Consider this thought I had: I am alive and free to do just about anything -- anything -- I want, but I'm not. Rather, I'm stuck on a course molded by years of habit, reinforced by the smallness of my imagination and what I deem possible or impossible.This thought came to me last week as... Continue Reading →
I like what I do, but…
Today I had dinner with Wilson and Zixuan. It was the first time in many years (I'd think it was ten) that we'd had dinner together, the last time probably when we were still in Montfort Secondary. We chatted about the usual things: our jobs (or lack of); other people's jobs and their salaries; and... Continue Reading →
Happiness — a state of mind.
It's been a week since I completed my two-week in-camp-training (ICT) stint. For those two weeks, I complained to everyone who would listen how much I disliked it, and how I couldn't wait for "normal" life to resume. I can imagine how stupid I'd sound if I said now how much I missed those two... Continue Reading →
Increment or Not?
This month will be the month I find out if I'll have a salary increment. I told the future missus that if I didn't get one, I'll be looking for another job. I don't know if I will though. I enjoy what I'm doing, and it doesn't take up too much of my time (overtime's... Continue Reading →
Changing Jobs for More Money
"Leaving for money" is, according to an article in the Harvard Business Review on career moves, called "Managing Yourself: Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change", one of the major mistakes people make when deciding between jobs. Though not too extraordinary a finding in itself (surely you have heard people say, "it's not all about... Continue Reading →
Getting a Job During a Recession
A program on the BBC about a week back talked about getting a job during a recession. "Graduates," they said, "who got jobs during recessions were likely to be paid less than their peers who got jobs during times of prosperity." I am, unfortunately, one of them. Graduating at the end of 2008, I went... Continue Reading →
Persevering Through Difficulty
I am currently reading Seth Godin's book The Dip, in which he mentions that well-roundedness is not the secret to success, contrary to what we learn in school. How often do you look for someone who is actually quite good at the things you don't need her to do? How often do you hope that... Continue Reading →
The need for a car
"I think that it was the car," my mom said over dinner, "that kept me going in my job." When I first heard this I didn't realise just how counterintuitive it was. My mom was referring to how important she felt the car was in for her keeping her job. It wasn't that her job... Continue Reading →
Love what you do, and the money will follow. Or will it?
I recently read an article on how an author went around interviewing rich people in an attempt to find out their “secrets to success”. What he found was that these rich people tended not to seek money for its own sake. In essence, the author found that you should pursue what you love, for the... Continue Reading →
The Confirmation Appraisal
I think that I had neglected to tell you that I went for my confirmation appraisal just the other day (last Thursday). What that means is that I am now a confirmed permanent staff of my present company. Just like to express to my company my sincere thanks, and that I'm filled with gratitude that... Continue Reading →
Donn, fragments 