Focus

“It’s already 5PM and I still have not done anything..”

I often told this to myself at work and sometimes I still do.

There are lots of productivity apps out there and there are also lots of books on how to be productive too.

And I consider myself as a junkie when it comes to consuming all those two tools (apps and books) in helping me to be more productive.

Has it been a success for me on leaning to the productivity tools? Well.. Yes,  I might say to a varying degree.

My favorite apps now:  way of life and do.it.

Books? I somehow stopped reading the books for a while because I want to focus on reading “Antifragility” by Nassim Taleb. Well, the book can somehow help in pursuing my productive self. But the main reason that I am reading the is that I am following a reading group on that book. I am ‘testing’ whether I can increase my level of reading comprehension by joining the group read. And on top of that we also are trying to find ways to apply the take aways from the book to our real life.

And lately I have new ‘tool’ to keep focus on achieving my goal. An accountability partner. The partner and I meet once a week to follow up on our commitment in chasing my goal.

I can surely attest that the ‘partnership’ is working for me. I followed through my commitment to write a blog this week (yep, this the BLOG).

My day will not complete until I _______

Take your time. If possible, find your preferred quite space to ponder on what to fill in the blank…

I can think of  a list of possible answers.

Let’s take a stab at it.

My day will not complete until I have a solid quality time with my family.

My day will not complete until I sip my cup of double espresso.

My day will not complete until I run my daily mileage of 8 km.

My day will not complete until I wrap up one major task.

My day will not complete until I see the sweet smile of my loved ones.

My day will not complete until I play Angry Bird – Star Wars version.

My day will not complete until I say my gratitude to the Almighty.

My day will not complete until I can share an enlightening thought to lift up a ‘gloomy’ soul out there.

Please do share your thoughts. What completes your day?

 

Picture credit: flickr/rospix

Leap of Faith

 

 

When was the last time that you took a leap of faith?

Was it a calculated risk? Did you prepare all the necessary risk mitigants?

The well trodden path might provide you with reliable road signs. The problem is that, the last time I checked, the well trodden path was in its ‘rush hour’. The road is still so jam packed that to even call it a rat race is an understatement.

So what to do now?

‘Beef up’ yourself for a rough journey. Strength and endurance — both figuratively and literally speaking — are the necessary factors. Gear yourself up — as the sufficient factor — with the necessary tool (a reliable GPS is definitely a must).

Now that you are in the physical and mental  state like an Olympic athlete, you know that you are ready.

 

picture credit: http://reelreflections11.blogspot.com/

 

P.S. In case that you are still wondering about the picture.. It’s the pit from Batman movie of Dark Knight Rises where Bruce Wayne took the leap without the safety rope to climb up.

(My random) 34 Lessons in Life (Before I turn 34)

I am not a sage, sitting at the top of mountain meditating and reflecting every single action and learning point from my successes as well as failures. I am a (slightly) ordinary guy who tries to make his living and contributing his thoughts in between his office meetings.

Before I turn 34, I’d just like to take 10 minutes to ponder and pour my thoughts as a form of my appreciation to life.

Here you go.. My list of life lessons that I have learned during my 34 years of life:

1. Action does speak louder than words. (Sounds cliche? But it’s so true.)
2. If you must speak, speak your mind but more importantly speak your heart .
3. Make sure your loved ones know that they are loved with all your heart
4. Only YOU know what you want, what you’re passionate about.. Career advice is – as you know – an advice..
5. Create the trail, create the path.. If there’s no book on that or if there is no prior practice to that? Create it!
6. You can race to the top very early.. But don’t be surprised that you will not find what you are looking for…
7. We are created equal. Don’t let ‘titles’ blind you or cloud your judgement.
8. There are inflection points or turning points in life. You can create that turning points. Life is not served to you on a silver platter.
9. Principles are principles. It takes ‘balls’ to uphold them sometimes.
10. Grade Point Average (GPA) is overrated. Have fun while learning.
11. It’s OK to make mistakes.. Beating yourself up over past mistakes will not change the present let alone the future..
12. If the future (long-term) is vague, then go for the short term… Somehow you will connect the dots later..
13. Energy and enthusiasm trump (weak) logic hands down.
14. Question, question, question. Never take things as they are.
15. See the world.
16. Read more books.
17. Talk to more people.
18. Find good mentors. We are all ‘Luke Skywalker’ who need our Master Obi Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda.
19. There will be time when we are the ‘Master Kenobi’.. Be kind to your young apprentice.
20. Life is a complex game. Moving on does not always serve as a ‘reset’ button.
21. Greet the morning sun cheerfully everyday. Be grateful that you have one more day to love your loved ones. To contribute to other people.
22. Nothing is thicker than blood. Family comes first.
23. Friends are priceless treasures (They can be as valuable as ‘blood’).
24. You get the best of both world when you marry your best friend.
25. Looking at my better half and cute son sound asleep is ‘heaven on earth’.
26. Challenge assumptions. Challenge authority. Change is hard. Change is difficult. ..but when you arrive at your ‘destination’ you will be glad that you did what you were afraid to do.
27. Try something different. You might surprise yourself.
28. You were not born as either engineer, scientist, banker, philosopher, writer, speaker.. You can be banker/philosopher/writer/speaker/runner/father/brother/husband/leader/… You can define yourself or you can choose to be undefined.
29. For every argument there is counter argument.. Don’t be afraid to be firm and choose side.
30. Everybody seems to love novel ‘contrarian’ idea. Don’t fall to the ‘herd instinct’.
31. Good life = simple life.
32. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young for something or to do something..
33. Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too old for something or to do something either..
34. Be happy. It’s another day in paradise.

Thank you my family and friends!

Welcoming Holidays!

Everybody loves holidays.

Right?

You might have your ideas of fun, relaxing or exciting ways to spend your year end holidays.

Getting together with your loved ones is at the top the list for me. They are my inspiration!

If you need other source of inspirations, there are of course other ‘wells of inspiration’.

Read some uplifting and inspiring books! These books will help you prepare your New Year’s Resolution(s) for 2013.

Me? I am reading “You Can Change Your Life” by Rob Yeung and the seminal work of Daniel Kahneman: “Thinking, Fast and Slow”.

Happy holidays!

The Incrementalist

I “borrow’ this term from Scott Belsky’s inspiring book: “Making Ideas Happen”.

Basically, the incrementalist is the combination of the “dreamer” and  the “doer”.

Someone who loves new ideas or concepts and at the same time he/she is also — in my own term — so restless which in turn pushes themselves to get into action in implementing or realizing the ideas / concepts.

I guess I just got stuck in my ‘dreamer’ self  when it comes to writing in the past months. No, I am not trying to justify myself or even worse seeking excuses as to why this supposedly daily blog sometime turns into a monthly one.. LOL (Believe me.. There are almost 50 drafts which are dying to be published; however my ‘dreamer’ side of me just keeps telling me that those drafts are not just ‘ready’ yet.)

My two cents?

Get un-stucked. Be the incrementalist! Dream it and do it!

Be Inspired!

I can still vividly remember (and it is still resounding in my head sometime — well most of the time, these days, though) when one of my former colleague told me about “going through the grind”.

I know that he meant well..

‘Going through grind’ can be translated to ‘self-discipline’. Yes, it requires enormous willpower to beat the inertia to go through the same basic regimen — day in and day out.

Alas, we’re not robots or machine.

Human beings are far more complex with their biological and emotional make-up.

There’s no doubt in my mind that we require the 10,000 hours of practice / the deliberate practice / the ideal habit etc for us to reach whatever goals that we conceive and would like to achieve.

So.. We need that slight ‘nudge’ of inspiration from time to time when the supposedly well-oiled-machine is losing its traction.

Be inspired. Spend sometime with your loved ones. Run more miles. Read more inspiring books. Talk to more people.

..and after that, have fun keeping your nose to the grindstone again 🙂

The Power of Writing

Writing things down does not only ‘download’ or should I say ‘unload’ your seemingly disparate thoughts into perspective but it also clarifies your thoughts — most importantly — to yourself; thus structured and logical analysis can be thoroughly performed in a relatively easier way to that idea inside your head.

A visual person might argue on this point and tries to prove that ‘images’ brings better perspective. Well, let’s not debate about that — at least for now.

Texts also capture your thoughts instantanously. You never know when you can get distracted and lose your train of thought while you are trying to solve great problems; or when a ‘light bulb’ moment strikes you.

So, my two cents at the end of this 3rd week of October 2012 is that I need to write things down more frequently to be more productive as well as creative.

What Day Is It?

Sounds like a not-so-intelligent question?

The question actually begs a much more profound thought then simply answering the obvious: Friday.

 

How would you remember today?

Is it a day when you turn your life around?

Is it the day when you find the solution to the ‘burning’ platform of your organization?

Is it the day when you hit the ‘wall’ in exerting your energy in running for a marathon?

Is it the day when you find THE ONE?

Or is it the day when your kid can utter his/her word to call you?

—

Well, perhaps, life has not been that kind to you lately. Take it easy. Remember that today is the day when you learn a very great lesson in life.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Enough

When can you tell that enough is enough?

Well, it depends..

It can be: ‘Never’ or ‘Now’.

If it relates to something that you are passionate about or someone that you love dearly then the obvious answer would be: ‘Never’.

How about the other answer? (‘Now’)

Do tell me or share your ideas or comments when that other answer is called for..

I hope I won’t stumble to that ‘unwanted’ situation.