Over the past few months, I’ve been on a mission to redesign my work life, using the classic design school playbook: define, prototype, and validate.

It’s been a humbling and vulnerable period of reflection, where I had to face reality head-on and commit to the decision to define my own path on my own terms.

And finally, my recent business trip to San Francisco served as a testing ground—a prototype experience to see if the new work standards I was developing truly aligned with my broader values and goals.

The outcome was seamless—everything fell into place, leaving me feeling accomplished, fulfilled, and healthy.

Today, I wanted to share my new playbook for work with you.

Here are the core values that now guide my approach to work, and how my San Francisco trip brought each one to life:

My Rhythm

• I’ve come to accept that I have unique physical and mental circumstances, and I may not always be "on" like others. But when I am fully present, I bring my best work. Embracing this rhythm has taught me to work more sustainably and thrive within my own flow.

• So what’s my rhythm? An unconventional schedule that allows for short bursts of highly focused, intense work.

• Autonomy and mastery are key to my work. These two principles enable me to reach focused, peak performance when it matters most, ensuring that I’m providing maximum value when I’m at my best.

• My San Francisco Trip: The trip was the perfect reflection of this rhythm. With a packed one-week schedule of 10+ interviews, I was fully immersed in short, high-intensity bursts of work that required complete focus. The compact nature of the trip mirrored how I thrive best—by diving deep into intense tasks for a short period, followed by strategic execution afterward

  Don’t force yourself into someone else’s pace. By understanding how and when you work best, you can achieve peak performance and deliver your highest value in a sustainable way.

Connect, Reconnect, and Grow

• I believe people are a library of wisdom. Every person I meet holds wisdom from their experiences, and I look for opportunities to surround myself with people who inspire me to grow.

• My work must allow me to continuously grow, whether through new encounters or reflections from trusted friends and colleagues. This journey of learning fuels my passion and keeps me aligned with my long-term goals.

• My San Francisco Trip: The main reason I chose this project, managing Fursys’ SIDIZ content strategy for Silicon Valley, was to connect with new people and reconnect with brilliant Stanford friends. Reconnecting with individuals from my past allows me to expand my thinking and learn from different perspectives. The trip allowed me to meet and learn from talented friends in Silicon Valley, helping me reflect on my own growth and future.

  Actively seek out relationships that challenge and inspire you. True growth happens when you engage with diverse perspectives and reflect on those experiences to fuel your personal and professional evolution.

Wellness, My Calling

• Wellness is more than just a personal passion—it’s integral to my professional work. And it’s why it stands on its own as a value. I see it as a calling and it will always be part of my professional career.

• The ideal work scenario is when my personal wellness interests also benefit my professional goals. This alignment brings a deeper sense of ownership and responsibility to the work.

• It is absolutely true that when your work aligns with your interests, it multiplies the value of both.

• My San Fracisco Trip: During my trip, I explored new wellness trends I would have pursued personally. Fortunately, as I had recently begun consulting for Samyang's Roundhill wellness resort project, these experiences perfectly aligned with my role and were fully sponsored. This enabled me to approach each experience with a critical, insightful perspective, making them far more impactful—both personally and professionally.

Health First

• My health and well-being are non-negotiable, no matter how promising or lucrative an opportunity may be. I’ve learned that if a project compromises my health, it’s not worth pursuing.

• Finding ways — sometimes unconventional — to prioritize my mental, emotional, and physical well-being is top priority to make me sustainable.

• My San Francisco Trip: This was my first trip to the US since my accident, and I knew PTSD and anxiety would hit (especially with the crazy number of Teslas on the road). My husband is my emotional anchor and fortunately he was able to come (thankfully with his expenses strategically included in the project budget) to help me stay grounded and perform at my best.

The Otherish Giver

• Negotiation has never been easy for me, I’ve often accepted "passion pay" because I felt I was in growth mode, but I’ve learned that compromising my worth isn’t an act of kindness—it simply devalues my contributions.

• Moving forward, I strive to be — as Adam Grant says — an "otherish" giver —balancing my needs with the impact I can make. This means prioritizing my worth while offering my best when I can provide the greatest value to others.

• My San Francisco Trip: Now I know this trip would not have been successful without my connections, mediation, and organization. Realizing the value I brought to the project helped me overcome my hesitation to negotiate. I was able to advocate for what I deserved, understanding that doing so is not selfish but necessary for both my growth and the project’s success.