Two Steps To Realizing Your Dreams
I have a dream, to save RM12,000 by the end of the year.
We always have this kind of resolution very early in a year. By the end of the year, we usually already forget the resolution entirely and start a new one. Where do we go wrong? and why am I talking about resolution when it's no where near the 1st of January? :)
It's because, there should never be a specific date for planning your future. It is more achievable and easier if we keep reviewing them all year long.
Oh ya, so where do we go wrong? The reason our resolution always left incomplete is because we never plan the details.
Confused? well don't be, what I'm saying is that we must always know what we want. If we want to be successful, define what do we meant by successful, is it money? if yes.. then how much money? when should we have that amount of money?
In short, instead of saying we want to be successful, detail it with another format, maybe - "I want to have RM10,000 by 31st December in cash"
Of course there are other definition of success, the above are only examples. Maybe you can say this, "I want to reduce my weight to 60kg by 31st December", or "I want to finish 2 books, both done in 2 months."
Note : Set realistic goals.. you just can't dream of saving RM1 million, when you only earn RM5K per month,
Let me take the dream to save RM12,000 by the end of the year. So don't stop there, how are you going to save RM12K? break it down, you will need to save RM1000 per month. Ask again, how to save RM1000 per month? This will be very tedious, I assure you. But if you cannot save RM1000 per month, how on earth are you going to achieve that RM12K by year end?
Check all your expenditure, where can you reduce.. maybe you don't need Astro after all, since you just don't have the time to watch, That would already be RM100 saved. Maybe change your postpaid line to prepaid. Check these things.
If you hit a dead end, when you have just squeezed everything and still not enough to save RM1000 per month, change your end of year target. Maybe reduce it to RM9000.
That goes the same to all target, whether to reduce weight, or to get that promotion. Anything! Let's do this first, shall we?
One of my first dream achieved was to buy a pc. I dreamt it for a long time and when I checked my saving, it was only RM100 above. I was frustrated. Then only I realized this method from my reading. And I went for a very sudden change in my lifestyle. No more going to movie, or weekend trip to Ipoh. My diet also changed to save. Alhamdulillah, not long (still about a year) after that, I bought a decent PC priced at RM1600.
Basically you want it, you have to do something to get it. :)
Labels: dream, ideas, Organize, tips
Procrastinator United
Yesterday was my day off, and I have a whole lot of plans to do, House to clean, bills to pay, Harry Potter to read. I spend almost my whole day doing 2 out of 3. I bet you know which one I ignore. Yes.. House cleaning.
I know no one is going to clean the house if not me. And I know sooner or later, I will be the one who will do it. In the end, I started cleaning my house at around 10.00pm and I'm supposed to go to bed at around 1.00 am. This is a real example of procrastination.
Basically we all know procrastination. It is when we skip one task (which is usually the most important and not fun) to do another task (which is more fun) or not doing any task at all (which is super fun hehe). And it has been illustrated in almost all self-help book on how to overcome it; the whole to-do list, prioritize etc.
I am not going to reinvent the wheel and elaborate on that. I am more interested on how we, the real people, handle it. This is what I did -
- After every 5 pages of Harry Potter I read, I will get up and do 2 small things; wash the dishes and take out the garbage.
- Sometimes when I really hate the task, and it is not that important. I choose to procrastinate conciously. For example, I have to prepare monthly maintenance report, which is very tedious. My mind go blank already with no mood what so ever to do it. I know for sure that if I force myself doing it, the report will be badly written and I may have to do it again. In that case, I usually decide to procrastinate without any guilt, and play that damn addictive "pikacu" game my wife introduced me. Later, I found out that I am able to do the report effectively for about 15 minutes before I'm out of mood again. At least 15 minutes of work done right?
- Working under pressure sometimes do give me a bit motivation to overcome procrastinate. Usually I just lie to myself saying that in 2 hours my manager will be coming for tea at my house. I repeatedly convince myself that that will happen. And then you can see I work at 110% efficiency.
So do you guys have any secret way to tackle procrastination? motivate yourself to do things you dont like?
--------------- Personal Note --------------------------
My worst case of procrastination is when I was studying in the university. I need to submit all my reports the next day, and I still had to do 14 weekly reports all in one night. The pressure that night was so overwhelming that I even thought that this might be how people who commit suicide feels like. Not that I have that idea. I finished all the reports in time, but the lecturer failed me. That was one lesson I will remember for the rest of my life.
Labels: Mind, Organize, procrastinate
Heroes - With power to look calm but damn nervous inside
This is a true story and it happened yesterday (20/6), I've had a new experience in my line of work. I was working as always when suddenly one worker came running to me saying that there is a drunk tractor driver chasing other workers with a "parang". I immediately called the security guard and believe it or not, he said he wouldn't dare to go to a drunk running amok with a "parang". I am quite angry at the time, because who will go and calm the person if the security doesn't dare. What if somebody got hurt?
I am not that brave also, but I take a deep breath and "tawakal" to Allah. I asked three of my other workers and we went to the driver's place. . There I saw him alone, no "parang" what so ever.
"Fuuh! lega!". Immediately after he saw us, he get upset and start cursing. I asked all those with me to remain quiet and just stand by if he attacked or anything. I slowly approached him and I tried my best to maintain that innocent look of not knowing what happened. I asked him to start from the beginning. After a lot of cursing and incoherent words... he explained to me what's the problem.
I guess his thought became more organized to properly explain to me and thus he started to calm down. I was agreeing with everything he said and promised him to settle his problem myself.
FYI - he is a contractual tractor driver taking the waste of the mill out. He is not employed by the mill but by nearby estates. And he was paid by amount of load he can do everyday. The more he can load out, the more money he get. To load the waste will require mill's shovel, which was not available at the tme. That's why he's angry.
Of course in order for me to help him, I insist he must surrender the "parang". Everything's settled. When I walked back I can see him laughing, maybe because he think I will now do what ever he wants. Obviously I then called his manager and banned him from entering the mill compound ever again. Oh ya, no one's was hurt fortunately.
Lesson learnt -
- My security need to sit down and come up with proper plan for all emergency. Luckily this is just a drunk case, where I can still reason with him. If it were a crazy person who just want to kill others, the workers will be all dead before police came.
- I need to sit down and come up with my proper plan for all emergency. The problem with emergency is that it usually happen when you lease expected and if you panic, things will only just get worse. Hm do you guys ever plan what to do in emergency? like your bus toppled or burglar inside the house? I think I should..
Labels: Experience, Organize
Last Option To Choose An Option
What? You end up getting the same point using the tool described before? hehe don't panic. It happens all the time. It actually shows that both choice is actually of the same importance and meaning to you. Either path you took will not be the wrong one. But the problem now is our mind. We can't just let it all go. That's where the final steps come in.
5) Solat Istikharah
I'm afraid this option is only for the muslim friends. I'm not going into details on how to perform the solat but on how actually the solat will help us.
- First, we must know what we really want. We have done our homework and know that both option simply of the same importance. We know that whatever we choose, it is already the best decision made. What concern us now is how will the future be if we decide on A. The truth is, we will never know. So speak to Him in your doa. Ask Him to help you now. Preferably youspeak to Him out loud.Then only it will trigger your subconcious mind to chip in.
- Perform the Solat with all concentration (khusyuk) you can give Him. Don't think about your problem just yet. That will not go anywhere, it will still be there when you are done.
- Allah will not answer your question like a Forum Perdana. Sometime He will give you clarity and courage to decide. Sometime you will still be indecisive but everythings turns out OK. Just believe that if you pray for Him whole heartly, everything will be taken care of.
- Last but not least, Tawakal. (The act of doing everything withinyour power and leave the rest to Allah). There's just something well outside our power, and it will be waste of energy to worry about it. ("Buang Karan" eheh). An example would be, our sun goes supernova. We just can't do anything, maybe go to another planet. Other than that, why worry now? :)
Labels: Decision, Mind, Organize
Or You Can Do This
You will have to read this as if you were watching a tv series.
Previously on Immortal Wisdom... "Cruel Process, Wild things and Weekend"
Like I said, usually when you reached step 3, you already have made the decision. For those who still can't make up their mind, there's always other tools you can use that may help.
4) Criteria Weight Solution
This tool is actually widely used in a feasibility study. Let me demonstrate it for you. Take my case criteria for example, "Manner", "Nice conversation" and "Nice to look at".
First I have to assign some weight or figure to the "manner", which is the most important to me. The higher the figure, the more important it is to me. In this specific case I assign as follows
Manner - 3 point
Nice Conversation - 2 point
Nice to look at - 1 point
Then scrutinize both girlfriends, which is better in term of "manner". If A is better, give her 2 points and give B 1 point. Here's how to do the calculation : Girlfriend A - Manner (2 point), Nice conversation (1 point), Nice to look at (2 point). Multiply the point given to the weight of each criteria.
For example, 2 X 3 = 6, 1 X 2 = 2, 2 X 1 = 2
The total for girlfriend A = 10 points
For girlfriend B - Manner (1 point), Nice conversation (2 point), Nice to look at (1 point).
1 X 3 = 3, 2 X 2 = 4, 1 X 1 = 1
The total for girlfriend B = 8 points.
Using this tool, the logical decision to make is choosing girlfriend A.
* Please note that I am not in anyway objectify woman. The examples are just to help you better understand the weighing tool which is an acceptable means to justify your choice scientifically. It can be applies to any others such as choosing real estate, career etc. If I offend anyone, do let me know and I will rewrite everything using other examples. :)
Labels: Decision, Mind, Organize
How To Decide Right From Left
At first I would like to do another topic. But somehow this topic seems more relevant to one of my friends (who is reading this).
So how do you decide on thing?. How do you decide between girlfriend A and girlfriend B? or which house you should buy? There are so many way to decide on things. And I believe all of us have develop an internal system on the methodology. Here's mine. I'm taking the girlfriends case as an example, simply because it is more fun hehe
1) Do I really need to make that choice?
- First ask this question, because a 7 years old and/or a 70 years old definitely doesn't need a girlfriend. Why torture yourself with the dilemma. Sometime and by sometime, I mean, all the time our mind will think about things that have no relevant to us. For example, worried about getting fat, when you are actually underweight with a lifestyle of an athlete. Stop torturing yourself!
- You are going to make an important decision. Of course you will have to check if there is any other alternative. Option C is actually to choose both options. And option D is to choose neither. Consider this for a change.
- FYI in engineering, there is the term "do-nothing". For example, flood happens once every year and workers cannot come to work. The company can either invest millions to construct water disposal system, or we can just declare that days as paid leave to all workers, and only loss thousands :)
- For example, the criteria in choosing a girlfriend maybe manner, nice conversation, and nice to look at. Do note that the quality must be clear. If, for example, when you look at girlfriend A - "I'm comfortable talking to her", and when you look at girlfriend B - "But she's funny", then you'll be repeating that argument for the rest of your life, while singing "Disana Menanti Disini Menunggu". No point! :)
- It may be cruel but you have to know which is better in term of the criteria you define.
- Note : Criteria can also be in negative form, for example, the girlfriend must not be smoking. If girlfriend A does smoke and B does not. Immediately choose B :)
- The criteria based selection is a cruel process. If for example girlfriend B has no manner. Immediately end the decision making choosing girlfriend A. The point of this process is to make the decision and not to entertain the dilemma. So be strong ya!
Mind is a very wild thing. It can be thinking about one thing and later think about a totally different thing immediately. That's why it is sometime good to have an organized decision making skill. Believe me, the process may look like it take a long time, but when you are so used to it, effective decision can be made in seconds.
Up until this point, usually you have come up with a decision. If not, no fear, there are two more secret steps that will guarantee effective decision making. -- To Be Continued --
--------------- Personal Note --------------------------
Guys, I will be going to KL this Friday and Saturday, so there is high possibility I can't see you guys until Sunday. Apparently I have some matters at Putrajaya on Friday. Any of you guys work in Putrajaya? Can't wait to be back. But you never know, I just might have that itch and go to internet cafe. So do come in and say hi. Have a nice weekend everyone :)
Labels: Decision, Mind, Organize
How To Organize Your Paper / Work?
Source : Rajen Devadeson, Personal Money Magazine
No, I don't do copy and paste. I find it more satisfying writing my own thoughts on things. Still credit is given to the original author.
Basically there are 3 strategies on how to handle your papers.
1) Strategy One - Single Handle Your Paper
- This is like you have those In and Out tray in your desk. All your files should be categorized in those two. Never put anything outside the tray or ... die! :)
- This system was developed by time-management consultant, Stephanie Winston. Basically you decide what to do with your files. However the choice is limited to these four
- Toss - If it can be dispensed, toss it into the bin. If it's not...
- Refer - Can someone else handle it? if yes, delegate to them. If only you can act on it...
- Act - Why wait? Act on it already. Nobody else will do it.
- File - Once done, file it for your future reference. Hey at least that's a record of you doing your work
I however prefer to have a very clean desk. If you have the chance
to check my desk you
will see that everything has its place. I will notice it even if a red pen lost. That is my interpretation of 5S (which will be explained
later). So my paper / work
management is basically, trying to get my desk cleared every day. Not exactly new right, but it works for me. :)
--------------- Personal Note --------------------------
This is my new column where I will briefly introduce myself to you. As you can obviously see,
I love writing. Not exactly related in my work as I am currently working as
an Assistant Manager for a Palm Oil Mill. Today,
two of my boiler tube broken in half. :)