August 5th, 2008 §
I sold my car to a chicken rice seller recently. I asked him what his job looks like. He told me that he sells chicken rice from the morning to about 4pm, 7 days a week. Then at 4pm, he shuts down his stall, and goes home and prepares chicken rice for the next day. By the time he is done, he is too tired to do anything else and goes to sleep.
He and his wife mans the stall and does the work. They hire an indonesian helper to wash the dishes. Their stall costs RM1k per month to rent from the restaurant (it’s a restaurant with a few stalls, the restaurant owner leases stall space to each stall hawker).
Life is simple for them. Simple but hard.
Hardly anyone I know these days wants to start a food stall. Maybe because the perception of it is so alienating. Instead, we settle to become accountants, marketing executives, software programmers, lawyers, doctors, auditors.
At 44, the chicken rice seller now owns two cars, some properties, and who knows what else. He has the Kelisa I sold to him and the new Honda Civic that looks like a doorstop. He probably bought the Civic with cash too. I found out he’s also financing some homes, perhaps for investment. Outside of the food stall business, he probably lives his life just like everyone else.
I asked him why he’s been selling chicken rice for the past 14 years. He says it’s just how he got into the food business and doesn’t see himself doing anything else.
So I think it really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you enjoy it and can earn a decent living. It’s a lesson I learnt from the chicken rice seller, so that I don’t overcomplicate life and careers for myself.
July 27th, 2008 §
I will be moving to London with my wife next month. I have decided to go back to school and pursue a Masters in Human-Computer Interaction at UCL, as I’m interested in making web applications and other computery things more usable. But this is about more than just that.
This is about me trying to find a place where I’m really satisfied. Satisfied about my life, about my work, about where I am, about my responsibilities, about the future, and about the things I do.
I’m not happy where I am right now. And I’m not quite sure how to solve my problem. The worst part is, nobody else can. All I knew was that I had to do something about it, and so I made a decision, back in March.
I suppose this feeling of loss is normal, otherwise there wouldn’t be a need for career counseling. But I also think career counseling is 90% motivation. So what I’ve really been struggling with isn’t about careers, but believing hard about what I want in life.
The first thing I told myself was that people are wrong. They’re wrong about career choices. They’re wrong about how to make money. They’re wrong about how to stay happy. They’re wrong about everything.
I did that just to prove to myself that nobody could give me advice worth acting upon. I heard things like, “anywhere is better than here”, “I’m sure you’ll get it”, “I’m sure you’ll make it”, “make sure you consider everything”.
Those things I felt was good advice, I put into practice. The rest, I threw away.
I couldn’t deal with all the details at once. Some people make the transition so complex that most don’t dare to try. So I threw it all out of the window.
Have I started packing? No.
Have I submitted all my visa forms? No.
Have I got accomodation all prepared? Only for the initial months.
Has my wife got a job yet? No.
When are you flying off? In about a month.
Sounds crazy? Maybe it is.
If you’re faced with a similar situation, it would likely look a lot different. And that’s the point – everyone has their own way of doing things. There are limitations, processes, rules that apply, but by-and-large some people get around it, find their own ways, or do what they need to do to get the job done.
I don’t have guarantees. But nobody else does either. I just take take a deep breath and choose my battles wisely.
A month ago, I had mood swings and bouts of depression. I felt I was a walking contradiction.
I worried that applying to a top 10 school in the UK would be almost impossible, and my CGPA didn’t meet their requirements. That led to some delays, a phone interview, and my undergrad professor having to write a comprehensive report on me.
Still, I didn’t want to apply to other universities that were less stringent. I really wanted to get into UCL. When I finally got accepted, I was thankful, but not ecstatic. There’s more to come, I thought to myself.
I feel that I’m betting my whole life to do this. And in a way, I feel this is only way it can be done. I don’t know if I’ll end up completely burned out with nothing left but the resignation that dreams only exist in books.
But that’s what people fear. And people are wrong.
Resources:
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July 15th, 2008 §
Do you live for a paycheck? Are you stuck wondering what you ought to be doing in life? If so, why do you do it? You have every minute of every hour of every day to decide – why do you decide to live your life like that? Are you following a pattern of life that everyone else seems to be using?
If you had 1 year left to live, how would you live it? If you had 6 months left, how would you live? How about 6 days?
It’s hard to imagine, because it forces us to stop focusing on the little things in life that keep us going. Things like waking up, taking a shower, going to work, having lunch, going home, watching TV, and then going to bed.
It forces us to stop thinking about getting that house, or that new car, or getting married, or getting a new job.
The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. – Henry David Thoreau
Maybe part of you longs for something else. Maybe you want to write that book, or sail the seven seas, or speak every language spoken by man. Maybe you want more control over your life. Maybe you want to give back to the world.
Let me offer you an alternative. There’s no cost involved, and can choose at anytime when to start and when to quit. Here’s what you need to do… ready?
Measure your success by how much value you create into the world
There’s no doubt that everyone creates value. But the value I’m talking about is value to the world – in the way the world perceives value (and often spends time, effort and money based on).
For example, people want world peace. They want to get rid of AIDS. They want free beer. And so on.
What are you doing to make these people happy?
If the answer is nothing, you have not created any value. You are part of the system that does not create any new value, but seeks to maintain itself so that the wheel of life can continue turning.
If you want to get off the wheel of life, you have to create real value. More than what you think you’re doing now. Only by creating real value does it break the vicious cycle of mediocrity and self-promotion with little results. This is because every bit of good you add to this world makes it better anywhere, for everyone.
If it sounds so good, why doesn’t everyone do it? What’s the catch? I’ll make it easy – here it is:
Don’t expect anything specific in return for creating more value
This is not to say that you will never taste the reward of your hard work. No, this is quite different. Let me explain.
95% of the world is caught up in a never-ending cycle of chasing life, otherwise known as the system. These people, as hard working as they are, do not have time to stop and smell the roses, look at the big picture, or even thank you for the value that you have created for them. So, it is OK to assume that most people are “selfish, lazy, uninformed, and impatient” (with credits to Seth Godin for the statement).
There is no way to guarantee whether or not people will give you anything in return for the value you have created. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee how much they will offer, or when. Business people will have market reports, SWOT analysis charts, and purchasing trends, but you won’t. This is a different kind of game.
The only thing that should motivate you is what you already have inside. In other words, you should create value in ways where you can keep going on without expecting anything in return.
Ask yourself what is that ONE thing in the world which you can do over and over again and not get tired of? Then ask yourself how you can generate value out of that. You’ll save a lot more time doing this than trying to figure out how to get to the top of the corporate ladder in order to achieve your goals.
We put conditions to our attempts so easily:
- I want to get a promotion, but I don’t want to look like I’m sucking up to the boss.
- I want a lot of money, but I don’t want to work like a dog.
- I want peace in the world, but I’m not willing to give too much to charity.
Forget about those things!
Focus on what you’re good at, what drives you. Find ways to create real value from your strengths and passions. Don’t try to be the best employee just because everyone’s doing it. Do it because you want to and you love to do it. Or quit and do what you should be doing.
Find people who understand the value you are creating, and work with them
It is almost impossible to keep going without some kind of authentic feedback. This is why you need to find people who can rate your work, cheer you on, and be a friend.
Not many undertake the task to create real value, and by deciding to embark on this path, you will no doubt face long streaks of loneliness, doubt, frustration, and an sense of incapacity.
At this bottoming point, you should do everything you can to stay on track and not quit. And this is where genuine relationships can help a lot.
These are not the people you see at the office, who smile at you after grabbing their hot cup of coffee… or your mother who tells you that only professionals like lawyers or doctors can ever earn a decent living… or your friends who keep asking you when you’re going to get married or have children.
No, the people you need to connect to are people like yourself – who have also decided on a unique journey to create real value that has long lasting effects for the good of mankind. Speak to anyone else, and you’re in for a beating. Why? Because people in the system don’t want people to stop the wheel of life, going round and round, after spending years trying to navigate it.
And don’t try to please everyone either. Make a stand. Choose sides. But don’t stay in the middle. Stay on the wheel, or get off completely.
What you get from creating real value
By creating real value, you break the self-perpetuating cycle of assumptions, rules, and habits that are designed to do nothing but perpetuate itself. By creating real value, you offer hope to those who seek to find answers not found within the system. By creating real value, you learn new and better ways of doing things, and become a sole recipient of bearing that wisdom – giving you a unique right to provide others the ability to do the same.
Try it, and life will never be the same again.
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July 11th, 2008 §
I just got back from another family trip, and this time it was Aceh, Indonesia.
About 4 years ago, a tsunami struck the area of Aceh, killing over 100,000 people. Development is still going on today but many people have returned to their lives by now. Aceh has received some international attention due to the tsunami, and that’s a good thing when a lot of people get by with measly salaries and are always in position for a healthy economy spurned by tourism, trade and other external factors.
Land is expensive, and the government gives little for the local industries to thrive. But still, even those who have made their fortunes do return home for the simple life – living by the seaside, serving simple meals to locals and occasional tourists, planting crops, selling snacks on motorcycles. Others will immigrate to Malaysia or move to cities like Jakarta.
It’s strange to me at first to observe some poverty level, but these people are living out their lives quite meaningfully within their own means. Some are quite happy to stay where they are, and have no intention to do anything else or be anywhere else.
It seems obvious to ask about my own condition – should I aim for the simple life and make do with less and be happy with it?
With my experiences and expectations, I do not think I could live on a beach forever. But it does mean a lot to know what I want in life. A lot of people I met in Aceh seemed to know what they wanted in life – even though it was a simple life.
Without all the social baggage of going through a big education, making a lot of money, or becoming successful and popular, the Acehnese make choices about their lives very openly and just need to make ends meet and enjoy the rest. And their friends and neighbors think and act the same way. There’s no pressure whatsoever.
This would be ideal for them if the government actually provides better infrastructure to protect the small investments the Acehnese have made into the land. I don’t think they need a lot. Good roads. Clean water. Protection from wild animals so that their crops can grow. Trade groups.
Not everyone wants to live the ‘perfect’ lives we see on television. I like this article by Penelope Trunk about her farmer friend who’s happy with life the way it is, even though it doesn’t pay very much. The important part is that he wants it that way.
Other similar posts I’ve found:
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May 16th, 2008 §
Generation Y are people who tend to be born between 1983 to 1997, and can be sometimes be called
Millennials. They are ‘peer-oriented’ (which explains why Facebook is so popular), don’t look at jobs in the traditional sense, and are comfy with gadgets.
I love working with them. They’re quirky, fun, groupish but not clique-ish, and have good working habits. I teach voluntary classes to teens around 15 to 19, and they’ve got entire books loaded onto their cheapish phones, talk about the latest movies and gadgets, but seem fine not owning them. It’s more of a really big club than a generation.
Anyway, you don’t have to ‘get’ Generation Y. Generation Y gets you. They’ll fit in mostly anywhere, and you’ll want them around cos they’re the people who know Facebook and ipods better than anyone else. And they don’t sound geekish either. Geek for the masses.
How this compares to life – I don’t know. I think that it helps me get an understand of where the world is going, and that ethics will be a big part in all this. Companies will need to run their businesses more ethically and authentically, because Gen Yers are socially conscious. It’s affecting other Generations too – even oldies like me (I’m sorta in Gen X) are looking at the world in a new positive light.
If you’re fearful that Gen Y is a cop-out, don’t worry. Generation Y can get jobs in IBM.
Now, maybe I’ll use this excuse to get a Nintendo DS.
Some interesting facts from Wikipedia:
In their recent book, Reynol Junco and Jeanna Mastrodicasa (2007) [22] found that in a survey of 7,705 college students in the US:
- 97% own a computer
- 94% own a cell phone
- 76% use Instant Messaging.
- 15% of IM users are logged on 24 hours a day/7 days a week
- 34% use websites as their primary source of news
- 28% author a blog and 44% read blogs
- 49% download music using peer-to-peer file sharing
- 75% of college students have a Facebook account [23]
- 60% own some type of portable music and/or video device such as an iPod.
April 24th, 2008 §
I’m a Malaysian. I’ve spent over 20 years in this country. One thing bugs me – I haven’t really met anyone in Malaysia who has told me they really love their jobs. The only people who told me that they have are people who tell me the love everything.
Sure, a job is better than no job. But I think if you keep doing that long enough and you’ll start to lose brain cells a lot faster.
I encourage the youth of Malaysia to go for rock concerts, fight for social injustice, make some side-income, play sports, join competitions, get involved in art and design, start new things, and travel to other countries. I feel these things are far worth more your experience than worrying and over-working about a job.
Jobs will always be there. If someone doesn’t hire you, someone else will. It just depends how desperate they are. Plus, there are a lot of desperate people out there. You won’t have to fight very hard because your exposure and experience would have served you better.
The only catch is that you have to play smart.
Smart companies these days know how to sift through people who are concerned about “am I” vs. “can I”. And you don’t want to join a company that’s not smart. So, basically, you shouldn’t care too much about whether you have what it takes. You should be more worried about understanding how stuff works – asking yourself what you really want in life, and what you’re really capable of.
I really feel that you end up saving a lot of time, money and avoid unnecessary pain.
Of course, in order to be confident enough to get the right job, you need to start asking the questions early. What will prepare you for the interview to the right job is not text-book material. It’ll be about experience.
That’s what matters most in life, anyway.
April 22nd, 2008 §
I just spent a few minutes watching a video clip of David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) delivering a speech to some techies for Startup School about “The Secret to Making Money”.
The fact that I just said that indicates that I’m some kind of techie myself, and that this blog is going to be about programming, web applications, and computer games.
It’s not.
As much as my tech work pays the bills and that I do have an insatiable desire to solve problems with it, the point of the DHH clip (if you watch it) will summarize some values to which this blog subscribes to.
In a nutshell, it’s about life. Your life, and mine.
Leapwalking is a term I use to describe how we live that life – it’s like walking to get to someplace, but the way in which we walk allows us to arrive at our destination faster or better.
I believe that there are way too many confusing signals in today’s world. And there’s just not enough time to consume, let alone process, all of that information. We have but 24 hours to make decisions ranging from what food we eat to what person we should become, and everyone seems to be going in all different directions.
Leapwalking is a way to make a decision about our lives – in a way that doesn’t make our neighbors go crazy, in a way that doesn’t require nuclear reactors or traveling to space or becoming the next President.
If you had a choice to make today, and that small choice to make a difference, that would be enough – no matter whether that difference would be big or small.
That’s what leapwalking is all about. To conscious effort to make the right choices, with our own abilities and opportunities, and due respect to the people around us.
