonlycafe!

Instantly loved the interior of this cafe. 👌 I feel like maximalist interiors speak to my soul. Its late and maybe this isn’t quite it, but … they sort of remind me of my favourite people.

#urbansketchers #torontoart #urbansketch #sketchbook #sketching #artjournal #travelsketch #drawyourday #watercolor #urbansketching #sketchjournal #finelinerdrawing #moleskine #moleskinesketchbook #watercolortraveljournal #watercolordrawing #traveljournal #travelwatercolor
The most perfect Sunday morning sketching meetup w The most perfect Sunday morning sketching meetup with @usktoronto at @theonlycafe 🥰 Art + chill + new friends + coffee = happy soul

Thanks for organizing @satori3000! Check out these talented artists: @deshpande.shardul @maragulens @aish_cj @april.sketchedthis @sarawenn17 @beverleydaniels5 @hirtescufineart @sonalipraharajarts @satori3000 @sonyapadovani @michaeltsouras
So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward th So glad I overcame my initial hesitation toward this book being about video games. It’s a delight for my brain so far and I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent all of this morning and afternoon reading (it was glorious) and I’ve learned 3 new words I adore:
- dilettante
- Weltschmerz
- palimpsest

Pls note: photos taken “while reading” are obviously not as impromptu as they may appear on Instagram. They’re usually when (a) you’re on a reading intermission because you either haven’t started or are getting a bit tired of reading for so long or (b) there’s a long period of descriptive text that doesn’t necessarily represent the quality of the book and is a good time to hashtag let-me-take-a-selfie. So don’t read this one page and form an opinion about the book. Instagram isn’t reality. 😜

Pls also note I’m only 40% through the book so my review isn’t definite. I’ve been burned before by jumping too excitedly to recommend a book (in this case, TV show) to everyone around me before realizing it gets WEIRD later on. So take my moment of excitement with a grain of salt - more thoughts to come!
Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and Just received this new pen from @bulletjournal and @leuchtturm1917 @leuchtturm1917canada! 👀 Here’s a closer look!

Can you tell I had so much fun unboxing this 😅 It’s my new desk pen for days that I want to feel a little ✨fancy✨

#gifted #pen #amwriting #bulletjournalleuchtturm1917 #gelpen #journal #journaling #planner #studygram #aestheticstudy #bujo #bulletjournal #bulletjournalpen #bujopen #minimalistplanner #bulletjournaling #bulletjournalcommunity #penlover
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