Careen Tan

Co-founder and Creative Director of WISHFUL Curated Gifting

As part of #LBNewBeginnings feature, Careen shares her story and tips to inspire a fresh start to the year.

How does a typical week look like for you?

As a working mom, a typical work week involves juggling many roles throughout the day. Especially with the pandemic and multiple lockdowns in the picture, my typical work-from-home day consists of looking after the boys, their online classes and play time, meal time, bath time while having online meetings and discussions with my team and clients in between. On days that I can enter the office, I will settle the boys with their grandparents for the day before going on back-to-back meetings, brainstorming sessions and product photoshoots with my team!

I try to be home as early as I can to have a sit-down dinner with my family, with phones placed at a corner. Then it was very quickly down to getting the boys ready for bedtime, cleaning up, tidying the home and winding down to prepare for another new day! When the boys are asleep, I would try to squeeze in some Netflix time to unwind or simply a heart-to-heart marriage time with the husband, which is my favorite way to wrap up the day.

What does ‘New Beginnings’ mean to you?

'New Beginnings' signify new chances to change, grow and turn our lives around for the better. As someone who holds significance very dearly, I am a huge fan of starting the year/month/week/day right. While it's great to kickstart the year on a strong note with new goals and resolutions, I also believe that every day is a new beginning where we can decide to make a change, to improve ourselves and our lives for the better.

"You are stronger and more capable than you know."

What are you looking forward to most this new year?

After two busy years spending most of my time at home and working doubly hard, I am looking forward to traveling again the most this year- to bring my kids to see other parts of the world to expand their worldview and experience new cultures, and also to reunite with family and friends who are living abroad.

What are some things that you’ll like to challenge yourself with this year?

I would like to challenge myself to "Systemise & Elevate" every area of my life this year, from establishing more order and routine at home, to more systems and structure in the company to increase efficiency. As for Elevation, I intend to level up in the quality of everything I do- both in the excellence of work output to go up a few notches, to more intentional and enriching relationships and conversations.

"... to eat healthier, sleep better, exercise more, and be more mindful of my overall physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing."

What is your favorite thing to do and how can you make more time to do it this year?

My absolute favorite thing to do is to spend time with my family. Afterall, they are my WHY and the reason why I work hard to be successful in what I set my heart to achieve! This year, with more systems and increased efficiency in place, I will be able to free up more time to focus on quality time with family and loved ones.

How are you going to live this year differently from the last?

One of the things I haven't been placing much focus on would be my health and wellness, so those are some of the things I would like to prioritize this year - to eat healthier, sleep better, exercise more, and be more mindful of my overall physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

What does Joy Dressing mean to you and why did you choose this outfit?

Joy Dressing means wearing outfits that spark joy and excitement in you! I truly believe in the power of dressing up in the right outfits that make us feel good and represent us and our unique personalities. There is a spring in your step when you dress in outfits that flatter your frame and make you feel beautiful and confident! For me, I have always gravitated towards very safe and neutral colours such as white, beige and black, but this year, I would like to start my year differently by adding pops of colours to brighten my wardrobe!

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