In a certain sense, yes, I am a bit boring.

Basically, I repeat the same routine every day. I wake up in the morning to check the drying status of my lacquerware, make breakfast while checking the website’s performance from the previous day; mark emails, track packages, and organize the day’s tasks. After breakfast, I respond to urgent emails, then move on to lacquerware creation, where I smooth and polish dried lacquered pieces, continuing with the next steps of the process. After finishing, it’s almost lunchtime. After a simple meal, I head downstairs to the coffee shop, where I continue paperwork, contact ITAD clients by phone, send thank-you emails to website customers, check the website’s SEO performance, search for valuable keywords, and write blog articles. Around 4 PM, I start organizing and packaging the day’s orders for shipping.

Every day is like this… methodical, with little change. Especially in winter, the sunshine in Chongqing is a rare luxury, which often gives me a sense of inexplicable melancholy.

The kids’ homework has also become part of my monotonous routine. Weekends are a rare opportunity to enjoy some sunshine, though it is, to be honest, not that frequent.

Hmm? From my own perspective, my life is actually rich, colorful, and even interesting.

Creating lacquerware is a time-consuming task, and due to factors like temperature and humidity, it’s full of uncertainty. Every time, I need to adjust the lacquer’s thickness and control its drying time. The process involves thinking, challenging, failing, and succeeding—each phase with its own mindset. Enjoying the process itself is where my happiness lies.

Time management has become a habit over the years. I naturally arrange my tasks based on their urgency and importance every day. I also consciously summarize the day’s work and break down long-term tasks to be completed on another day. This orderly approach allows things to progress smoothly and be resolved in a timely manner.

Building and maintaining a website is a long-term task. It’s easy to create a website, but managing one well is not. As a creator, I’m responsible for my website’s content. Sticking to an original approach, I take photos daily for the website and also share them on Instagram and Pinterest. I spend time understanding which content gets attention on these platforms and how to drive shares and saves. I also plan keywords by combining trends from Google Trends with my product features. Additionally, building backlinks and other SEO efforts are things I consider every day. I find tasks to accomplish and challenge myself to do more, which has become a source of joy for me.

My ITAD work is also an indispensable part of my day. I stay updated on industry developments, market trends, and analysis reports, follow up with clients, and organize daily task lists. After evaluating each list, I allocate follow-ups until the order is closed. Though some tasks are repetitive, they’re also enjoyable, especially in the interaction with others.

Different people and different tasks bring a fresh perspective each day. While my physical location doesn’t change, the internet and phone have taken me into a borderless world where I experience a variety of exciting things.

Perhaps, boredom and fun are just a matter of mindset. I believe that as long as you look for it, life is truly colorful.

In winter, the people of Chongqing seek warmth from the sun in the narrow gaps of the city.