When
Once every few years or so, a bout of cold temperatures would grace the shores of our sunny (and really humid) island bringing the usual 35°C down to about 22-25°C accompanied by strong gusty winds. It’s about the only few chances we get to bust out our parkas and sweaters that are usually stored right inside our wardrobes that only see the light of day when we’re abroad in somewhere much less sweltering. Also, we finally get to look put together for once, almost unrecognizable from the all too familiar T-shirt and shorts “tropical” look.
Something else that comes along with the cooler weather is pensiveness. I can’t explain it. Maybe it’s the closest thing we have to that dark and gloomy vibe or maybe it’s because we tend to hole up at home a ton, alone with our thoughts.
Either way, it got me thinking hard about what makes for a fulfilling and well-lived life. If this multiverse is the best one out there (I have Everything Everywhere All At Once to blame for this theory!) then is this it? There’s nothing I hate more than that sinking feeling of mediocrity, that we go through life not knowing and reaching our fullest potential; not striving our hardest till the day we can no longer do so. What then is the point of life?
Of course, all of this is easy to say but putting a plan into action is infinitely harder. To do that you must first have a vision or a general idea of where you’re headed and the version of yourself you’d like to see in the future. For the longest time, I’ve been telling the people around me that I should move out from the back office and move to the front office. Something along the lines of sales, BD etc. That’s where the amount of effort you put in is the most directly proportional to the reward you’d receive and the value you’d bring. Spending time interacting with people and constantly thinking on your feet also makes you a better communicator and critical thinker which are definitely things I’d like to be better at. Another stint I rather enjoyed in my career is when I got to work on projects rather than routine tasks. The dynamic nature of the role made it harder for me to “hack” it and outgrow it. I thrive in environments where I’m always learning and there’s room for me to do so. But a lot of times, I always find myself stuck after a couple of years. The lack of progression is one of the most stifling things ever. Aside from skills (hard/soft), there’s immense value in building a personal brand. It just all ties in together nicely. Acquiring knowledge and skills + marketing it to people who’d be interested. That’s why I’m trying to read and write so much more than before. Even a rambly post like this is better than nothing I suppose. I haven’t reached the point where I can write to educate and convince. At this stage, I’m merely an infant — writing for clarity — instead of writing to express.
This year is a monumental one for me. There’s no better time to be living outside my comfort zone. I know myself too well and I perform best under pressure and when there’s no way out. And this is exactly how I feel right now. The ball is in my court, if I do nothing I’ll always feel the same. But if I try something, there’s a chance that everything will be different.
Cheers to having the courage to embark on new beginnings!
Skip to 7:15 for my favourite song in this set - When
I love how the drums sound in Seoul. This is making me wanna learn the drums all over again.
PS - I’m falling terribly behind on the 1 book per-week goal for this year. I’m 1.5 books in and I’m starting to get really interested in finance/investing books again so I’ll change up the book list. I also started using Reader by Readwise and it’s been pretty useful so far so I might consider paying for it. Let’s see.
