About Those "6 Days Out of 30"

While reviewing my April habit tracker, I realized how inconsistent my Korean study routine had become. This reflection explores slow living, sustainable learning, and the quiet practice of observing myself without judgment through minimalism and everyday life.

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閱讀中文版：《關於那「30天裡的6天」》

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About Those "6 Days Out of 30"

Learning is a process not an end goal.

Flipping through my bullet journal, my eyes rested on the April's habit tracker. Under the column for Korean learning, many boxes were left empty.  

Out of thirty days in April, only six were checked off.

I was in a long silence as I stared at these blank squares.

I thought I had been trying hard enough. 

As a nurse, my days often flow between irregular schedules and exhaustion.

As a learner, I unknowingly fell into another kind of obsession — the belief that learning must feel "complete." That is: 

Studying must be done at risk;

Studying must involve memorizing dozens of vocabularies;

Studying must include organizing lists of grammar;

And very least, studying must require an hour of full concentration. 

At the same time, these expectations have become insurmountable hurdles within the current situation of my life. .

The six checkmarks are a mirror that reflects a state that has drifted off track. 

Yet, I refused to waste my energy on self-reproach. 

Through the practice of decluttering (DanShaRi) and simple living, I have learned one thing: to observe without rushing to judge. 

Those empty spaces do not represent failure. They signal a time for reassessment - to pause and to examine  the current pace of life and to let go of expectations that no longer fit. 

We are easily programmed to chase after the satisfaction of perfectly executed plan. Somehow, we forget that the core of mindfulness living is sustainability, not the speed. Perhaps, there is no need for a perfect study plan, but something steady and flexible to flow naturally through our daily life - like breathing. 

May it be 10 minutes ;

May it be one new word;

They all count as progression.

Slow living is not about doing everything slowly; 

it is about moving forward at pace without exhaustion.

Accepting imperfection is not giving up; 

it is about clearing space within a crowded life and to recalibrate a rhythm that best suits one's self. 

 

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閱讀中文版：《關於那「30天裡的6天」》

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