[To My First-Year Self] Things I want to tell the me from back then.

#ToMyFirstYearSelf

To the me from back then who was anxious and comparing myself to others,
things I want to tell you now.

Right now, you are
desperately searching for the "correct answer" every day, aren't you?

"Did I say something rude?"
"Do they think I'm weird?"

Even when you get home,
you keep thinking back on how you behaved throughout the day,
and you're always reflecting on it, aren't you?

To the first-year you,
there is something I, from the present,
really want to tell you.

1. You don't have to try to be liked by everyone

Back then,
you thought,
"I don't want anyone to dislike me."
But there are all kinds of people in the workplace.
No matter how much you try to be considerate,
there will always be people you just don't get along with.

The workplace is not a place to
form a "clique of friends,"
but rather a "place to work."
There is no need to wear yourself out
trying to be liked by everyone.

"If you can greet people properly and
talk about work normally, you're doing fine."
Just by accepting that, your heart will feel much lighter.

2. There is a view you can only see because you took a detour

Seeing your colleagues around you learning the job quickly
and working with full confidence,
you were feeling anxious, weren't you?
The feeling that only you were standing still,
or that you were falling behind.

But please, rest assured.
The time you spent not being able to move forward on the shortest path
was never a waste.
Because you have the experience of worrying, stopping,
and facing yourself,
you have become someone who can
notice the feelings of people who are struggling.

The days that didn't go smoothly
are also important parts that make up who you are now.

3. Don't throw away your "place" outside of work

When you were tired from the relationships at work,
you often went for walks alone or
looked out at the sea, didn't you?

At the time,
"I should be studying more,
what am I doing?"you blamed yourself,
but that's okay.

Please don't think that the workplace is your whole world.
Once you step outside,
you are a free individual.

Eat delicious food,
look at the scenery you like, and just walk.
That "time unrelated to work"
becomes the real energy to live for tomorrow.

Finally

The most important thing I want to tell you in your first year is,
that you are already doing enough.

More than becoming good at your job,
your priority is to keep your mind and body healthy.
There is no job more important than that.

It is okay if you cannot be the perfect newcomer.
You can just walk forward little by little,
at your own pace.

The me from a few years later is
very proud of you for how hard you tried,
even though you were clumsy back then.