By Karen
Written on December 31, 2020
2020 comprehensive review, taking stock of life and moving forward to the next phase
Main accomplishments this year:
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Cross-disciplinary Book Club transitioned to subscription model: frequency increased from once every 8 weeks to 6 times a month
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Collaboration with Fresh Time Books team to launch "Efficient Writing Skills" online course on Pressplay, with 450 purchases
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Published first book "Life is Not a Multiple Choice Question"
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Invited to be opening speaker at Taipei City Education Expo
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Completed 31 cross-disciplinary book club sessions
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Joined Sanlih E-News: exclusive coverage of alcohol vending machine, followed CDC, traveled with Chen Shih-chung, broadcast news, produced special series "The Look of Adulthood"
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Independently communicated with government units to formally transform XChange into a registered association
【Timeline Record】
January: Completed a 60-person cross-disciplinary book club mega version. Not knowing how to delegate, I took on everything myself. Being a freelancer for eight months, the stress was overwhelming—I was on the verge of collapse almost every day. Those late nights were filled with nothing but sighing and tears.
February: Finally joined #Sanlih E-News, facing a severe pandemic. Supported medical news coverage through June.
In the process, I completed the book manuscript in March and interviewed the face mask national team. Personal article views broke one million in a week, setting a department record.
April: Book entered proofreading stage. Started hosting #疫情說分曦, had my own online show, visited a TV station makeup room for the first time.
May: Supported CDC fieldwork and traveled to Tainan with Chen Shih-chung.
June: Work-wise, achieved another million views in a week. Book club launched on Pressplay with subscription model transformation. A casual dinner conversation led to the decision to create an online writing course.
July: Transferred to the special projects team, began producing my own special series #大人的模樣. Meanwhile, book went through third round of proofs, cover began revision. Started writing for Youth Development Administration, commuting between Taichung and Taipei nearly every week.
August: Began preparing online writing course, including surveys and image positioning. Book club subscription exploded unexpectedly. Started preparing Xi's Readers podcast. Accomplished Daily articles, special feature videos, program hosting, and radio hosting within half a year.
September: Confirmed book publication date, finalized cover, confirmed pre-order methods. Online course went through multiple meetings, finalized "High School Writing Skills", decided on early bird pricing. Started recording podcast. Completed all manuscript submissions for second book (as ghostwriter).
October 15: "Life is Not a Multiple Choice Question" published, spent two consecutive full days filming online course the same day.
October 20: Agile Girls talk
October 24: Career Lab talk
October 28: Taiwan Tech University campus talk
Not only did I start lecturing at Taiwan Science and Technology University, but I was also wrestling with role transitions, organizational leadership, and scaling issues. Fortunately, I had wonderful mentors offering guidance. What seemed puzzling then now appears as simply part of the process. I even had the chance to ask those who had found the answers to questions I'd been pondering for nearly two years.
Regarding work performance, what I haven't shared much about is my exclusive news coverage. Thanks to the connections made while covering pandemic news, my colleague and I were the first to break the Galih mask scandal. What initially seemed like a simple story about a misplaced sticker ended up causing national uproar and changing government policy. The scale was so significant that I received a group commendation, becoming the first journalist in three years to receive such recognition. I also produce one feature story per week.
Additionally, I assisted with "Little Son" animation marketing and text adaptation, gaining deep insight into how original IP crosses from essays to animation, musicals, music videos, and documentaries. Through interviews with many artists, I was moved by all the stories embedded in the texts.
November: Contacted clients for next year's online courses (content to be kept confidential). Realized I was overextended, learned to let go and empower others, understood that things won't always turn out perfectly as imagined and might exceed my standards. Was inspired by "Principles", understanding that "you want them to succeed even when you're not there, because you know if you don't, you'll fail." Slowly let go internally, now more eager to dedicate my efforts to those truly worth helping.
December: High Efficiency Writing Course early bird phase ended with 450 sales. Became an online course instructor, completed the full knowledge extraction to sales process. Gave talks in Kaohsiung and Tainan. Started planning next year's mega cross-disciplinary book club edition. Counting up, I hosted 31 book club sessions in a year.
As a closing reflection, detailed year-end reviews give myself complete accountability—checking whether I gave my best effort in each moment, whether I transformed and improved. Most importantly, I wanted to convey that rewards never fall from the sky.
2020, despite painful moments and saying goodbye to loved ones, brought abundant harvest. Every reflection and transition was for a longer journey ahead, teaching me to manage my desires and emotions.
When every aspect of life is something you love and value, efficiency naturally increases, and you work hard for what you seek.
Finally, my new realization for 2021: some tasks match your abilities, but matching doesn't mean you must do them. You always have your own path to walk.
