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Habit of Asking Questions

“Asking questions is the first way to begin change.” – Kubra Sait

Happy New Year 2019!

Today I have been given the opportunity by my mentor, coach and a friend to share with his team on the topic… “Questioning Techniques”.

Image result for memes asking questions

The session went well… how do I know? I believe when the participants (almost all of them), came to me at the end of the session and shook my hand… it was a good feeling. I have given my best with the available resources that I have during the session.

Why ask questions? I have shared with the participants, asking questions mean we have to learn how to listen, understand (empathize) and learn about the answers from the people that we are engaging with. Especially when you want to be a better leader / coach.

I did an activity on asking closed questions and from my observations, they looked irritated as they could not get to the bottom of the story. Closed questions can only provide partial discovery and will take a long time to get to the point of full discovery. Hence, it will be better to learn how to ask more open questions to get the overall picture and mixed with closed questions to clarify any uncertainty.

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” – Thomas Berger

Shared with the participants two good books that I have read on asking questions…

Image result for just ask bill mcgrane

Are you getting the results you want in business and in life? How about a higher income, improved health, more productive relationships? Could asking questions be the “magic bullet” that enables you to achieve the success you’ve always wanted but may have never believed possible? 
In Just Ask! renowned peak performance expert Bill McGrane III teaches you how to…

Ask the five most effective types of questions.
Move forward by first asking yourself the right questions.
More effectively influence and lead others.
Decrease rejection and increase productivity.
Improve communication personally and professionally.
Dissolve conflict and improve relationships.
Use the Colombo Close…and much more.

Master the art of asking questions and you’ll have developed a powerful tool for creating more successful, mutually beneficial relationships. You’ll build rapport more effectively than ever – bolstering your persuasive power, creating greater success.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Ask-Bill-McGrane-III-ebook/dp/B00267RU4Y

Image result for change your questions change your life marilee adams

Questions are at the core of how we listen, behave, think, and relate–as individuals and organizations. Virtually everything we think and do is generated by questions. Questions push us into new territories. The future begins with our thinking, represented by the questions we ask ourselves.

“”Change Your Questions, Change Your Life”” shows readers how to consistently choose the questions that can lead them to success, both personally and professionally. This technique, called “”QuestionsThinking,”” stimulates innovation, accelerate productivity, and create more rewarding relationships.

“”Change Your Questions, Change Your Life”” is a personal growth fable that tells how a seasoned executive, Ben Knight, uses QuestionThinking to move into a higher leadership role and how the same methods of change help him and his wife, Grace, enrich their marriage.

Source: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Questions-Life-Institute/dp/1576756009

Happy reading!

The participants have a lot of potential yet to be unleashed. I really look forward to them perfect practicing what they have learnt from the short workshop session today.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” – Voltaire

There is so much for us to learn, we just need to have the habit of being curious.

“Your habits, your future!”

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Review of 2018

green, red, and white fireworks on sky at nighttime
Happy New Year 2019!

Happy New Year folks! How was your 2018?

After reflecting and reviewing 2018 for myself, I have listed some of the events / achievements / learning / experience for your reading pleasure… if we have anything in common, please do not hesitate to share them with me.

I am looking forward to an exciting 2019, where I will enter a new phase of my life’s journey – will share with you all later.

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How about that?

“The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us.” ~ Gabrielle Bernstein

Here are my 2018 reflections / reviews:

  1. Had some wonderful opportunities in executive coaching assignments (learning to be a better coach and it is a joy to experience the coachee achieving their results)
  2. Completed E-learning video for the organization I am working with (not an easy task at first and got the hang of it after a few takes)
  3. CSR talks (on habit change, leadership and motivation) and Lighthouse (with my trusted group of friends / partners to buy, prepare, cook and serve the under privileged – a joy and fulfillment for us)
  4. Camping with family (in Thailand, a great outdoor experience for the kids)
  5. DISC certification (years of practice and finally got the certification from USA, thank you for the opportunity)
  6. Journey on Leadership Development Program for a multi-national company (supporting, delivering, coaching, mentoring, having fun with the emerging leaders!)
  7. Help with service recovery for some of the company’s clients (helping to close some gaps in leadership development)
  8. Went to Gujarat, India for Entrepreneurship Development Program for 21 days with a group of awesome people (known as our G20 family)
  9. Becoming an Entrepreneurship mentor for the business owners (thank you for the opportunity)
  10. World of Habits blog site (had a free site and now decided to have own web site to compile and share to as many people as possible)
  11. Daily sharing QOTD (in Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn)
  12. Captain Habit (the mascot I created for fun and inspiration)
  13. Finished 1 chapter of a book (given to opportunity to write with international authors, appreciate the chance and learning)
  14. Closed the business deal and delivered 10 team building sessions for a multi-national company (really felt honored as they have requested for me as the lead facilitator… looking forward to serve better!)
  15. Family and friends from Thailand trip to Cameron Highlands (a memorable trip for our family)
  16. Xmas presents for my wife and kids (seeing the joy on their face and being able to give… priceless!)
  17. Birthday celebration with my son (missed my daughter’s birthday due to an oversea assignment… sorry girl…)
  18. Change of role in the company for better opportunities and prospect in the near future
  19. Another short holiday to Kuala Lumpur with my family for xmas
  20. Registered to complete my semester (leading to my own academic qualification)
  21. Signed up and completing my online courses with Udemy.

“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~ Melody Beattie

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Hello from my family 🙂


I am truly grateful for all that I have gone through in 2018 and definitely looking forward to a fantastic 2019 (and beyond). Knowing that, a lot of my family members, friends, partners and clients are going to help supporting my bigger success.

Thank God for all the blessings and do share with me your experience / successes / learning…

“Your habits, your future!”

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What do you want to achieve in 2019?

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”  ~ Oprah Winfrey

The year is coming to an end. Have you set for what you want to achieve next year and the years to come?

There are a lot of books written on goal setting and the importance of it (also there are some who do not really agree to goal setting… just go with the flow and come what may sort of concept).

Anyway, in my humble opinion, it is a good habit to set goals for yourself. Goals are like check points and light beacons guiding us; whether we are nearer to achieving the results that we want or getting further away, hence, we will need to do something to get back on track. 

If you cannot think of any goals to set, how about issues that you would like to solve? In a way, they are like something you would like to move towards to (solving the issues).

Imagine driving on the road and looking at the milestones / signboards showing the distance to go in reaching our destination (or check points)… normally, one will be more excited when the destination is getting nearer. The same feeling when we are about to reach / achieve the results of our goals.

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I have compiled some good questions to help in preparing ourselves in goal setting; the questions are as below:

1) Why am I here? 

What is my purpose? What is meaningful for me? What moves me? What is my passion? What I do I really care about? What need can I serve?

Note: A good book to read will be “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek 

2) Where have I been?
 

What does my past outcome indicate? What past experience have I got? What can I learn from my past? 

3) Where am I now?
 

What kind of person am I? What abilities do I possess? What am I good at? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What do I love doing? What motivates me?

4) Where do I want to get to?

What kind of person do I want to become? What is my personal brand? What abilities do I want to develop? What learning goals shall I set? What are the organizational goals in which I can make a difference? Which knowledge and skills areas do I need to focus on to deliver both my personal objectives and benefits for my organization? What is my conscience directing me towards?

5) How shall I get there?
 

What learning and development actions do I need to undertake? What resources will I need to have? How shall I overcome obstacles to my learning?

6) How will I know if I have made it?
 

What is the measurable outcome? How do I measure achievement of goals? Is it money? Is it promotion? Is it another measure of success?

7) What’s stopping me?
 

What’s holding me back from doing what I want to do?

8) Who can help / support me?
Who can teach me? From whom can I learn? Who can be my accountability partner?


After going through the questions, the next best thing to do is to come up with your own written plan… or be more creative and come up with a mind map of the goals you want to achieve… some of the recommended areas are as below:

– Spiritual
– Family
– Health
– Personal
– Financial
– Community
– Career / Business
– Friends
– Environment

The moment you have decided on what you want, everything gets clearer. When you put them into action, you will get the results and be motivated, thus realizing your potential to achieve even more.

“Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.” ~ Cavett Robert

“Your habits, your future!”

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Habit on Developing a Healthy Perspective


Source: pixabay.com

“The only thing you sometimes have control over is perspective.
You don’t have control over your situation. But you have a choice about how you view it.” – Chris Pine

I believe most of us have encountered events; positive or negative ones from time to time. Some of the daily events; traffic conditions, weather, dealing with people, news, unexpected happenings, not getting the promotion and many other events that have happened before or may happen some time in the future… most of the events are not within our control. 

What I have learnt from my mentors and coaches, the events or happenings may be perceived differently from people to people. Some may see it as negative, others may be glad and view them as positive. It is depending on the PERSPECTIVE on the person experiencing the event.

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Jack Canfield (author of the Success Principles and series on Chicken Soup for the Soul) mentioned that Success Principle #1; “Take 100% Responsibility of your life” with the formula:

E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)

Whatever the Event may be, depending on the Outcome we want (positive or negative), we Respond accordingly (think and action). Please read the article as the link below to learn more about the formula:

https://www.jackcanfield.com/blog/the-formula-that-puts-you-in-control-of-success/

“There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare

In this blog, I would like to share some pointers on how we can develop the habit of healthy perspective (inspired by Jeff Keller) in my own words, understanding and suggestions, please feel free to share your thoughts with me;

  1. The challenge(s) that you are experiencing versus your entire life journey. What will this matter 10 days / 10 months / 10 years from now? Of course the issue at the moment you are experiencing it may seemed enormous, just bear in mind that it is not the end of the world. It takes practice on awareness (mindfulness) and decision to NOT let the issue cloud your mind for the day(s).
  2. What is your end in mind? As this is the journey of your life, there are roadblocks and distractions along the way… focus on your mission and keep going. As one of my mentors said to me… “Don’t sweat the small stuff… look at the big picture!”
  3. As long as we can wake up in the morning, we should be HAPPY. The attitude of gratitude and not taking anything for granted is important. Decide to be glad and celebrate life.
  4. Have an open mind to events, adventures, experience, people around you and all the happenings have learning to teach us to be better. We have the power to reflect, observe and learn from the experience. What can we learn? How do we want to learn?
  5. Help others, pay it forward, do as much as we can (with any means necessary) without any expectations. Whenever we are able to give, it is a blessing and as long as we are able to serve and give… we should be counting our blessings that we are able to do that. Moreover, by focusing on others, we do not have time to think of negative events… giving ourselves to others will make us whole (sense of fulfillment) and happier.
  6. Birds of the same feather, flock together; choose your friends wisely. In this case, we have to be selective in choosing the right, positive and worthy friends. Whether we like it or not, people surrounding us will somehow influence us (no matter how strong your will power is). Better to be around people who are positive, spreading joy and happiness.
  7. Decide to view every events as an opportunity to learn, grow and be better. Of course by certain events, we may feel the pain… let’s put it this way, the reason we are feeling the pain, is because we are still alive (isn’t that something to be happy about?).
  8. Words and phrases have energy (positive or negative) effect on people. Be wise and choose the right words / phrases to use with people; not forgetting our own self-talk. Train your brain, make it a habit to talk more positives.
  9. Practice spiritual connection as people with strong spiritual beliefs tend to have healthier perspectives. Especially when we have strong beliefs and purpose, most of the time we are more resilient and focus on the big picture. We tend to be more grounded, having sense of confidence and knowing that things are in order.
  10. Leaders are the combination of the word “Learner” and “Reader”. Like what Zig Ziglar mentioned, motivation is like taking a shower, you have to do it everyday… How? one of the best ways, by reading. Hence we can earn more knowledge, skills and better perspectives.
  11. Exercise and move more. I strongly believe that we are built to move… get that body moving, heart pumping and release endorphins (neuro-chemical) that helps with making us feel good (fighting stress). When some of the people I met said to me… “I don’t have time to exercise…”, what I am hearing is that, exercise is not their priority! If it is very important to you, I am sure you can find time to exercise.
  12. Laughter is the best medicine… when you laugh, blood circulates better as your heart is pumping when you laugh. In India, there is an exercise known as the “laughter yoga”… you may find out more and do some research on this yoga to experiment it.
  13. Learning to say “NO” to activities that are not helping you to get nearer to your goals, mission or dreams. As we have limited time and time is a very precious commodity… we have to be selective to activities that provide us balance and getting us nearer to the results that we want.

“Each person does see the world in a different way. There is not a single, unifying, objective truth. We’re all limited by our perspective.”
– Siri Hustvedt

“Your habits, your future!”

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Habits on burning calories

“To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.”  ~ Gene Tunney

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

“If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.”
~ Hippocrates

What does it take for us to be healthy, my definition of being healthy is being self-reliant, being able to move (walk, jog, run, cycle, swim) and enjoy every moment of it versus being out-of-breath, lack of stamina, feeling tired and immobility (you know what I mean).

I believe there are a lot of people out there (I am one of them), who are wondering, how and what are the activities that we can do to stay healthy and especially if one is a food lover… how to maintain (or lose the extra) weight while enjoying the lifestyle of having good food plus drinks.

There is no easy way out, it takes a lot of hard work, discipline and determination (at first). Sooner or later, should we be consistent in practicing the exercise as part of our lifestyle, it gets easier and more enjoyable.

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This sharing is not the ultimate guide to having the best body nor quick weight lost program… it is just some of the activities that I find useful and you may consider in practising them as good habits (daily)…

“It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.” ~ Socrates

Please find the things or activities that you can experiment to make them part of your lifestyle habits:

  1. You can invest in an exercise ball to sit while watching television or as an office chair. By balancing, sitting up straight, it will help strengthening the core muscles. Or you may opt to do planking (this can also strengthen the core muscles).
    What I have discovered, more muscles, more calories burn efficiently.
  2. Sitting and sedentary lifestyle is the new enemy. With technology, which makes our lives easier, we tend to sit more that move about. Take some breaks in between to stand or move to the pantry to grab a glass of water to drink. Be aware, practice mindfulness or set an alarm to remind you to move after 20-30 minutes of sitting down. Another idea is to walk around when taking a call; that will burn about 100 calories if you walk and talk for 5 minutes (how about that?)
  3. When there is a need to discuss or brainstorm, walk to your colleague rather than sending an e-mail. It is better to send the message in person (if you are not geographically challenged), as that can help you put extra steps to your pedometer and get your blood flowing to get extra oxygen to freshen up your brains. Imagine if you burn just 50 calories a day… in a year, it really adds up.
  4. Chunk the activities down; if you cannot have 30 minutes in a stretch for exercising, you can deliberately set 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch (find a place further from the office to have a meal) and 10 minutes in the evening (after dinner as a bonding time with the family?).
  5. Find ways to take the flight of stairs; not that you cannot take the elevator, how about taking the elevator half way or three quarters of the way and the rest by stairs, will that work for you? At least you get your heart rate up to burn some calories. You know yourself better, please do not over exert yourself. Be mindful of your own health, best to go for check-up and find out your level of fitness.
  6. Shopping therapy can be one of ways to get extra steps and burn some calories. You may use your mobile phone (install some apps to help keep track of your steps) or invest in smart watches or pedometer to monitor your daily steps. You can also set goals for yourself or have fun by getting an accountability partner or community to challenge yourself.
  7. Perform some strength training; add some extra weight to your backpack or take the dumbbell or water bottle when you go for your walk, jog or run. Building muscles help with metabolism rate and burning the extra calories. Everything in moderation, bit-by-bit and remember we are not focusing on intensity, the key here is consistency.
  8. Pet lovers especially if you are having dogs, you can go a walk or jog with your dog. This can be a good activity to pursue with your family as well, instead of delegating the task to other people. Have fun by going for different routes.
  9. If you have a bicycle, you can always have this extra activity as a variety to your daily exercise activities. Just be extra careful when you cycle on the road; get the proper gear for safety (helmet, gloves, lights, etc). Or join a cycling group for more excitement. At least it is not only walk, jog or run… now you can also cycle!
  10. Some people like to swim; if you are one of them or the property you are living has the pool facility or if you have a club membership (which has swimming pool), this is also a good exercise to burn calories and release stress. As long as you move, keep the heart pumping (at least Zone 3 and not over Zone 5; please do your own research on your Heart Beat Rate zones; for some information, you may refer to this site, please also check with your physician before doing any activities that may cause any harm to yourself, https://www.physiotherapy-treatment.com/karvonen-formula.html)

In my humble opinion, different activities for different people. You have to find the right ones for yourself. As for me, depending on where I am and what I feel like doing… apart from doing all the activities mentioned above, you may also want to look into your own passion projects (for motivation, joy and fulfilment).

“We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising.” ~ Kenneth Cooper

 

“Your habits, your future!”

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The Little Things We Do

“It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” ~ John Wooden

Lately I have been thinking, how did the people who are successful achieve what they are achieving? How did they manage to get to where they want to be? How do they sustain what they are doing, day to day basis?

I observed and then I reflected… as there are many ways to achieve results, one of the main possibilities could be the little things that we do (on a daily basis).

“Consistency over intensity…” 

As long as we keep doing and going, I believe we will be able to get the results that we have set for. A lot of people want to achieve more in less time, realistically that is not sustainable. It takes a lot of discipline and consistent effort to be achieving the results and maintaining the momentum.

“If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.” ~ William H. McRaven

 

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To tell you the truth, I do dream of big things, leaving a legacy in this world, achieving financial independence, running successful global companies, wanting to be the most important person to a lot of people and the list goes on and on.

Then one day when I was travelling for work, while on the plane (after the plane has taken off and at a cruising altitude)… I looked out the window (as I did not get the aisle seat that I preferred) and suddenly I realised that I am just a tiny little person in this world (what about the universe?). Anyway, I took it as an inspiration for me to work towards my vision and mission for as long as I can. I know for sure that if I keep moving, ultimately I will reach the destination that I want to.

I will keep on contributing to this world, people around me as much as I can… doing my part.

“The little things amount to big things.” ~ Robin S. Sharma

While taking this journey, I might as well enjoy it to the fullest… focusing on the little things.

“I think it’s important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy.” ~ Paula Cole

Here are some “little things” we can do on a daily basis:

  1. Health – how about some stretching, short walk, jog or run, meditation, yoga, little movement to keep our body and mind healthy;
  2. Well-being / Attitude – smile, be yourself original self, positive thoughts, observations, awareness, reflection, visualisation, short breaks, anything to keep ourself energised, happy and fulfilled;
  3. Activities – planning, list of things to do, what is the focus for the day? research to add value to self, slow down (if need to), encouragement, appreciation, compliments, communication with others to make it a memorable day;
  4. Financial – savings for the rainy day, donation for charity, ways to give back, treat yourself, family members, money for health, holiday, education… I believe with some money, we have options;
  5. Practice Gratitude – allocate some time for gratitude, giving thanks, be grateful (especially when we are able to get up in the morning), the joy of existence and doing something great, how about drinking your favourite drink (coffee, tea, chocolate)?

“True greatness consists in being great in little things.” ~ Charles Simmons

I would like to share an interesting site about the little things. The link is as below:

http://stories.marriott.com/its-the-little-things/ 

Please share with me your thoughts and the little things you are doing throughout your journey to success.

Have a great journey folks!

 

“Your habits, your future!”

 

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“Reboot” and “Refresh” Habits

“Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.” – Ralph Marston

What do we do when we are tired? I am sure most of us have experienced this before. This has triggered me to share some good habits with you. Feel free to practice them and let me know how it goes.

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“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.” – Leonardo da Vinci

 

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Here are some of the good habits:

  1. “Solvitur ambulando” is a Latin phrase which means “it is solved by walking”. When we feel tired, it could be due to a few factors; we are bored, ran out of ideas or could be lack of oxygen. By breaking what we are doing at that moment to go for a walk, we can reboot, refresh and re-energize. One of the brilliant articles to read: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hemingway-thoreau-jeffers_b_3837002
  2. Drink water is a healthy and good way to increase our brain capacity feeding it with oxygen and transporting nutrients to parts of our body. At times when I was too focused in completing my tasks, I forgot to drink water then I felt lethargic, not able to focus and leading to headache. Water does not only hydrate us, it contributes to many health benefits. (all right, take a break and have some water, now…)
  3. Aromatherapy has psychological and physiological effects on us. With the right essential oil (I believe it depends on individual, the one they use in the office… is not to my liking, I prefer lemon or something zesty), it will help to boost our mood, helps with stress reduction, calming us and assist in triggering sense of focus. There are many options that are available or the easiest is to rub the essential on your palm and enjoy the scent.
  4. Snack healthily with nuts, dried fruits, fruit or vegetable slices, peanut butter, etc… here is one of a good resources: http://www.eatingwell.com/article/15314/10-ways-to-snack-smarter/
  5. Power nap... in fact, I just woke up from my power nap and writing this blog, haha. There are a lot of “different schools” of thoughts on this topic… according to science, generally the range of duration will be from 10 to 30 minutes. As long as you do not go into “sleep inertia”, when that happened, you will wake up feeling worse. How long for you? Please experiment.
  6. Stretching or quick exercise i.e. jumping jacks, walking around, planks… there are so many exercise we can do. Find the one that you are able to do with the space constraint and with the resources that you have (chair or table).
    This site is interesting:  https://draxe.com/exercise-to-do-at-your-desk/
  7. Have short breaks in between tasks; pause, look around (focus exercise), meditate, mindfulness (awareness), puzzles, read articles, talk and socialize, breathing exercise, doodling… make coffee or tea and enjoy sipping. Take a break, have a Kit Kat (not that I am getting any sponsorship from them :-p )
  8. Most important of all, should we want to stay energize, focus, refresh and healthy… have enough rest and sleep. How many hours? Different people will be different. You will need to experiment and take note of whether your sleep is a good light or deep sleep. For me, I will need at least 7 hours of sleep to be performing my best.

 

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” – Jim Rohn

 

“Your habits, your future!”

 

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Providing the fish versus teaching you how to fish

 

As I was going through some of my old short articles and collection of quotes (that motivates and provides me the wisdom), I came across this ancient Chinese quotes:

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

A lot of people (including my old self) want to be given the fish (if possible for FREE! anything that is free will be good… at least it’s provided for…)

Then the thought of this question came to me… “Why settled for limited fish?”

Isn’t it better to learn how to fish, therefore you can fish (catch) as much as you want, right?

We all have the choice to learn from successful people who have experienced in fishing and now turned professional fishermen/women. In fact, we should be paying them to learn from them.

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Another quotes that I find relevant… “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear…”

What if, one day, a professional fisherman/woman offers to teach you how to fish and the secrets of catching fish abundantly… will you accept him/her as your coach/mentor?

Or will you give excuses that you are too busy, (no time), not interested, not in a hurry or whatever the excuses may be!!

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Of course I am not talking about the real fishing… it’s a metaphor that I am using to represent opportunities.

“Life is short, once the opportunity is gone, it’s gone…” 

Life is too short and it is better for one to live life to the fullest and not hoping that life will be better (sitting and waiting for things to happen…)

When we reach a certain point in life and look back… will we say to ourselves… “WOW! I’M GLAD I DID…” or “OH DEAR! HOW I WISH I HAD!”

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~ Og Mandino

If we have not given our best, we have not lived!

There are many ways to learn “fishing”, please find some of the ways that I believe will work if you put some heart into it…

  1. Look for a coach/mentor and engage him/her to UNLEASH the potential in us.
  2. Find and make the time to read, we can start with 5 minutes and gradually increase it to more.
  3. Attend training, workshops, seminar, conferences, networking events; get to know people and talk to them. A lot can be learned when our mind is open.
  4. Have an inner circle of great friends (from different industries) having the same values. Napoleon Hill called it “Mastermind Group”. To find out more, you can visit Jack Canfield’s site: http://jackcanfield.com/blog/mastermind-group/ 
  5. Be curious and have the hunger to learn… we can always do our own research via the internet, magazines, audiobooks, e-books and many more resources around us. We just have to make time to invest in this activity.

I strongly believe that, the more we do (and learn), the better we get.

My own definition of a LEADER is a combination of two words, LEARNER and READER.

The more we LEARN, the more we EARN (knowledge and skills).

Thank you for investing your time in reading. Please do share with me if you have some learning points and tips.

 

“Your habits, your future!”

 

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Making decisions…

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“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”  – Tony Robbins

A lot of us, myself included… tend to wait for the right moment to make decision – the right decision… is there really a right decision?

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What I have learnt from some of the audio books, we have to just make the decision and manage the decision we have made… fine-tuning it along the way – to make it a good and sound decision (at the time we made that decision with the resources that we have). We have to learn to be resourceful and have the grit (persistence) to pursue what we have decided upon (as long as we can).

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

At times we have the fear to make the wrong decision… well, if we do not make that decision, will you be able to know whether you are able to achieve it?

Some recommendations I have in mind…

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  1. Use the Benjamin Franklin method (a good article to read: https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-make-a-decision-like-ben-franklin/)
  2. Discuss with the people that you trust (to bounce off some ideas) and you will have to make the decision, anyhow.
  3. This is the time when you know, having a mentor and / or a coach helps (let me know if you need any help, i will be more than willing – if both our schedules permit).
  4. Do your research, write down the possible outcomes (depending on the goal that you have set), “sleep on it” for a few days and refer to item #2 or #3.
  5. Just Do It… NOW! (If you do not, will you regret it… at a later stage in life?)

In my humble opinion, it is not how you start, it is the journey of learning, to keep going and persist until you finish what you have started.

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So what… if you made a mistake? Evaluate the experience and move on…

I am sure there are a lot of good reading materials you can get pertaining to making decisions. You can read as much as you can or want… ultimately, you have to make that decision to either start or not.

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Opportunity does not come to you… You have to SEIZE IT!

Let me share some quotes that I like on making decisions:

  1. “A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows the public opinion.” – Grantland Rice
  2. “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” – Roy E. Disney
  3. “I made decisions that I regret, and I took them as learning experiences… I’m human, not perfect, like anybody else.” – Queen Latifah
  4. “Sometimes it’s the smallest decisions that can change your life forever.” – Keri Russell
  5. “Our daily decisions and habits have a huge impact upon both our levels of happiness and success.” – Shawn Achor

I look forward to your success and please share your story / journey with me.

 

“Change your habits, change your world!”

“Your habits, your future!”

 

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The TOP 5 lessons learnt from my past jobs

I have been thinking of what to write… something that can benefit people who are reading this article. There are a lot of things that can be written and suddenly I thought of this question…

“What can my past jobs (the work, projects, people) teach me to be a better version of me today?”

To some of you who has changed a lot of jobs, please do not feel bad, times have changed and we do our best to be in that job as long as we can to serve the best we can.

I strongly believe that the outcome is a win-win when we put our best effort in the job that we are doing. The company gets the results and we get to learn from the experience, preparing ourselves for something BIGGER that is coming our way.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” ~ Pele

Please take note that the sharing is for learning purposes, contact me should you want the long version of the story as I will be putting the learning in bullet points…

Keep going and one day, you will achieve what you want to achieve.

Well here goes…

 

 

1st Job: Part-time college lab assistant which later got promoted / changed to be an IT Trainer (by accident)

  • Lesson 1: Never underestimate yourself, you can do GREAT things!
  • Lesson 2: Have the courage to speak up.
  • Lesson 3: As a people manager, fight for your people.
  • Lesson 4: Never ever condemn other people’s religion.
  • Lesson 5: Work hard before working smart!

2nd Job: Computer Instructor with a USA Franchise Computer Learning company (in Kuala Lumpur)

  • Lesson 1: Tell them what you are going to teach them, teach them and tell them what you have taught them.
  • Lesson 2: Practice integrity at all times.
  • Lesson 3: Communication skills are very important, no matter who you are.
  • Lesson 4: Never exploit people who are working with / for you.
  • Lesson 5: When you start to get greedy, you start to fall!

3rd Job: IT Officer and HR Training Executive in a Japanese Steel company

  • Lesson 1: Always have a backup plan.
  • Lesson 2: Never rush into making important decision.
  • Lesson 3: Listen to people who are reporting to you, all ideas are good ideas.
  • Lesson 4: Never get comfortable, always be improving yourself.
  • Lesson 5: Understand the culture of the company.

4th Job: College IT Training Sales and Trainer

  • Lesson 1: Change is good; if it improves the situation.
  • Lesson 2: The more you do, the better you get (provided if you fine-tune).
  • Lesson 3: You need a team to work on bigger things.
  • Lesson 4: Never fear of taking risks (manage the risks).
  • Lesson 5: Motivate your people, never wait until they are leaving.

5th Job: IT Head of Department with a Taiwanese forwarding MNC

  • Lesson 1: Respect needs to be mutual and earned NOT forced!
  • Lesson 2: Creative thinking helps to solve a lot of challenges.
  • Lesson 3: Never play favouritism!
  • Lesson 4: Office politics can cause problems.
  • Lesson 5: There are a lot of ways to solve issues.

6th Job: Sales Executive with the same Taiwanese forwarding MNC

  • Lesson 1: “The sky is NOT the limit…”
  • Lesson 2: Building relationship works!
  • Lesson 3: Be consistent (and congruent).
  • Lesson 4: Sales is a good platform to learn how to run a business.
  • Lesson 5: Customers need to be treated right! (they may not be always right)

7th Job: Branch Manager with a Systems Integrator

  • Lesson 1: there are no forever friends nor enemies in business.
  • Lesson 2: People are willing to do anything to earn big bucks!
  • Lesson 3: Coaching helps to build people.
  • Lesson 4: Follow up! Follow up! Follow up!
  • Lesson 5: Transparency is one of the success factors in business.

8th Job: Sales and Operations working partner

  • Lesson 1: Whoever that drinks with you, may not be your friend.
  • Lesson 2: One of the business focus and branding can be on premium markets!
  • Lesson 3: You always have a choice and the choice made you.
  • Lesson 4: Be truthful and be your true self.
  • Lesson 5: It is never too late to turn over a new leaf, to be a better person.

9th Job: Team manager for a USA computer MNC

  • Lesson 1: Motivate your people; recognition and rewards.
  • Lesson 2: Find out the root cause and NOT fire fight!
  • Lesson 3: You need to give some time to see improvement.
  • Lesson 4: Complete and NOT compete!
  • Lesson 5: 1×1 coaching and constant communication with people, helps!

10th Job: Sales Trainer with the same USA computer MNC

  • Lesson 1: Make learning FUN!
  • Lesson 2: Never give empty promises.
  • Lesson 3: Give recognition when it is due.
  • Lesson 4: Listen to both sides of the story.
  • Lesson 5: Dare to take risks!

There were a lot more lessons learnt from the past experience… I am just sharing 5 learning points for each job experience. Enjoy reading and select those relevant to you to apply.

If you need any help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

And if anyone of the above learning triggers you to change… for the better… WHY NOT?

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” ~ Colin Powell

“Change Your Habits, Change Your World!”